On the afternoon of May 23, a Confederate army of 16,000 under General Stonewall Jackson approached Front Royal undetected from the southwest and overwhelmed a Federal outpost of 1,000 under Colonel John R. Kenly. Spy Belle Boyd gave the advance units of Ewell's division information on Federal positions, and the Confederate 1st Maryland Regiment of Ewell's Division led the attack against Kenly's Federal 1st Maryland. After the opening assault, the Federals took an artillery position on the heights just north of the rivers, but Confederates crossed the river bridges before the Federals could destroy them. Outnumbered, the Federals retreated toward Winchester, and Colonel T.S. Flournoy's cavalry pursued and smashed Kenly's command in a classic charge at Cedarville. A Federal army of 6,500 under Banks at Strasburg, being outflanked, withdrew northeast on Valley Pike on May 24.
