March 16, 1862

March 16, 1862: Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, with his small Army of the Shenandoah, continues his retreat south, away from Gen. Nathaniel Banks’ large Union force now at Winchester. After stopping at Strasburg, Jackson continues south, up the valley, to Mount Jackson. He wants to build his force and re-supply, and this is closer to his base of supply at Staunton, at the southern end of the valley. He also wants to be closer to the railroad junction at Staunton so that he can quickly go east if he is called upon to quickly reinforce Gen. Joseph Johnston with the main army at Rappahannock Station. He knows that Gen. Banks has detached Gen. James Shields with a reinforced division of 9,500 men to hunt him down.  Shields is moving south, cautiously.

Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson

—George Templeton Strong, of New York City, writes in his journal:

Sunday* came the news that Banks had occupied Leesburg, and a few minutes later the disastrous tidings that the Merrimac was on the rampage among our frigates in Hampton Roads, smiting them down like a mailed robber baron among naked peasants. General dismay. What next? Why should not this invulnerable marine demon breach the walls of Fortress Monroe, raise the blockade, and destroy New York and Boston? And are we yet quite sure that she cannot? The nonfeasance of the Navy Department and of Congress in leaving us unprotected by ships of the same class, after ample time and abundant warning, is denounced by everyone.

*Here, Strong is making up a whole week of missed journal writing in this entry, and no doubt is referring to Sunday, March 9, rather than Sunday, March 16, a week late.