Battle of Kernstown, March 1862

 A group of us here in Newport News, Virginia, convened to fight out the first battle of Stonewall Jackson’s 1862 Valley Campaign. This battle was at Kernstown, Virginia, which occurred in March of 1862 and featured a light snowfall on the field. The rules used were my own homegrown set, entitled Minieballs and PigStickers. 

The historical battle was a meeting engagement between Brigadier General Shields’ Union Division and Major General Thomas Jackson’s Division. Shields, based in Winchester, attempted to draw Jackson north, where the Union forces could overwhelm the Confederates with numbers. Shields’ plan worked and the forces met at Kernstown on March 23rd, 1862. Jackson literally walked into a trap but, ever the firebrand, went on the offense immediately. Colonel Nathan Kimball’s brigade, supported by three batteries, was stationed on Pritchard’s Hill. Colonel Erastus Tyler was marching to Kimball’s right from the Union camp located to the north. Stonewall Jackson immediately ordered Colonel Samuel Fulkerson’s brigade to attack Pritchard’s Hill to allow the rest of the Confederates to maneuver to Sandy Ridge on the Union right flank. 

View from the Confederate side of the table

Brigadier Richard Garnett’s “Stonewall” brigade advanced up Sandy Ridge to a stone wall near the Glass farm. Tyler’s Union brigade arrived to attack this position soon afterwards. Wave after wave of blue-clad troops began to savagely charge the Confederate position. Meanwhile, Fulkerson’s small brigade was easily thrown back from Pritchard’s Hill. Sensing an opportunity, Kimball began to march his brigade to his right to catch Garnett’s brigade in a pincer. 

By this time, the exhausted Confederates were running out of ammunition. Garnett made the fateful decision to withdraw from the stone wall in the heat of battle. Jackson was furious, as this compromised the entire Confederate position. Jackson had no choice but to order a general retreat, but reserved his wrath for Garnett, arresting him to be court-martialed. 

It was Jackson’s first defeat, but he would be ultimately successful in a brilliant campaign over the next few months, tying down over twice his numbers and keeping these Union soldiers from being able to reinforce McClellan’s campaign to the east. As for Garnett, he was eventually exonerated, but the stain of his decision never fully subsided. He fell at Gettysburg leading his next field command. As for the Union, Colonel Kimball was promoted to Brigadier General and had the distinction of being the only Union commander to defeat both Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee (earlier in West Virginia). Final historical casualties were approximately 600 Union and over 700 Confederates. 

In our fight, Fulkerson succeeded in pinning Kimball’s brigade on Pritchard’s Hill and the battle indeed centered on the stone wall on Sandy Ridge. This time, Garnett’s brigade stubbornly held on to the wall as elements of Burk’s brigade pierced the woods in between Kimball and Tyler’s commands. A notable event saw General Shields (who wasn’t on the field historically) leading a charge on the stone wall and catching a Minieball in his forehead for his trouble. Shields’ death caused some morale problems for the Federals at the wall. 

Vicious fighting at the stone wall

In our game, the fight ended as a draw (with a slight Confederate edge). We had a great time and the rules worked smoothly and efficiently. Final casualties in our game were 425 Union losses and 300 Confederates. 

Thanks to our group for participating. I can’t wait until the next ACW fight !