McDowell VA102
1862-05-08 to 1862-05-08 · VA · Jackson's Valley Campaign [March-June 1862] · frozen result: Confederate · NPS summary (as listed)
From Staunton, Maj. Gen. T.J. Jackson marched his army west along the Parkersburg Road to confront two brigades of Frémont's force (Milroy and Schenck), advancing toward the Shenandoah Valley from western Virginia. At McDowell on May 8, Milroy seized the initiative and assaulted the Confederate position on Sitlington's Hill. The Federals were repulsed after severe fighting, lasting four hours. Afterwards, Milroy and Schenck withdrew into western Virginia, freeing up Jackson's army to march against the other Union columns threatening the Valley.
Command responsibility (ledger v2)
US: Robert Milroy
Grade A under rule 3a; echelon brigade. command_changed
Other candidates: Robert Schenck
Both listed brigadier generals. Allan has Milroy's skirmishers and artillery engage the Confederate reconnaissance, then Milroy 'reinforced by the arrival of Schenck's brigade', after which Schenck 'as senior, now commanded' and approved the assault (rule 3(a); rule 4, successor Schenck). The skirmish is not separately dated in the selection; the same-day sequence rests on Allan's narrative and the May 8 frozen interval.
Brigadier Generalarnold-cwsac-commanders, battle VA102, belligerent US, fullname Robert Milroy; column rank · snapshot
6c587c298717…Brigadier Generalarnold-cwsac-commanders, battle VA102, belligerent US, fullname Robert Schenck; column rank · snapshot
6c587c298717…Gen. Milroy sent out parties of skirmishers through tlie forest which covered the western side and base of Sitlington's hill, and also opened witli a section of artilleryallan-valley-selections-v1 · snapshot
08a742ed11b5…IVIilroy had been reinforced by the arrival of Schenck's brigadeallan-valley-selections-v1 · snapshot
08a742ed11b5…with the approval of Gen. Schenck, who, as senior, now com-allan-valley-selections-v1 · snapshot
08a742ed11b5…Milroy seized the initiative and assaulted the Confederate position on Sitlington's Hillarnold-cwsac-battles, battle VA102; column description · snapshot
952b5d08402a…Confederate: Thomas J. Jackson
Grade A under rule 2; echelon army.
A cited passage states the command.
Major Generalarnold-cwsac-commanders, battle VA102, belligerent Confederate, fullname Thomas J. Jackson; column rank · snapshot
6c587c298717…Maj. Gen. T.J. Jackson marched his army west along the Parkersburg Roadarnold-cwsac-battles, battle VA102; column description · snapshot
952b5d08402a…Side strength (ledger v3)
US: grade A, 6,500 (6,180–6,830)
compiled_dependencederivation_unknownsingle_inputwhole_engagement_leakage
| Input | Class | Printed | Basis | Bound | Codes | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| us-cw | A | 6,500 | reported_engaged | derivation_unknown | ||
| us-nps | A | 6,500 | reported_engaged | derivation_unknown | dossier claim reported-force-scope |
Confederate: grade A, 6,000 (5,700–6,300)
compiled_dependencederivation_unknownsingle_inputwhole_engagement_leakage
| Input | Class | Printed | Basis | Bound | Codes | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cs-cw | A | 6,000 | reported_engaged | derivation_unknown | 6,000arnold-cwsac-forces, battle VA102, belligerent Confederate; column description · snapshot a462f6be964b… | |
| cs-nps | A | 6,000 | reported_engaged | derivation_unknown | dossier claim reported-force-scope |
Dossier claims
Draft dossier, revision . Claims are extraction records with their quoted passages, not historical adjudication. JSON
information
unknownunresolved
No original reconnaissance, order or message chain was inspected to establish contemporary knowledge. Surprise in a summary does not independently establish what each commander knew.
logistics
supportedunresolved Allan says guns could only have been taken up the hill by hand with great exertion and could not have been withdrawn after a successful enemy advance.
Attributed transport constraint and risk assessment, not an opening ammunition return or readiness score. His explanation of Jackson’s decision is retrospective.
the guns could only have been gotten up by hand with great exertion.allan-valley-selections-v1, p.74 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
08a742ed11b5…there would have been no possibility of withdrawing them.allan-valley-selections-v1, p.74 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
08a742ed11b5…objectives
supportedunresolved NPS describes Milroy assaulting the Confederate position on Sitlington’s Hill.
Immediate target, not an independently inspected original mission or proof of campaign contribution.
Milroy seized the initiative and assaulted the Confederate position on Sitlington's Hill.nps-va102-v1, Description · snapshot
a8b3939e9f85…outcome
supportedpost_outcome The frozen result remains Confederate victory.
Retain the original result and engagement interval; later movements and campaign contribution are different measures. No new probabilities or individual causal credit.
disputedpost_outcome The frozen casualty text reads 720 (surgeon's list reports 556). The live NPS field reads 756 total (US 256; CS 500;).
Original casualty returns were not inspected; preserve totals, categories, cutoffs and differences. No canonical reconciliation or casualty-based opening count; related actions must not be added without resolving population overlap.
720 (surgeon's list reports 556)arnold-cwsac-battles, battle VA102; column casualties_text · snapshot
952b5d08402a…responsibility
supportedunresolved Allan says Schenck, as senior, commanded and approved Milroy’s advance; the frozen narrative mentions both officers.
Distinguish approval and senior authority from leading the assault. The live principal list omits Schenck, but does not establish sole command or credit; no exact authority clock is inferred.
with the approval of Gen. Schenck, who, as senior, now com-allan-valley-selections-v1, pp.74–75 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
08a742ed11b5…manded, moved forward with portions of his own brigadeallan-valley-selections-v1, p.75 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
08a742ed11b5…strength
unknownunresolved
No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. Imported numerical estimates remain unchanged; this pass does not validate them as simultaneous opening forces.
supportedunresolved The frozen force field reads 12,500 total (US 6,500; CS 6,000). The live NPS field reads 12500 total (US 6500; CS 6000;).
Source field only. Formations, engaged troops and changing concentrations do not establish matched opening populations. Live zeros are not measured absence; shared provenance is not independent corroboration.
12,500 total (US 6,500; CS 6,000)arnold-cwsac-battles, battle VA102; column forces_text · snapshot
952b5d08402a…terrain
supportedunresolved Allan describes Sitlington’s Hill as open on top, steep and wooded below, with a narrow, steep, boulder-filled access ravine.
Physical description only; no map verification or numerical terrain effect.
the foot of the hill is on all sides steep and heavily wooded.allan-valley-selections-v1, p.73 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
08a742ed11b5…This ravine is narrow and very steep, and, besides being wooded, is filled with boulders washed down from above.allan-valley-selections-v1, p.73 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
08a742ed11b5…Open questions
- Original orders, returns, casualty reconciliation, contemporary message chains and precise command clocks remain deferred after the bounded pass. No whole-book, facsimile or map verification is claimed.
- NPS/CWSAC is one family; Allan is one interested retrospective history where used. Embedded reports are not additional independently inspected families. Princeton retains only the frozen NPS/CWSAC family.
- No automatic commander attribution, causal campaign score, morale/readiness number or battle/campaign double counting.