During the Battle of McDowell, Major General Edward Johnson commanded the Confederates on the crest overlooking the town of McDowell, spreading his line along the hilltop and anchoring his right flank on a knoll. Stonewall Jackson remained in the valley below and directed troops to Johnson’s aid. Union commanders Brigadier Generals Robert S. Schenk and Robert H. Milroy feared the Confederates would haul cannon to the crest and bombard their positions. On the afternoon of May 8, 1862, Milroy attacked the Confederates there but was repulsed, and the battle continued into the night. After Johnson was wounded, Brigadier General William B. Taliaferro assumed command of the Confederates on top of the hill.