Events in Virginia’s Lower Senandoah Valley* during the spring and summer of 1861 were confusing at best, with marches and counter-marches as Maj. Gen. Robert Patterson’s Department of Pennsylvania army sought to confront Confederate Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s Army of the Shenandoah and prevent him from reinforcing P.G.T. Beauregard at Manassas Junction.
Only one signifigant battle was fought in this brief campaign, that of Hoke’s Run / Falling Waters / Hainesville. However, I recently cames across two previously unexplored skirmishes: one near Martinsburg on July 11, 1861, and the other near Bunker Hill on July 15, 1861. In order to fit these events into context, it would be useful to establish a detailed timeline.
The following timeline covers the period from the siezure of Harper’s Ferry by Virginia militia to the escape of Johnston’s army in time to participate in the First Battle of Bull Run. Whenever possible, I’ve cross-checked these dates against both primary and secondary sources to ensure accuracy. However, if you see any mistakes, please leave a comment with an accompaning source.
*In this context, “lower” refers to downriver or north.
April 18 – Union troops set fire to and evacuate Harpers Ferry Arsenal. Virginia militia seize most of its equipment.
April 27 – Military Department of Pennsylvania established, encompassing Pennsylvania, Delaware, and all of Maryland not embraced in the Department of Annapolis and the Department of Washington, with Maj. Gen. Robert Patterson commanding. Confederate Col. Thomas J. Jackson arrives at Harper’s Ferry to take command there.
May 6 – Jackson occupies Maryland Heights across the Potomac River from Harper’s Ferry, drawing a rebuke from Robert E. Lee.
May 23 – Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston takes command of Confederate forces at Harper’s Ferry.
June 2 – Maj. Gen. Robert Patterson arrives at Chambersburg, PA to take direct command of the Union army gathering there.
June 10 – Col. Charles Pomeroy Stone begins his “Rockville expedition” westward along the Maryland side of the Potomac River. The goal is to disrupt pro-Confederate supply lines.
June 13-15 – Johnston evacuates his army south to Winchester, destroying the bridges across the Potomac in the process.
June 16 – Patterson’s force crosses the Potomac at Williamsport, MD but the movement is halted due to the Regular Army troops and Rhode Island regiment being recalled to Washington, DC.
June 18 – Union Brig. Gen. George Cadwallader reaches Falling Waters before withdrawing back across the Potomac to Maryland.
June 20 – Confederate Col. Thomas J. Jackson occupies Martinsburg with his brigade and destroys dozens of locomotives and train cars, burns round houses and machine shops, and tears up train tracks.
July 2 – Patterson again crosses the Potomac River near Williamsport, touching off the Battle of Hoke’s Run / Falling Waters / Hainesville.
July 3 – Patterson occupies Martinsburg.
July 4 – Union forces from Stone’s expedition across the Potomac River in Maryland exchange fire with a small Confederate force on the opposite bank at Harpers Ferry.
July 8 – Col. Charles Pomeroy Stone’s force from the “Rockville Expedition” joins Patterson at Martinsburg (19th and 28th NY).
July 9 – Patterson holds a council of war to decide whether or not to attack Johnston at Winchester, and it is decided not to advance, thinking Johnston was luring them into a trap. Maj. Gen. Charles W. Sandford, with the 5th and 12th New York State Militia arrives.
July 11 – Action near Martinsburg involving the 28th New York Infantry Regiment. 2nd Massachusetts (Col. George H. Gordon) joins Patterson.
July 15 – Patterson advances to Bunker Hill. Action near Bunker Hill involving the 1st Rhode Island Battery (Capt. Charles H. Tompkins).
July 16 – Patterson conducts a reconnaissance in force towards Winchester.
July 17 – Patterson withdraws his force to Charlestown to shorten his lines of communication and supply and have a more secure crossing point on the Potomac.
July 18 – Johnston begins moving his army towards Manassas to reinforce Beauregard.
Sources
Gottfried, Bradley M. The Maps of First Bull Run: An Atlas of the First Bull Run (Manassas) Campaign, Including the Battle of Ball’s Bluff, June – October 1861. New York: Savas Beatie, 2009.
Gwynne, S.C. Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson. New York: Scribner, 2015.
Hewett, Janet B., Noah Andre Trudeau, and Bryce A, Suderow, eds., Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Pt. I, Vol. 1. Wilmington: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1994.
Patterson, Robert. A Narrative of the Campaign in the Valley of the Shenandoah in 1861. Philadelphia: John Campbell, 1865.
The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I, Vol. II. With additions and corrections. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1902.
Spirit of '61 