May 8, 1862

May 8, 1862: Eastern Theater, Shenandoah Valley Campaign - BATTLE OF MCDOWELL, Virginia. Stonewall Jackson’a small Army of the Valley is slowly being hemmed in on three sides by Gen. Irwin McDowell’s army corps to the east of the Blue Ridge, by Gen. Nathaniel Banks’ Army of the Shenandoah to the north, down the valley itself, and by Gen. John C. Fremont’s Army of Western Virginia to the west. In a bid to strike the latter out of the picture, Jackson has advanced rapibly to Staunton, added Allegheny Johnson’s brigade to his force, now making it 10,000 strong, and then marched west over the passes to the hamlet of McDowell, where Fremont’s over-extended advance guard under Gen. Robert Milroy is. The evening before, after some skirmishing, Milroy retreats west. In the morning, Johnson’s brigade advances toward the Union forces, and skirmishers from both armies engage, while Jackson and his staff scout a way to attack Milroy. Later in the day, Milroy is reinforced by a brigade under Brig. Gen. Robert Schenk. Milroy, late in the afternoon, sends a line of infantry forward, which engages a thin Rebel line on the crest of a rocky hill. The Yankees drive up the rocky slope under a heavy fire, and when Jackson is finally convinced that there is real fighting, he sends forward Gen. Taliaferro’s brigade to assist, and arrives himself with the Stonewall Brigade just as the fighting ends after darkness falls. However, it is clear to both Milroy and Schenk that their position is untenable, once the Rebels get all of their troops up to the line. They agree that they are unable to sustain the attack in the morning, and so pull their troops out by dark and retreat northward to the town of Franklin, 30 miles away. A sharp, brief fight, but enough to scare off Fremont for a time.

Confederate Victory.

The Forces:
U.S.        4,000 (5,500) Brig. Gen. Robert Milroy (Brig. Gen. Robert Schenk)
C.S.       10,000 Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackso

Losses:   Killed     Wounded     Missing     Total
U.S.           26             230                5                  261
C.S.         146             382                4                  532 　

—Since it is clear that the Confederates will have to abandon Norfolk, due to Joe Johnston’s retreat back to Richmond, Gen. Robert E. Lee recommends that the CSS Virginia (nee Merrimack)—unable to cross the bar at the mouth of the James River in order to help protect the capital—be anchored at the mouth of the James River so that she may use her formidable guns to prevent the U.S. Navy from steaming upstream to capture Richmond. His recommendation is not acted upon.

—As Flag Officer David G. Farragut’s fleet sails upriver on the Mississippi, the USS Iroquois, under command of Capt. James Palmer, lands at Baton Rouge and takes control of the Louisiana capital. The city surrenders without a shot.