Battle of Kernstown I

Dates:

March 23, 1862

Other Names:

None

Location:

Kernstown I, Virginia

Key Individuals Involved in the Battle of Kernstown I:

Union: Colonel Nathan Kimball
Confederate:Major General Thomas J. Jackson

Outcome:

UnionVictory. 1,308 casualties of which 718 were Confederate soldiers.

Overview of the Battle :

Relying on faulty intelligence that reported the Union garrison at Winchester numbered only about 3,000, “Stonewall” Jackson marched aggressively north with his 3,400-man division. The 8,500 Federals, commanded by Col. Nathan Kimball, stopped Jackson at Kernstown and then counterattacked turning Jackson’s left flank and forcing him to retreat. Despite this Union victory, President Lincoln was disturbed by Jackson’s threat to Washington and redirected substantial reinforcements to the Valley, depriving McClellan’s army of these troops. McClellan claimed that the additional troops would have enabled him to take Richmond during his Peninsula campaign.
Source: CWSAC Battle Summaries