Two Plans Of Attack

When he arrived in McDowell on May 8, 1862, Confederate Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson rode to the top of Sitlington's Hill and studied the terrain and Union positions in the village below with Confederate Gen. Edward "Allegheny" Johnson, who commanded the southern troops on the field. Jackson decided against bringing his cannon to the top because of the rocky terrain and the risk of losing them in a hurried withdrawal. Believing no major fighting would occur that day, he instead ordered his mapmaker, Jedediah Hotchkiss, to find a route behind the Union army so the artillery could be in place by 3 am on May 9 for an attack. At the same time, Union Gen. Robert H. Milroy and his superior, Gen. Robert C. Schenck, agreed to make a reconnaissance-in-force to learn more about the threat they faced, a decision hastened by a rumor that Confederate artillery was being placed on Sitlington's Hill. Milroy believed they had to take the offensive or abandon the field, and Union troops crossed the river and moved up a ravine in the Confederate front as the Confederates were getting into position on the hill.

Virginia · United States