General Richard S. Ewell, with 14,000 Confederates, defeated General Robert H. Milroy, with 6,900 Federals, at Winchester. Before his second invasion of the North, Lee sent Ewell to Winchester to clear the Valley of Federals. Dividing his forces, Ewell on June 14th deployed General E. Johnson’s division to divert Milroy’s attention to the east, while General J.A. Early’s troops marched undetected around the southwestern limits of town to attack from the west at 6 p.m. Anticipating Milroy’s withdrawal toward Martinsburg after dark, Ewell sent three brigades of Johnson’s division around Winchester on the east. Before dawn on June 15th, Johnson intercepted the Federals near Stephenson’s Depot, 4 miles northeast of town, as they took the road toward Charlestown. His surprise attack resulted in heavy fighting and the capture of 2,500 Federals. Milroy and the remnant of his command evacuated Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry, leaving the Valley to the Confederates.
