Army of the Valley District

The Valley District was created October 22, 1861 under Major General Thomas J. Jackson, with headquarters at Winchester, Virginia. Although it operated with the Army of Northern Virginia from the Peninsula Campaign until after the Battle of Sharpsburg (or Antietam), Jackson still considered it to be the Army of the Valley District. This was helped by the fact that army corps did not legally exist in the Confederate system until October of 1862.

On November 22, 1862, as Jackson was leading his command across Masanutton Mountain on the way to leave the Shenandoah Valley for the last time, he announded to his staff, “Young gentlemen, this is no longer the headquarters of the Army of the Valley, but of the Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia.”

October 22, 1861

Major General Thomas J. Jackson was ordered to Winchester to take command of the miltia forces there

November 6

Jackson’s Brigade arrived from Centerville

December

Raid on the C&O Canal

January

The Romney Campaign

March 23, 1862

First Battle of Kernstown

May 8

Battle of McDowell

May 23

Battle of Front Royal

May 25

First Battle of Winchester

June 8

Battle of Cross Keys

June 9

Battle of Port Republic

June 17

Jackson began the march out of the Valley

June 18 – 25

Moved to the Richmond area and operationally became part of the Army of Northern Virginia, although Jackson would still refer to his command as the Army of the Valley District.

November 22

The District of the Valley officially became the Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia