First Battle of Winchester A11 Virginia historical marker

Winchester > First Battle of Winchester

The First Battle of Winchester A11 Virginia historical marker is on the south side of Winchester on the west side of US 11 (see map below). It shows the victory of Confederate General Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson over Union General Nathaniel Banks in 1862. It was placed in 2006 by the Virginia Conservation and Development Commission, replacing an earlier marker with a briefer message.

A marker on the Second Battle of Winchester is a few yards to the south.

The First Battle of Winchester A11 Virginia historical marker

From the marker:

A11

First Battle of
Winchester

Here Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall”
Jackson and his army, early on the morning of
25 May 1862, defeated Union Maj. Gen. Nathaniel
P. Bank’s forces during Jackson’s Shenandoah
Valley campaign. Banks, outnumbered and
outflanked, hastily retreated north through the
streets of Winchester. The Confederate pursuit
was lethargic, as the men were exhausted from
a week of heavy marching, but they captured
many Union soldiers and a heavy quantity of
wagons and stores. Because of Jackson’s
victory here, the Valley was temporarily cleared of
Federal armies. President Abraham Lincoln
diverted 30,000 men from the Union advance on
Richmond to strike at Jackson.

Development of Historic Resources 2006

Location

The marker is south of Winchester, Virginia on the west side of the Valley Pike (U.S. 11) about 0.2 mile south of the interchange with Virginia Route 37. (39°07’12.0″N 78°11’49.6″W)