Romney Expedition facts for kids
The Romney Expedition was a military journey by the Confederate States Army during the early part of the American Civil War. It happened near Romney, West Virginia, which was part of Virginia at the time. This expedition took place from January 1 to January 24, 1862. It was an important step before Stonewall Jackson's famous Valley Campaign. Confederate soldiers, led by Major General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, pushed Union forces out of the lower Shenandoah Valley and the nearby Allegheny ranges. They also managed to cut off the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
Contents
Why the Expedition Happened
Major General Jackson got a new job on October 7, 1861. He was put in charge of the new Valley District of the Confederate army. He set up his main office in Winchester, Virginia, on November 4. Jackson asked to lead all the soldiers in the Valley and along the Allegheny mountains. These forces were once led by General Robert E. Lee.
Jackson was given his old group of soldiers, known as the Stonewall Brigade. He also got Brigadier General William W. Loring's Division. These groups were fully ready by Christmas 1861. Meanwhile, Jackson gathered all the local cavalry (soldiers on horseback). He formed them into a new regiment under Colonel Turner Ashby. Ashby's group then attacked and damaged parts of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
Jackson soon thought of a big plan. He wanted to take back control of western Virginia. This area later became the state of West Virginia. He planned a large journey along the Potomac River valley. This river forms the northern border of Virginia.
On November 20, 1861, he wrote to the War Department. He suggested an expedition to Romney, in western Virginia. They decided to agree to his idea. To help him succeed, his old brigade was chosen to be part of his command.
Jackson had about 11,000 men for this trip. He wanted 15,000, but he decided to go ahead anyway.
The Union forces against Jackson were led by Nathaniel P. Banks. His V Corps was in Frederick, Maryland. They were watching and guarding the Potomac River from Harpers Ferry to Williamsport, Maryland. Also, William S. Rosecrans had 5,000 men under Brigadier General Benjamin F. Kelley at Romney. Rosecrans also had his own plan. He wanted to capture Winchester, thinking it was not well defended. He planned to use it as a base to threaten Confederate positions.
The Journey Begins
Jackson left Winchester on January 1 with about 9,000 men. The weather was surprisingly warm, like spring. He left 2,000 soldiers to guard Winchester. On the first night of the trip, a strong winter storm hit. It brought snow, sleet, and ice. One Confederate officer remembered how hard it was to travel. The roads were covered in ice. Men's beards were frozen, shining like crystals in the moonlight.
Despite the bad conditions, Jackson kept going. He took over Bath. The Union general, Frederick W. Lander, had left Bath. Lander's soldiers went back to Hancock, Maryland. They stopped Jackson from crossing the river in the Battle of Hancock. Jackson used cannons to attack. He destroyed a part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Then, he moved on to Romney.
On the way to Romney, General Kelley tried to scout towards Winchester. He met some of Jackson's leading Confederate militia at Hanging Rock Pass. Kelley easily beat them and captured two cannons. Even with this win, Kelley left Romney on January 10. Jackson entered and took over the town on January 14.
From Romney, Jackson planned to go to Cumberland, Maryland. But the harsh winter weather made many of his soldiers very unhappy. Many were from warmer places further south. So, he stopped his plans for more travel. Jackson left Loring's Division to stay in Romney. He went back to Winchester on January 24 with his Stonewall Brigade and Ashby's Regiment.
What Happened Next
Jackson did not reach his big goal of taking back all of western Virginia. But he did stop a Union attack on Winchester. He also cleared his new Valley District of all Union forces. Jackson also used Winchester well. It became a place to store supplies, a main office, and a starting point for attacks against the B&O Railroad.
Problems in Romney
In late January, some officers in Loring's Division were unhappy. They wrote a letter to the Confederate Secretary of War in Richmond, Virginia. This led to an order from the Secretary to Jackson. The order told Jackson to pull Loring's soldiers out of Romney. The Secretary thought Loring's position was too open to attack.
Jackson followed the order. But he was angry that Richmond was directly telling him what to do with his soldiers. He wanted to put Loring on trial in a military court. Jackson also quit his job. He wrote a letter to Governor John Letcher on January 31. He asked to be moved to be the Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI).
His old commander, General Joseph E. Johnston, and Governor Letcher convinced Jackson not to quit. Jackson took back his resignation. The charges against Loring were dropped. All soldiers who were not from Virginia, including Loring's group, were moved out of the Valley District. This left Jackson with only about 4,000 men.
This reduction made it harder for Jackson to defend the lower Shenandoah Valley. It led to him having to leave Winchester on March 9. This was because more Union soldiers under Major General Banks were coming. So, even though Jackson stopped Rosecrans from taking Winchester in January, the problems with Loring's Division and their removal led to General Banks taking Winchester in March. Jackson could not take back control of the Shenandoah Valley until he got more experienced soldiers from Major General Richard S. Ewell's Division.
Images for kids
-
Confederate Militia mustering in Winchester, Virginia
Harper's Weekly, 1861.
