General Banks with 5,000 men was at
Harrisonburg, in the upper Shenandoah Valley, at the close of April, 1862, and “
Stonewall”
Jackson, joined by troops under
Generals Ewell and
Edward S. Johnson, had a force of about 15,000 men not far off.
Jackson was closely watching
Banks.
when he was startled by news that
General Milroy was approaching from
Fremont's department, to join
Banks or fall upon
Staunton.
Leaving
Ewell to watch the latter, he turned rapidly towards
Staunton, and sent
Johnson with five brigades to strike
Milroy.
The latter, outnumbered, fell back to
McDowell, 36 miles west of
Staunton, whither
General Schenck hastened with a part of his brigade, to assist him.
Jackson also hurried to the
[
20]
assistance of
Johnson, and on May 8 a severe engagement occurred, lasting about five hours, when darkness put an end to it.
Schenck (who ranked
Milroy), finding the position untenable, withdrew during the night to
Franklin, and the next day
Jackson wrote to
Ewell: “Yesterday God gave us the victory at
McDowell.”
The
Nationals lost 256 men, of whom only nine were killed.
Jackson reported a loss of 461, of whom seventy were killed.
Among the latter was
General Johnson.
