them in the Valley and perhaps to
withdraw some of the Northern troops from near Richmond.

On March 22nd Ashby with his troopers and a few guns engaged Shields in
a skirmish just south of Winchester. He believed there was only a small
force of Federals present, so well had Shields hidden his men, and he
reported to Jackson that the troops were small in number. The next day
Jackson sent reinforcements to Ashby and then followed later with his
whole force in the direction of Kernstown which is south of Winchester
and but a short distance off. There the battle of Kernstown began and
continued until dark. Jackson's troops were defeated and retreated
southward. As a result of this encounter Shields was reinforced and the
strong Union force remained in the Valley.

The Federal generals were apparently satisfied with the victory and in
spite of urgings from the Secretary of War, Stanton, to pursue Jackson
they remained inactive for nearly a month.

Banks assumed the offensive on April 17th, and surprised Ashby, taking
one of his companies prisoner. The Virginians burned the railroad
station at Mount Jackson and fell back while the Union cavalry
established themselves at New Market.

The Confederate General Ewell had a force of 8,000 men on the Upper
Rappahannock which is some distance east of the mountains. This corps
was left at its location in order to rush to the defense of
Fredericksburg or Richmond or across the mountains to the Valley.
Jackson knew that he must not allow Banks to control the mountain pass,
thus severing communication between the two Confederate forces. He
determined upon a forced march for his men and on the eighteenth they
reached Harrisonburg. He continued over to Swift Run Gap and encamped
near there.

Banks followed his cavalry to New Market, crossed over to Luray and
seized the bridges, driving back a detachment of Jackson's men sent
there to defend them. Later he sent two of his five brigades to
Harrisonburg and the rest stayed at New Market.

Jackson's next move was to McDowell, a town about twenty-seven miles
northwest of Harrisonburg. The march was made in the most circuitous
manner: from Swift Run Gap to Port Republic, to Brown's Gap which is
about twelve miles southeast of their camp at Elk Run Valley, to
Staunton and then west to McDowell. This strategy was used so that he
might deceive Banks, Fremont and Milroy, the Federal commanders in and
near the Valley, into thinking for a while