Chronology of Valley and Peninsula Campaigns

March

10: McClellan prepares to advance on Fort Monroe
11: Lincoln assumes direction of the war
22: McClellan moves to the peninsula
23: Jackson (4,300 men) attacks Shields (9,000 men) at Winchester. Jackson is unaware of the Union strength and is repulsed. However, Shields (not realizing how few men Jackson had due to the ferocity of the attack) reports that Jackson has been reinforced.
24: Lincoln orders Banks into the Valley and holds McDowells men back from moving against Richmond.

May

1: Jackson, despite being reinforced is outnumbered by Union forces advancing from the west and north. Ewell (8,000) is detached to hold the north (against Banks) whilst Jackson moves west against Fremont.
8: Jackson (9,000) crushes Fremont's advance guard under Milroy (2,500) at McDowell.
23: Jackson (16,000) rapidly moves north and surprises a Union force (1,000) at Front Royal, disconcerting Banks.
25: Jackson (16,000) moves against Banks (7,000) at Winchester and defeats him, capturing avast quantity of war material.
26: Lincoln divert McDowell from supporting McClellan and orders him to the Valley. Fremont is spurred into further activity. Jackson, advancing in the north and capturing Harpers Ferry on the 28th, is now in extreme danger. Fremont is 25 miles southwest of Winchester. Shields (10,000 men from McDowell) is at Front Royal and Banks in the north is regrouping and preparing to return to the fray.

June

2: Jackson, made aware of his situation, retreats rapidly south. Fremont pursues him down the west side of the Valley, Shields the east.
8: Ewell (8,500) repulses Fremonth (12,000) at Cross Keys
9: Jackson turns on Shields at Port Republic. After a 5-hour battle, the Union withdraws. Jackson retires to Brown's Gap whilst his baggage and considerable booty (very valuable to the Confederate war effort) went on to Richmond. In the middle of the month, Jackson joins Lee at Richmond. For the Union, Fremont was at Harrisonburg, Shields at Luray, and McDowell at Front Royal with orders to remain in the valley.

For about 6 weeks, Jackson with approximately 17,000 men had hld approximately 70,000 Union in check and completely disrupted the grand strategic design of the north.

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