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Shenandoah Valley Civil War Timeline and Chronology
1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign Timeline: aka Jackson's Valley Campaign Timeline
1861
November 4, 1861 - General Thomas "Stonewall"
Jackson takes command of the Valley District.
December 8-12, 1861 - Actions at Dam no. 5, C&O
Canal
1862
January 1, 1862 - Jackson begins winter campaign in
Winchester, Virginia.
January 3-5, 1862 - Skirmishes at Bath and Hancock
January 10, 1862 - Confederates reach Romney (present
day West Virginia)
January 23-30, 1862 - Jackson's Army return to Winchester
February 7, 1862 - Union forces reoccupy Romney
February 24-26, 1862 - Major General Nathaniel P. Banks
Army cross the Potomac River into Virginia.
March 11,1862 - Thomas J. Jackson evacuates Winchester.
March 12, 1862 - Nathaniel P. Banks occupies Winchester.
March 18, 1862 - Skirmish at Middletown.
March 23, 1862 - First Battle of Kernstown
Forces
Engaged: 12,300 total (US 8,500; CS 3,800)
Estimated Casualties: 1,308 total (US 590; CS 718)
Result: Union Victory
March 24, 1862 - Jackson's army retreats
April 1-2, 1862 - Federals follow south to Edinburg
April 12, 1862 - Banks assumes command of the Department
of the Shenandoah.
April 17, 1862 - Federals reach Mount Jackson and New
Market
April 19, 1862 - Jackson falls back east to Swift Run
Gap
April 22, 1862 - Union troops occupy Harrisonburg
April 30, 1862 - Jackson sets out towards Staunton;
Richard S. Ewell's division crosses the Blue Ridge at Swift Run Gap into the Shenandoah Valley.
May 3, 1862 - Jackson's army departs the Valley via
Brown's Gap.
May 4, 1862 - Jackson returns his army to the Valley
by rail, from Mechum's River Station via Rockfish Gap to Staunton.
May 8, 1862 - Battle of McDowell
Forces Engaged:
12,500 total (US 6,500; CS 3,000)
Result: Confederate Victory
May 12, 1862 - General James Shields Federals are recalled
from the Valley - Banks withdraws to Strasburg.
May 20, 1862 - Jackson's and Ewell's men unite at New
Market.
May 23, 1862 - Battle of Front Royal
Forces Engaged:
4,063 total (US 1,063; CS 3,000)
Estimated Casualties: 960 total (US 904; CS 56)
Result: Confederate Victory
May 24, 1862 - Running fight through Middletown as
Banks retreats to Winchester.
May 25, 1862 - First Battle of Winchester
Forces
Engaged: 22,500 total (US 6,500; CS 16,000)
Estimated Casualties: 2,419 total (US 2,019; CS 400)
Result: Confederate
Victory
May 29-30, 1862 - Jackson demonstrates against Harper's
Ferry.
May 31, 1862 - Jackson's army marches through Winchester.
May 30-June 5, 1862 - Jackson falls back to Harrisonburg
June 6, 1862 - Engagement of Harrisonburg; death of
Colonel Turner Ashby
June 8, 1862 - Battle of Cross Keys
Forces
Engaged: 17,300 total (US 11,500; CS 5,800)
Estimated Casualties: 951 total (US 664; CS 287)
Result: Confederate Victory
June 9, 1862 - Battle of Port Republic
Forces
Engaged: 9,500 total (US 3,500; CS 6,000)
Estimated Casualties: 1,818 total (US 1,002; CS 816)
Result: Confederate Victory
June 17, 1862 - Jackson leaves the Valley for Richmond,
Virginia
1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign Chronology of Principal Battles
- Kernstown (March 23)
- McDowell (May 8)
- Front Royal (May 23)
- Winchester (May 25)
- Cross Keys (June 8)
- Port Republic (June 9)
Shenandoah Valley Civil War Timeline: Includes 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaigns
1862
March 11 - Thomas J. Jackson
evacuates Winchester.
March 12 - Nathaniel P. Banks
occupies Winchester.
March 18 - Skirmish at Middletown.
March 23 - First Battle
of Kernstown
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Forces Engaged: 12,300 total (US 8,500; CS 3,800)
-
Estimated Casualties: 1,308 total (US 590; CS 718)
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Result: Union Victory
April 30 - Richard S. Ewell's
division crosses the Blue Ridge at Swift Run Gap into the Shenandoah Valley.
May 3 - Jackson's army departs
the Valley via Brown's Gap.
May 4 - Jackson returns his
army to the Valley by rail, from Mechum's River Station via Rockfish Gap to Staunton.
May 8 - Battle of McDowell
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Forces Engaged: 12,500 total (US 6,500; CS 3,000)
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Result: Confederate Victory
May 23 - Battle of Front
Royal
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Forces Engaged: 4,063 total (US 1,063; CS 3,000)
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Estimated Casualties: 960 total (US 904; CS 56)
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Result: Confederate Victory
May 25 - First Battle
of Winchester
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Forces Engaged: 22,500 total (US 6,500; CS 16,000)
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Estimated Casualties: 2,419 total (US 2,019; CS
400)
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Result: Confederate Victory
May 29-30 - Jackson demonstrates
against Harper's Ferry.
May 31 - Jackson's army marches
through Winchester.
June 6 - Skirmish near Harrisonburg,
Brig. Gen. Turner Ashby killed in action.
June 8 - Battle of Cross
Keys
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Forces Engaged: 17,300 total (US 11,500; CS 5,800)
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Estimated Casualties: 951 total (US 664; CS 287)
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Result: Confederate Victory
June 9 - Battle of Port
Republic
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Forces Engaged: 9,500 total (US 3,500; CS 6,000)
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Estimated Casualties: 1,818 total (US 1,002; CS
816)
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Result: Confederate Victory
June 17 - Jackson leaves the
Valley for Richmond, Virginia.
September 11 - Jackson with
three divisions crosses the Potomac back into Virginia from Williamsport, Maryland. Brig. Gen. Julius White's Union garrison
at Martinsburg retreats to Harper's Ferry.
September 12-15 - Siege
of Harper's Ferry
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Forces Engaged: 36,900 total (US 14,000; CS 22,900)
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Estimated Casualties: 12,922 total (US 12,636;
CS 286)
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Result: Confederate Victory, Union surrender
September 19-20 - Battle
of Sheperdstown
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Forces Engaged: (US 2,000)
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Estimated Casualties: 654 total (US 363; CS 291)
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Result: Confederate Victory
1863
January 1 - President Lincoln's
Emancipation Proclamation. General Robert Milroy occupies Winchester.
June 13-15 - Second Battle
of Winchester
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Forces Engaged: 19,500 total (US 7,000; CS 12,500)
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Estimated Casualties: 4,709 total (US 4,443; CS
266)
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Result: Confederate Victory
June 15 - Ewell's Second Corps
crosses the Potomac River northward at Williamsport, MD and Shepherdstown, WV.
June 24 - Hill's Third Corps
crosses the Potomac River at Boteler's Ford (Shepherdstown, WV).
June 25 -Longstreet's First
Corps crosses the Potomac River at Williamsport, MD.
July 14 - Army of Northern
Virginia enters Martinsburg, WV.
1864
April 30 - Union army under
Franz Sigel advances south from Martinsburg, WV.
May 1 - Sigel occupies Winchester.
May 11 - Sigel's army encamps
at Cedar Creek just south of Middletown.
May 15 - Battle of New
Market
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Forces Engaged: 10,365 total (US 6,275; CS 4,090)
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Estimated Casualties: 1,380 total (US 840; CS 540)
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Result: Confederate Victory
May 16 - Sigel returns to
Cedar Creek
May 19 - Sigel is relieved
of command and posted to Harper's Ferry.
May 21 - David Hunter takes
command of Union army at Cedar Creek.
May 26 - Hunter advances southward.
June 2 - Hunter's army reaches
Harrisonburg, VA.
June 5-6 - Battle of Piedmont
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Forces Engaged: 14,000 total (US 8,500; CS 5,500)
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Estimated Casualties: 2,375 total (US 875; CS 1500)
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Union Victory
June 6 - Hunter enters Staunton,
VA.
June 11 - Hunter sacks Lexington,
VA, including burning Virginia Military Institute.
June 13 - Lt. Gen. Jubal A.
Early's Second Corps is ordered to the Shenandoah Valley.
June 17 - Early's Second Corps
begins arriving in Lynchburg, VA.
June 17-18 - Battle of
Lynchburg
July 2 - Early's Army of the
Valley reaches Winchester, VA.
July 9 - Battle of Monocacy
July 22 - Union troops reoccupy
Winchester.
July 24 - Second Battle
of Kernstown
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Forces Engaged: 23,000 total (US 10,000; CS 13,000)
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Estimated Casualties: 1,800 total (US 1,200; CS
600)
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Result: Confederate Victory (last in the Valley)
July 30 - Confederate cavalry
under John McCausland burns Chambersburg, PA.
July 14 - Early crosses the
Potomac back into the Valley at White's Ferry, VA.
August 7 - Maj. Gen. Philip
H. Sheridan arrives in Harper's Ferry, WV, assuming command of the Middle Military Division and the Army of the Shenandoah.
August 15 - Early's army is
reenforced by Kershaw's infantry and Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry divisions.
September 16 - Gen. Ulysses
S. Grant meets with Sheridan at his Charles Town, WV, headquarters. Kerhsaw's Division begins returning to Lee's army.
September 19 - Third Battle
of Winchester/Battle of Opequon
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Forces Engaged: 54,440 total (US 39,240; CS 15,200)
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Estimated Casualties: 1,763 total (US 528; CS 1,235)
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Result: Union Victory.
September 22 - Battle
of Fishers Hill
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Forces Engaged: 38,944 total (US 29,444; CS 9,500)
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Estimated Casualties: 1,763 total (US 528; CS 1,235)
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Result: Union Victory
September 23 - Skirmish at
Front Royal, Union cavalry execute six of Mosby's Rangers.
September 24- Kershaw's Division
rejoins Early's army.
September 27 - The systematic
destruction of the Valley begins under Sheridan's command. Known simply as "The Burning". Lee urges Early to defeat Sheridan
in the Valley.
October 3 - Lt. John R. Meigs
is killed by Confederate scouts near Dayton. Sheridan orders the burning of Dayton, VA and surrounding homes in retaliation.
October 4 - Sheridan rescinds
the order to burn Dayton.
October 9 - Battle of
Tom's Brook/Woodstock Races
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Forces Engaged: 9,800 total (US 6,300; CS 3,500)
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Estimated Casualties: 407 total (US 57; CS 350)
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Result: Union Victory
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"The Burning" is completed after 13 days.
October 10 - Sheridan's army
encamps along Cedar Creek.
October 13 -
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The Sixth Corps marches to Ashby's Gap en route
to Alexandria but is recalled by Sheridan.
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Skirmish at Hupp's Hill
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Forces Engaged: 8,400 total (US 1,900; CS 6,500)
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Estimated Casualties: 370 total (US 220; CS 150)
October 14 - The Sixth Corps
returns to right of Union line along Cedar Creek.
October 15 -
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Sheridan leaves for Washington, D.C. to attend
a war strategy meeting.
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The Eighth and Nineteenth Corps begin entrenching.
October 16 -
October 17 -
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Gen. John B. Gordon, Gen. Clement A. Evans, Maj.
Robert W. Hunter, and Maj. Jedidiah Hotchkiss climb Massanutten Mountain and observes Sheridan's army from Signal Knob.
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Rosser attacks Custer's pickets.
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Sheridan arrives in Washington at 8 a.m., meets
with Stanton and Halleck, and takes a noon train to Martinsburg, WV.
October 18 -
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At a headquarters conference, Early accepts attack
plan proposed by Gordon and Hotchkiss.
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Gen. Gordon, Gen. Stephen D Ramseur, and Maj. Hotchkiss
reconnoiter trail around Massanutten Mountain. Pioneers from Rodes' [Ramseur's] Division improve trail.
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Sheridan rides from Martinsburg to Winchester.
October 19 - The Battle
of Cedar Creek
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Forces Engaged: 46,091 (US 32,000; CS 14,091)
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Estimated Casualties: 8,575 total (US 5,665; CS
2,910)
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Result: Union Victory
1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaigns: Chronology of Principal Battles
Lynchburg Campaign (May–June 1864)
- New Market (May 15)
- Piedmont (June 5–6)
- Lynchburg (June 17–18)
Early's Washington Raid and Operations against the B&O Railroad (June–August 1864)
- Monocacy (July 9)
- Fort Stevens (July 11–12)
- Heaton's Crossroads (July 16)
- Cool Spring (July 17–18)
- Rutherford's Farm (July 20)
- Second Kernstown (July 24)
- Folck's Mill (August 1)
- Moorefield (August 7)
Sheridan's Valley Campaign (August–October 1864)
- Guard Hill (August 16)
- Summit Point (August 21)
- Smithfield Crossing (August 25–29)
- Berryville (September 3–4)
- Third Winchester (September 19)
- Fisher's Hill (September 21–22)
- Tom's Brook (October 9)
- Cedar Creek (October 19)
Notes:
A skirmish is considered a brisk or minor encounter between
small bodies of troops, especially advanced or outlying detachments of opposing armies. Example: There were several skirmishes
prior to the Battle of Gettysburg.
A battle or engagement is a prolonged and general conflict
pursued to a definite decision between large, organized armed forces. Example: Battle of Gettysburg.
An action can be a battle or a skirmish. Example: There were
several actions during the Gettysburg Campaign.
The term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration,
significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct
part of a larger conflict often called a war.
(Sources and related reading below.)
Sources: National Park Service; National Archives; Library of Congress;
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.
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