In early March, 1862, as Union Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks moved his three-division corps south toward Winchester and Maj. Gen. George McClellan prepared to attack Richmond from the Chesapeake Bay, Confederate General Joseph Johnston ordered Maj. Gen. Stonewall Jackson into the northern Shenandoah Valley to stay close enough to Banks to prevent him from reinforcing McClellan without forcing a battle. When Jackson arrived at mid-day on Sunday, March 23, two of Banks' divisions had already left the valley to support McClellan, leaving Maj. Gen. James Shields' division to guard the approach to Washington. After Shields was seriously wounded in a skirmish the previous day, he turned command over to Col. Nathan Kimball, the senior brigade commander. From this area, Jackson observed Union forces on Pritchard's Hill, saw 16 Union artillery pieces there, and concluded they could shell his division. Instead of retreating, he chose to attack the Union right flank, ordering Col. Samuel Fulkerson's brigade, supported by Brig. Gen. Richard Garnett's brigade, to turn the Union batteries on Pritchard's Hill. Jackson believed delay would allow Banks to strengthen his forces and worsen the situation, despite it being Sunday, his division's low strength of 3,000 infantry plus 700 cavalry and artillery, and less than six hours of daylight remaining. Fulkerson advanced in column along the tree line toward the western slope of Pritchard's Hill, with Garnett following 300 yards behind with one regiment, but the Union artillery fire was too strong, and after coming within 600 yards of the batteries, the Confederates turned west toward Sandy Ridge to seek the protection of the woods.
