My Most Successful Exploits

The Battle of Cedar Mountain was fought August 9^th 1862.

Union Major General John Pope had a new army under his command, which he christened the Army of Virginia.  Pope moved on Culpeper Court House and Confederate General Robert E Lee sent the order to General Thomas J Jackson that he wanted “Pope to be suppressed.”

Jackson was outnumbered, but Pope helped him with the numbers, when he divided his troops along the Rapidan River.  Jackson moved on the part of Pope’s army that was near Culpeper.  Moving on the main road toward Culpeper in extreme heat on bad roads Jackson’s exhausted troops encountered Union cavalry near Cedar Run on August 9^th 1862.  Confederate Brigadier General Jubal A Early formed a line along the road, he anchored it on Cedar Mountain.  The Confederate artillery posted along the mountain, a small knoll known as the Cedars and near the Crittenden House beginning a duel with Union artillery on the Mitchell Station Road.  During the artillery bombardment Confederate Brigadier General Charles S Winder was mortally wounded.  Around 5pm Union Major General Nathaniel P Banks launched an attack on the Confederate line.  Union troops led by Union Brigadier General Samuel W Crawford attacked the Confederate left in what became hand to hand combat, while other Union troops under Brigadier General Christopher C Auger hit the other end of the line near the guns on the knoll.

The Confederate troops began to show signs of a rout, but Jackson road into the middle of his men and rallied the troops.  With Jackson holding his men in place and restoring order, Confederate General A P Hill arrived in time to strengthen the line and push the Union troops back across the field.  A battalion of the 1^st Pennsylvania Cavalry held the Confederate counterattack long enough so that most of the Union men could retreat.

Two days after this battle Jackson began his move to join up with Robert E Lee for what would lead up to Second Manassas.  Jackson said that the Battle of Cedar Mountain was “the most successful of his exploits.”

Sealed The Escape Route

Fought on May 21st 1863, the Battle of Plains Store was a part of the campaign against Port Hudson.

In the early morning hours of May 21st 1863, Union Major General Christopher C Augur with the First Division of the XIX Corps moved north from Baton Rouge, Louisiana toward the intersection of Plains Store and Bayou Sara, Louisiana. He was looking for a landing for the rest of Union Major General Nathaniel P Banks’ troops. Leading Augur’s soldiers was Union cavalry under the command of Brigadier General Benjamin W Powers. Powers' men ran into Confederate skirmishers and fighting erupted. The fighting grew as more of the Union troops arrived.

At noon Confederate Colonel William R Miles left Port Hudson, Louisiana with reinforcements to support. By the time Miles reached the field however Power had retreated and the Union troops were going into camp for the night. Miles still made the decision to attack, and at first was successful. Then Augur collected his troops and made a counter attack. The Confederates retreated from Plains, pulling back into the defenses of Port Hudson. This sealed the route of escape for the Confederates garrisoned at Port Hudson.