Banks had a division of roughly 6,500 while Jackson had around 16,000 men.

Jackson drubbed the Union, inflicting over 2,000 casualties and suffering only 400.

Front Royal had turned Banks’ flank, and he reacted intelligently: he fell back. This bought some time and during that time he learned, for instance, that Jackson had more than twice as many men as the initial reports suggested. Since those reports had the two armies roughly even, the news meant Banks’ should continue his retreat rather than fight at a disadvantage.

Jackson had two objectives: he wanted Winchester (the Union base and depot) and to capture Banks’ army. But he couldn’t be sure of both and to try for one might mean losing the other. There was another disadvantage: Banks was moving along the paved Valley Pike, while Jackson’s men were moving along a dirt road, muddy in a sudden rain. During the 24th Jackson raced after Banks, and several times broke into the Union column. Prisoners were taken, and supply wagons pillaged, but the men were more interested in filling their bellies than trapping Banks’ army. So while suffering galling losses in the retreat, Banks got the bulk of his men safely to Winchester. There he tried to sort them back into order, and deployed on a ridge of hills close to town, although picketing another ridge further south.

The pickets were quickly swept aside, and Jackson moved his guns onto the ridge as his infantry moved into position. Union artillery soon found the range, and the Confederates had to move soon or they might lose their initial advantage. They did move fast, and the Louisiana Tigers hit Bowers Hill on the left, the Stonewall Brigade charged the center, and Ewell’s men attacked at Camp Hill on the right. Panic spread through the Federal ranks even before the charging Rebels arrived, and many fled through Winchester. Jackson could see the scale of his victory and wanted to pursue to the Potomac, but his cavalry had scattered to their farms after the plunder of the previous day, and the tired infantry couldn’t move any faster than their Union opponents.

Jackson had to be content with the prisoners he could round up on the battlefield, and the millions of dollars of supplies he captured. This earned Banks the unkind nickname of “Commissary” because he was so good a provider – to the Confederacy. The remnants of Banks’ army fell back north across the Potomac River, and Lincoln had to divert more troops away from McClellan’s army to try and salvage something of the wreck in the Shenandoah.

Content provided by:
eHistory Staff

Selected sources:
American Battlefield Protection Program, Heritage Preservation Services, National Park Service.