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Writer's pictureGeorge Castrioti

June 8th, 1862 - The Battle of Cross Keys

Conflict: American Civil War

Combatants: Confederates vs. Federals

Location: Virginia (USA)

Outcome: Confederate victory


While Federal General John C. Fremont pursued Confederate General Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson up the north fork of the Shenandoah Valley with 12,000 men, General James Shields pursued along the south fork with 5,000. But Jackson halted at Massanutten Mountain and turned to await the advance of Shields on June 7th, 1862. Meanwhile June 8th, Confederate General Richard Ewell was dispatched to oppose Fremont. Ewell repulsed a Federal assault and the following day the Federals were driven from their positions by a combined attack.


The Battle of Cross Keys by E. Forbes

Point of Interest:

  • After Cross Keys, Richard Ewell returned to Stonewall Jackson and helped sweep the Federals from the field at Port Republic.

  • This series of engagements including Cross Keys and Port Republic ended the Shenandoah Valley campaign with the Union troops in retreat.


John C. Fremont, General by Emil Boehl
Stonewall Jackson in 1862 by Nathaniel Routzahn



















General James Shields by Henry A. Castle
Richard S. Ewell by an unknown photographer



















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Sources:

Bowman, John S. (Ed.) (1983). The Civil War Almanac. New York: World Almanac.


Catton, Bruce (1955). This Hallowed Ground. Kingsport, Tennessee: Kingsport Press, Inc.


Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).


Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.


Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.


Hogue, James M. & McPherson, James M. (2009). Ordeal By Fire. New York: MaGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.


Long, E.B & Long, Barbara (1971). The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac 1861-1865. New York: De Capo Press, Inc.















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