Battle of Cross Keys facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Cross Keys |
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| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
 The battle of Cross Keys by Edwin Forbes, June 7, 1862 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 Confederate States (Confederacy) |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| John C. Frémont | Richard S. Ewell | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 11,500 | 5,800 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 684 (114 killed; 443 wounded; 127 missing) |
287 (42 killed; 230 wounded; 15 missing) |
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The Battle of Cross Keys was an important fight during the American Civil War. It happened on June 8, 1862, in Rockingham County, Virginia. This battle was part of a bigger plan by Confederate General Stonewall Jackson to control the Shenandoah Valley.
This battle, along with the Battle of Port Republic the next day, was a big win for the Confederates. It forced the Union forces to leave the area. This allowed General Jackson to join General Robert E. Lee for other important battles near Richmond, Virginia.
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Why Did the Battle Happen?
The small town of Port Republic, Virginia, was a key location. It sat between two rivers, the North and South Rivers, which then joined to form the South Fork Shenandoah River.
In early June 1862, General Jackson's army, with about 16,000 soldiers, camped near Port Republic. Part of his army was near Goods Mill, and another part was by the North River bridge. Jackson's main office was in Port Republic.
Two Union armies were moving towards Jackson's position. Major General John C. Frémont led about 15,000 Union soldiers from the north. Brigadier General James Shields led about 10,000 Union soldiers from the east. Their goal was to meet up and trap Jackson.
Jackson knew that Port Republic had the last working bridge over the North River. It also had important river crossings over the South River. These were the only ways Frémont and Shields could join their forces. Jackson decided to stop Frémont at Mill Creek. He planned to meet Shields on the other side of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River.
On the morning of June 8, Frémont's soldiers met some Confederate guards near Cross Keys Tavern. There was a small fight, and the Union cavalry pulled back. Darkness stopped any more fighting that day.
The Battle Begins
Early on June 8, Union Colonel Samuel S. Carroll tried to capture the North River Bridge at Port Republic. He led Union cavalry, supported by cannons and infantry. Carroll quickly pushed back the Confederate guards and rode into Port Republic.
General Jackson and his officers barely escaped capture. They quickly rode across the bridge. Carroll set up a cannon to fire at the bridge. Jackson ordered his own cannons to fire back from the north bank.
Confederate Colonel Samuel V. Fulkerson led his soldiers across the bridge. They charged the Union cavalry, driving them out of the town. Carroll's men retreated, losing their cannons. Jackson then placed more soldiers and cannons to prevent any more surprise attacks.
Meanwhile, General Frémont's army started moving again from near Harrisonburg. They pushed back Confederate skirmishers (small groups of soldiers). Frémont's brigades (groups of soldiers) then lined up for battle.
Confederate General Richard S. Ewell placed his soldiers behind Mill Creek. He put his cannons in the middle of his line. As the Union troops spread out, Confederate General Isaac R. Trimble moved his soldiers forward to a place called Victory Hill. He hid his regiments behind the top of the hill.
A Surprise Attack
Frémont planned to attack the Confederate position by moving his battle line around them. This meant his left side, led by General Julius H. Stahel, had the farthest to go. Stahel's soldiers marched down into the valley, crossed a stream, and started climbing Victory Hill.
Suddenly, General Trimble's hidden Confederate soldiers jumped up and fired all at once. They used smoothbore muskets loaded with "buck and ball" shot, which was very powerful at close range. Stahel's brigade, made up of new soldiers, lost 300 men very quickly and ran away in fear.
The battle was very quick. The smoke from 1,300 muskets firing made it impossible to see. Most Confederates only got off one shot before Stahel's brigade broke and ran.
Stahel did not attack again. Instead, he brought up a cannon battery to support his position. Trimble moved some of his soldiers to try and get behind the Union cannons. Other Confederate regiments advanced, pushing back the Union line. The Union cannons quickly pulled back, saving their guns. A Union regiment tried to fight back but was forced to retreat.
Trimble kept moving forward, outflanking the Union positions. Meanwhile, Union General Robert H. Milroy advanced on Stahel's right. His soldiers fired at the Confederate center. Cannons on both sides kept firing at each other.
General Frémont seemed stuck after Stahel's brigade was so badly beaten. He couldn't launch a planned attack. He ordered another brigade to try and find the Confederate left side. There was some heavy firing, but it soon died down. Two Confederate generals were wounded in this exchange. Frémont then pulled his forces back to Keezletown Road. Artillery firing continued for a while.
What Happened After?
The Union army had 557 soldiers killed or wounded, and 100 were captured. The Confederates lost fewer than 300 men. As night fell, General Trimble moved his soldiers closer to the Union position, ready for a night attack.
However, General Ewell ordered Trimble to pull back without attacking. During the night, the Confederate army prepared for their next move.
Saving the Battlefield
The American Battlefield Trust and its partners have worked to save parts of the Cross Keys battlefield. They have protected over 282 acres (about 1.1 square kilometers) of the land. A key part of this effort was buying the Widow Pence Farm, which was right in the middle of the battlefield.
In March 2022, a statue called the "Talbot Boys" was moved to the battlefield. This Confederate monument had been in Maryland since 1916. It was moved after many years of protests.
Gallery
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Rough sketch of the Battlefield of Cross Keys, June 8, 1862, compiled by Jed. Hotchkiss
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Map of battlefield core and study areas by the American Battlefield Protection Program
