On June 8, 1862, CSA Major General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson was hard at work, in the Shenandoah Valley. Over the past 2 1/2 months, Jackson had worked to rid the Shenandoah Valley of US Major General John Fremont’s army. Jackson would first meet up with a portion of the Federal armies at Kernstown, on March 23. While US Colonel Nathan Kimball was able to turn Jackson’s left flank, causing Jackson to retreat, it would be viewed as a strategic victory for the Confederacy – keeping the Federal forces tied to the Valley, where they could not reinforce US Major General George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac, then engaged in the Peninsula Campaign, against CSA General Joseph E. Johnston. Jackson would move up the Valley (south) and attack a small Federal force at McDowell, Virginia, under the command of US Brigadier General Robert C. Schenck. Over two days, on May 8–9, Jackson’s combined army attacked Schenck’s forces, finally overwhelming them – pushing the further west. This had important strategic implications as it prevented Schenck from joining with Fremont’s army, then approaching Staunton, Virginia.(i) After a two week lull in the fighting, Jackson pushed north through the Luray Valley, where he would bottle up forces under US Major General Nathanial Banks. In successive battles at Front Royal (May 23) and Winchester (May 25), Jackson’s army would soundly trounce Banks’ forces, sending them pell mell across the Potomac River. With these victories, the lower Shenandoah Valley was free of Federal occupiers. Jackson would leave the famed “Stonewall Brigade” to keep Banks north of the Potomac, while he dealt with Fremont.
Jackson, pushing south on the Valley Pike, was able to evade the Federal forces near Strasburg, Virginia. With Fremont’s army pushing after him, and US Brigadier General James Shields screening his escape routes, on the east
side of the valley, Jackson pushed his army towards Cross Keys and Port Republic, Virginia. There, in early June, Jackson set up defensive positions to meet the rapidly pursuing Federal army. Attempting to keep Shields’ forces from combining with Fremont, Jackson’s division, under his command, established a position on the east bank of the South Fork River, at Port Republic. Jackson had CSA Major General Richard S. Ewell’s division arrayed south of Mill Creek, near Cross Keys, to defend against Fremont’s approach. Jackson’s two wings were separated by a total of six miles. During the late afternoon, of June 7, Fremont’s army came into contact with advanced pickets of Ewell’s division, near the Cross Keys Tavern.(ii) With light quickly fading, the armies were in position for an engagement the next day.
The following narrative, on the Battle of Cross Keys, is from my website, BattlefieldPortraits.com.
Battle of Cross Keys
Click here for a map of the Cross Keys Battlefield courtesy of the Civil War Preservations Trust.
Location: Unincorporated Rockingham County, VA (near Harrisonburg)
Dates: June 8, 1862
Union Commander: John Fremont, Major General
Confederate Commander: Richard S. Ewell, Major General
Battle Summary:
The Battle of Cross Keys would open, early on June 8, as John Fremont pushed his army south on the Port Republic Road. Commanding his brigades were: US Brigadier Generals Julius Stahel, Henry Bohlen, Robert Milroy, Robert Schenck and US Colonels John Koltes and Gustave Cluseret. What Fremont initially saw had to bother him. Arrayed south of the shallow Mill Creek were three well commanded, and experienced, Confederate brigades commanded by: CSA Brigadier Generals Arnold Elzey, George H. Steuart and Isaac R. Trimble. Additionally, Ewell had placed four batteries of artillery along the commanding heights.
After reconnoitering the field, Fremont quickly determined that Ewell’s right flank was the most vulnerable. By attacking this position, Fremont could block Ewell’s escape route, to Port Republic, and join forces with James Shields to finish of Thomas Jackson’s Army of the Valley. Based on this tactical plan Fremont sent Julius Stahel’s brigade, supported by Henry Bohlen’s brigade, to attempt a turning move on Ewell’s right flank, commanded by CSA Brigadier General Isaac Trimble.
With Stahel’s brigade quickly approaching, Trimble unleashed a violent volley into the Federals, from less than 50 yards. This infantry volley sent Stahel’s brigade, in confusion, towards the rear. Trimble quickly dressed ranks and followed in pursuit, leaving two regiments in view, to keep the Yankee soldiers’ attention. Personally leading the 15th Alabama through a nearby ravine, Trimble placed them opposite Stahel’s left flank. At Trimble’s command, the Alabamians fell into Stahel’s flank, pushing them into Bohlen’s arriving brigade. Having been reinforced by two of Arnold Elzey’s regiments, Trimble continued to push Stahel, and Bohlen, all the way back to the Keezletown Road.
While the Confederates were attacking John Fremont’s left flank, the Federals started an attack of their own. The brigades of Cluseret, and Milroy, made feeble attempts to attack Ewell’s center, while Robert Schenck’s brigade swung to the far right, in an effort to turn the Confederate left flank. Having prepared for this contingency, Thomas Jackson had sent Ewell additional troops commanded by CSA Brigadier General Richard Taylor and CSA Colonel John Patton. Ewell dispatched these to his left flank, to support George Steuart’s brigade. These troops would not be needed as John Fremont, reeling from the drubbing on his left, called off the attack against the Confederate left flank. Fremont would pull back to a defensive line, along Keezletown Road.
Campaign: Stonewall Jackson’s Valley Campaign
Outcome: Confederate Victory
Troop Strengths
Union: 10,500
Confederate: 5,000
Casualties (estimated):
Union: 684 (killed, wounded or missing/captured)
Confederate: 288 (killed, wounded or missing/captured)
Battle Aftermath:
After declining Isaac Trimble’s request to attack the new Federal position, Richard Ewell would remove his division, under cover of darkness, to reunite with the rest of Thomas Jackson’s Army of the Valley. On June 9, Jackson would defeat a portion of James Shields’ army at Port Republic, clearing any danger from a combined Union force from the Shenandoah Valley. Stonewall Jackson would then move quickly to support CS General Joseph Johnston’s Army, then facing George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac, on the Peninsula.
(i) The Valley Campaign, at Wikipedia, was used to research this article.
(ii) Battle of Cross Keys, at Wikipedia, was used to research this article.