Shendoah Campaign recap

 Part campaign map

Jackson started at Harrisonburg (Bottom left), Ewell at Luyay (bottom centre).  The 2 CSA corps were similar size, but Jackson had more artillery & Ewell more cavalry.
Fremont started at Mt Jackson, MxDowell at Winchester & Banks at Manassas (off map to the right). McDowel's force was bigger than Fremonts.  The two togetehr were about the same size as th CSA forces.  The Manassas corps was smaller..
The CSA troops were rated stuborn so took 1 more casualty before becoming shaken.  The Union had superior numbers overall, but the Manassas corps had orders to defend east of the Blue Ridge untill all CSA forces were identified to be in the valley & no threat to Manassas.

The campaign plot was that the Union were accumulating supplies at the rail heads at Manassass, Winchester & Mt Jackson for an upcoming offensinsive in the valley.  The CSA objective was to destroy the depots & thus preclude the Union attack.

The CSA immediately advanced both corps.  The first battle was at Mt Jackson where the outnumbered Union force tried to defend the river line in front of the town.  The CSA won,  The Union retreated whle the CSA plundered the depot.

On the south fork, Ewell's advance was resisted at the bridge over theNorth Fok Roiver near Cedarville.  The Union were greatly outnumbered, but the river was uncrossable except at the bridge & reinforcements were coming to theri right flank rom Strassburg.  Ewell gained a foothold over the river before dark & the Union withdrew overnight.

The Union fell back a day's march to a defensive position where they joined reinforements from Winchester. In the 3rd battle the CSA atacked & drove the Union back, but more Union reinforcements arrived from New Town to the west late in day & the Union held on.

Next day, those froces looked at each other & reorganised while 8km to the west at New Town  Jackson's pursuit caught up with Fremont's retreat by forced marching. Jackson attacked late in the day & Fremont held on until dark.

The next day Fremont safely retreated before Jackson coudl strike again while McDowell held off Ewell's attack while he also executed a withdrawal.

The Union forces retreated to Winchester & the CSA followed up.  At dawn a day later the CSA attacked.  The union held a good defensive position.  The forces were equal in number, but in the previous battles the CSA held the battlefield so got better recovery, so carried less caualties & they also had their tough fighter's advantage.  It was tough fight.   In the centre a grand battery balsted a hole for teh CSa to exppoit.  On the Union left, good use of skirmishers by the CSA wore the Union down. The Union made a spirited counterattck on their right, but the CSA fell back to a defensive line & held it off.  By mid afternoon Winchester was filling up with broken units as the Union left & centre collapsed.   The Uniomn decoded there was no point in making a stand defending Winchester as they had lost most of their artillery & though Banks was on the way to help by now he was still days away.  

So the campaign ends with a CSA victory as they have taken 2 of the 3 depots.