Battle of Hancock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Hancock |
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| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
 Map of the battlefield produced by the American Battlefield Protection Program |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 CSA (Confederacy) |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Frederick W. Lander | Thomas J. Jackson | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 25 | |||||||
The Battle of Hancock was a small but important fight during the American Civil War. It happened on January 5 and 6, 1862, near Hancock, Maryland. This battle was part of a larger plan by Confederate General Stonewall Jackson to attack Union forces.
Jackson's soldiers, including his own Valley District troops and Brigadier General William W. Loring's men, started their movement on January 1. After some small fights near Bath, Virginia, Jackson's army arrived near Hancock on January 4. They fired cannons at the town for a short time.
On January 5, Union General Frederick W. Lander bravely refused Jackson's demand to surrender. For the next two days, both sides exchanged cannon fire. The Confederates destroyed a railroad bridge on January 5. However, they left the area on January 7 without taking Hancock. Jackson then moved his troops to Romney, Virginia, and took control of it on January 15. Union soldiers had already left Romney. Later, on January 30, Romney was ordered to be abandoned by the Confederate government after General Loring complained about Jackson's orders.
Contents
Why the Battle of Hancock Happened
In late 1861, Stonewall Jackson, a Confederate Major General, was in charge of defending the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. He had about 7,500 volunteer soldiers. He also had about 2,200 local militiamen and 660 cavalrymen. Jackson felt this force was not big enough to stop the Union Army.
Jackson wrote to General Joseph E. Johnston and got permission to attack the Union position at Romney, Virginia. He wanted to do this before the Union troops got more soldiers. Jackson also planned to capture the towns of Bath, Virginia, and Hancock, Maryland. General Johnston might not have known about these extra targets.
The campaign started early on January 1, 1862. Jackson's famous Stonewall Brigade led the way, followed by Loring's soldiers. Other units, like the militia and the 1st Rockbridge Artillery, were late. Jackson's main group didn't start moving until later that day. The weather was very cold during the march. General Loring strongly disagreed with how Jackson was leading the campaign.
The Confederates reached Bath on January 3. They had a small fight with Union troops outside the town but could not capture it. The next day, Union troops left Bath after another brief fight. They escaped across Sir Johns Run to Hancock.
When Jackson's lead troops arrived near Hancock, he ordered his cannons to fire on the town. He wanted revenge for Union attacks on Shepherdstown, Virginia, in 1861. The cannon fire started around 6:00 PM and lasted until 11:00 PM. It damaged some buildings but did not hurt anyone. That night, Union General Frederick W. Lander arrived in Hancock to take command. He planned to fight back hard the next day.
What Happened During the Battle
By the morning of January 5, the temperature had dropped to a very cold 0 degrees Fahrenheit (about -18 degrees Celsius). It stayed this cold for the next three days. The Stonewall Brigade joined the main force that morning. Jackson placed his men on Orrick's Hill, across the Potomac River from Hancock. The river was flooded and full of ice.
At 9:30 AM, Colonel Turner Ashby was sent across the river. He carried a message asking General Lander to surrender. Jackson warned that he would shell the town and then capture it if Lander refused. When Ashby met Lander, Lander told him to tell Jackson to "bombard and be damned!" He also gave Ashby a written refusal.
While Ashby returned to the Confederate lines, Lander ordered civilians to leave Hancock. He assigned the 84th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment to act as a fire brigade. They were ready in case the cannon fire started any fires. The 110th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment defended warehouses. Two cannons were placed on a hill behind the town.
The Confederate cannons started firing around 2:00 PM. A back-and-forth cannon duel continued until dark. No one was hurt during this firing. A group of Confederates led by Colonel Albert Rust destroyed a bridge. This bridge was over the Big Cacapon River and belonged to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Another group tried to destroy a dam upriver from Hancock but failed.
On January 6, Jackson started the day by shelling Hancock again with the Rockbridge Artillery. But Lander still wanted to attack Jackson. He asked Major General Nathaniel P. Banks for help. Lander wanted Banks to either cross the Potomac River behind Jackson or send him more soldiers. With more troops, Lander planned to attack the Confederates directly.
Banks had already ordered Brigadier General Alpheus S. Williams's brigade to march towards Hancock on January 5. However, Lander's request for an attack had to go through Major General George B. McClellan. McClellan thought it was too risky and said no. Later that day, Jackson tried to cross the Potomac River at Sir Johns Run, but he was stopped. Jackson had damaged the telegraph lines in the area. He gave up trying to take Hancock on January 7 and pulled his troops back. The cannon fire had caused very little damage. The National Park Service estimates that both sides together had about 25 casualties during the fighting.
What Happened After the Battle
The Confederate retreat was very difficult. The weather was extremely cold, and the horses were not properly shod (had their hooves protected) for the campaign. After stopping at Unger's Store, Virginia, on the night of January 7-8, Jackson learned something important. Union forces had defeated a Confederate outpost at Blue's Gap. This was a distraction to help General Lander.
Jackson was told that the Union forces had left Blue's Gap after the fight. However, he thought that the Union troops at Romney might still be a threat to Winchester, Virginia. So, he decided to move against Romney. Bad weather kept Jackson's army stuck at Unger's Store until January 13. But then, the Confederates advanced to Romney. Union soldiers left Romney on January 15.
Jackson moved to Winchester with the Stonewall Brigade. He left Loring's troops to hold Romney. Loring complained to the Confederate government about Jackson's leadership. He also complained about being left in an isolated area with his troops while Jackson was in Winchester. Because of these complaints, Confederate Secretary of War Judah P. Benjamin ordered Romney to be evacuated on January 30. Jackson was so upset that he resigned from the army. But the Governor of Virginia, John Letcher, convinced him to change his mind. Loring received a promotion and was moved out of the region.
Battlefield Today
A part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is located near Hancock. It has signs that tell the story of the battle. You can also see the town of Hancock and where the Confederate cannons were placed from this site. Hancock held special events to remember the battle from January 5 to 7, 2012.
The battlefield is split by US Route 522. Many of the original features of the battlefield are still there. This includes two churches that were damaged during the fighting. No part of the battlefield has been officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. However, a study in 2010 found that about 415 acres (168 hectares) might be eligible for listing. About 50 acres (20 hectares) of the battlefield are protected. This includes land owned by the National Park Service and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Images for kids
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Map of the battlefield produced by the American Battlefield Protection Program
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Hancock para niños
