KERNSTOWN, Battle of. Gen. °Stone wall° Jackson abandoned Winchester, Va., 11 March 1862 and retreated up the Shenandoah Valley, followed by Shields' Union division beyond Strasburg. Shields was recalled to Winchester on the 20th, and Jackson followed him, his advance cavalry under Turner Ashby engaging Shields on the afternoon of the 22d, near Kernstown, in which Shields received a severe shell-wound. Jackson came up on the afternoon of the 23d and, being informed that Williams' division of Banks' corps, had left Winchester and was moving through the Blue Ridge for Manassas Junction, and that Shields had but four regiments in his front, determined to crush these and thus recall Williams and de tain him in the valley. Shields had nearly 8,000 infantry and cavalry and 23 guns, two of his brigades on a ridge covering the road half a mile north of Kcrnstown, both under command of Col. N. Kimball. Jackson had about 3,000 infantry and 27 guns. Kimball was too well posted to be attacked in front, so leaving Ashby with the cavalry and a small brigade of infantry to hold the road and threaten' Kimball's centre and left. Jackson seized a low ridge on Kim
ball's right, and placed on it his artillery and infantry. Tyler's brigade, which had been held in reserve, was brought up and made unsuccess ful efforts to dislodge him, upon which Kimball, drawing from his left and centre, formed a column of seven regiments and, under a terrific fire of artillery and musketry, led it forward, came up on Tyler's left and after a fierce com bat broke Jackson's line. Kimball pressed his advantage, and as night closed in, Jackson was in full retreat, leaving his dead and wounded and two guns on the field of his first defeat. He said that he considered the engagement ua fiercer fight during its continuance than any portion of the battle of Manassas' The Union loss was 118 killed, 450 wounded, and 22 miss ing; the Confederate loss, 80 killed, 375 wounded and 263 missing. Consult 'Official Records' (Vol. XII) ; Allan, 'Jackson's Valley Cam paign' ; The Century Company's 'Battles and Leaders of the Civil War' (Vol. II).