Battle of Cedar Mountain
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Location: Near Culpeper, VA
Dates: August 9, 1862
Union Commander:  Nathanial Banks, Major General
Confederate Commander:  Thomas "Stonewall"  Jackson,
                                          Major General

Battle Summary:
After defeating George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac, during the Seven Days battles, Robert E. Lee became concerned about his left flank.  John Pope had come from the western theater and was now in charge of the Federal Army of Virginia.  Poised near the Shenandoah Valley, Pope presented a threat to Robert E Lee.  His primary concern was the unification of the vanquished troops under McClellan and Pope's Army of Virginia.  These troops would have a 2 to 1 advantage over his army.

In July 1862, Robert E. Lee detached 14,000 troops under his most trusted lieutenant, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, to keep Pope's army distracted.  Jackson marched his troops to Gordonsville where he could keep Pope occupied.

Wanting to demonstrate his initiative, Pope had sent a detachment of 8,000 troops, under Major General Nathanial Banks to take control of the railroad junction at Gordonsville.  In route to Gordonsville, Banks ran head long into Jackson's troops at Cedar Mountain, near Culpeper.  Banks initially had success, but was soon repulsed as A.P. Hill's division arrived at Cedar Mountain.

Campaign: Second Manassas

Outcome: Confederate Victory

Troop Strengths
Union: 12,000
Confederate: 22,00

Casualties (estimated):
Union: 2,500 (killed, wounded or missing/captured)
Confederate: 1,400 (killed, wounded or missing/captured)

Battle Aftermath:
After the battle of Cedar Mountain, Union forces retreated to the area near Manassas Junction.  The Battle of Cedar Mountain initiated a shift of the troops of the Army of Northern Virginia from an "offensive/defensive" strategy on the peninsula, near Richmond, to a purely offensive strategy near the Shenandoah Valley.  The Battle of Cedar Mountain would be the first major engagement of the campaign that would ultimately lead to Manassas for another Confederate victory.  Close Window