Battle of Cross Keys

After repulsing the initial Union attack, Confederate Gen. Isaac R. Trimble’s brigade heavily engaged two brigades of Union Gen. Louis Blenker’s division near here on June 8, 1862. During the afternoon fighting, Col. James A. Walker’s demi-brigade, consisting of the 13th and 25th Virginia infantry regiments, reinforced Trimble. Walker marched his men along the Goods Mill Road on the Confederate right flank in an effort to move around the Union forces facing Trimble. His first attempt to attack the Federal flank was disrupted when he marched into a forward movement by Trimble against Blenker. His second attempt placed his regiments at a post-and-rail fence facing three Federal regiments and a New York artillery battery on rising ground. The fence provided little cover in the face of canister fire, and Walker’s command suffered 47 casualties before withdrawing to the cover of some woods. A short time later, the Federal attack ended when the senior Union artillery commander on this part of the field, a captain, feared for the safety of his guns and ordered them withdrawn over the objections of field-grade and general officers. The infantry regiments, lacking artillery support, were then forced to retreat. Col. James A. Walker ended the war as a brigadier general commanding the famous Stonewall Brigade.

Virginia · United States