Conflict:
The Second Battle of Kernstown was fought during the American Civil War.
Date:
Confederate forces were victorious on July 24, 1864.
Armies & Commanders:
Union
- Brigadier General George Crook
- approx. 10,000 men
- Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early
- approx. 13,000 men
Second Battle of Kernstown Summary:
After his abortive raid on Washington DC, Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal E. Early returned to the Shenandoah Valley to resume operations. Pursued by the Union VI and XIX Corps, led by Major General Horatio Wright, Early elected to abandon his advanced position near Berryville and adopt a defensive posture near Strasburg. As he withdrew up the valley, a portion of his command was defeated by Union forces at the Battle of Rutherford's Farm on July 20, 1964. With the Confederates retreating and the threat to Washington removed, Wright was ordered to return to the siege lines at Petersburg with his men.
The departure of the VI and XIX Corps left Brigadier General George Crook's Army of the Kanawha as the only substantial Union force in the valley. Consisting of three divisions, Crook's command was tasked with securing the area and ensuring that Early did not become a threat. Believing reports that Early's infantry had departed the Shenandoah and was en route to Richmond, Crook advanced up the valley to Kernstown. On July 23, Early's cavalry attacked Crook's picket lines. In the skirmish that ensued, several Union soldiers were taken prisoner.
Interrogating these prisoners, Early learned of Wright's departure for Petersburg. Realizing that he had the advantage, he elected to resume the offensive with the goal of forcing Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant to maintain a large force in the valley, diverting troops away from Petersburg. Marching north, Early's cavalry engaged its Union counterparts in a series of skirmishes early on July 24. Alerting to the fighting, Crook, still believing Early had left the valley, only dispatched two divisions and a brigade to block the Confederate advance.
Deploying in Barton's Woods, Early was initially able to conceal his numbers. Forming a line centered on the Valley Turnpike, Early placed Major General John B. Gordon's division in the center with the divisions of Major General Stephen Ramseur and Major General John C. Breckinridge on the left and right respectively. Arriving on the field, the Union division of Colonel James A. Mulligan formed on Pritchard's Hill with Colonel Joseph Thouburn's division taking a position to their right on Sandy Ridge. The brigade of Brigadier General Rutherford B. Hayes (the future president) occupied the Union left.
As the two forces skirmished, it became clear to the Union commanders that they were facing a superior force. Angry at his division commanders for failing to strike at what he believed to be little more than Confederate cavalry, Crook ordered them to advance past Opequon Church to Barton's Woods. As the infantry prepared to attack, Crook instructed Brigadier General William W. Averell to take his cavalry and ride around the Confederate right to assault their rear. Around 1:00 PM, the Union line moved off the high ground and began their attack.
In the center, Mulligan's men reached Opequon Church before being stopped by heavy fire from Gordon's men. In bitter fighting, the Union troops were able to hold the area around the church. On the Confederate right, Breckinridge, using a ravine to screen his movements, wheeled a portion of his division into position to strike at Hayes' flank. As the Union brigade approached, his men charged and succeeded in driving Hayes' men from the field. On Mulligan's right, Thouburn's division became separated due to the terrain, opening a gap in the Union line.
Seeing an opportunity, Gordon pushed men into the gap, flanking Mulligan. Under pressure on three sides, Mulligan ordered his men to fall back towards Pritchard's Hill. As he attempted to organize the retreat, he was mortally wounded. With their commander down, the retreat turned into a rout. Badly beaten, Crook and his men fell back to Williamsport, MD.
Aftermath
The fighting at Kernstown cost Crook 1,185 killed and wounded, while Early suffered around 600 killed and wounded. In the days after the Union defeat, Confederate cavalry under Brigadier General John McCausland burned Chambersburg, PA in retaliation for Union depredations in the valley. In response to Crook's defeat and the burning of Chambersburg, Grant was forced to return the VI and XIX Corps to the valley and formed the Army of the Shenandoah with Major General Philip H. Sheridan in command. Through the early fall of 1864, the diminutive Union general conducted a brilliant campaign in the Shenandoah and effectively destroyed Early's command as effective fighting force.
Selected Sources
