The Battle of Second Kernstown

The Battle of Second Kernstown. General Crook Opens the Door for a Confederate Attack. After attacking Washington, D.C. earlier in July, Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Early learned that the Union army had begun to retreat from the valley, leaving Union Brig. Gen. George Crook's 12,000 strong Army of the Kanawha to hold Winchester. Gen. Early, with 16,000, turned to attack his weakened enemy on July 24, 1864., Gen. Crook, believing that he outnumbered the Confederates and thinking Gen. Early was using a cavalry force to cover his retreat, ordered his divisions to attack. He distrusted their reports of Confederate strength, and, becoming impatient with his division commanders' unwillingness to attack the Confederate positions, ordered them to "advance promptly as before directed.", Around 2:45 PM, Col. James Mulligan's Union division moved through the Pritchard farm fields toward Opequon Presbyterian Church, to your front right, and took up a position in the church yard and cemetery. Meanwhile, Col Joseph Thoburn's Union division advanced southwards into the fields directly in front of you, with his lines extending west to Sandy Ridge., Col. William Ely, commanding Thoburn's left brigade, moved westward to link up with Col. George Wells' brigade, separating from Col. Mulligan's right flank and creating a large gap in the Union lines occupied by only a few skirmishers., At 3 pm, Maj. Gen. Stephen Ramseur's Confederate division exploited the gap and attacked across this field into Mulligan's right flank while Maj. Gen. John Breckinridge attacked the Union left flank. The Union line collapsed. "Bull Run was nothing in comparison," recalled one Union officer., Even though this battle was tremendously successful for the Confederate Army, it was the last victory for them in the Shenandoah Valley., (captions) , Maj. Gen. George Crook , Lt. Gen. Jubal Early