Also Known As
- Jackson’s Valley Campaign
Date and Location
- March 23, 1862–June 1862
- Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley
Timeline of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862
These are the main battles and events of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862 in order.
- March 23, 1862 — First Battle of Kernstown
- May 8, 1862 — Battle of McDowell
- May 15–17, 1862 — Battle of Princeton Court House
- May 23, 1862 — Battle of Front Royal
- May 25, 1862 — First Battle of Winchester
- June 8, 1862 — Battle of Cross Keys
- June 9, 1862 — Battle of Port Republic
Principal Union Commanders
- Major General Nathaniel Banks
- Major General John C. Frémont
- Major General Irvin McDowell
Principal Confederate Commanders
- Major General Thomas J. Jackson
Union Forces Engaged
- Army of the Potomac (1st and 5th Army Corps), Mountain Department
Confederate Forces Engaged
- Valley District of the Department of Northern Virginia,
Number of Union Soldiers Engaged
- Roughly 52,000
Number of Confederate Soldiers Engaged
- Roughly 17,000
Estimated Union Casualties
- 7,000 (killed, wounded, captured/missing)
Estimated Confederate Casualties
- 2,500 (killed, wounded, captured/missing)
Result
- Confederate victory
Impact of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862
- During the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862, General Stonewall Jackson’s men won five battles in four weeks.
- During the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862, General Stonewall Jackson’s men traveled more than 650 miles, mostly on foot.
- During the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862, General Stonewall Jackson’s infantry was so agile they became known as “Jackson’s foot cavalry.”
- Despite being outnumbered nearly three-to-one during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862, General Stonewall Jackson defeated three Union armies that had him virtually surrounded.
- General Stonewall Jackson’s successes during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862 deterred Union Major General Irvin McDowell’s corps from reinforcing Major General George McClellan’s troops during the Peninsula Campaign, probably preventing the fall of Richmond, and thereby extending the Civil War for nearly three more years.