The battles of Front Royal and Winchester are the stuff of Civil War legend. Stonewall Jackson swept away an isolated Union division under the command of Nathaniel Banks and made his presence in the northern Shenandoah Valley so frightful a prospect that it triggered an overreaction from President Lincoln, yielding huge benefits for the Confederacy. Gary Ecelbarger has undertaken a comprehensive reassessment of those battles to show their influence on both war strategy and the continuation of the conflict. Three Days in the Shenandoah answers questions that have perplexed historians for generations. Bypassing long-overused sources that have shrouded the Valley Campaign in myth, Ecelbarger draws instead on newly uncovered primary sourcesincluding soldiers' accounts and officers' reportsto refute much of the anecdotal lore that for too long was regarded as fact. He narrates those suspenseful days of combat from the perspective of battlefield participants and high commanders to weave a compelling story of strategy and tactics. Written with flair of the seasoned military historian and enlivened with maps and illustrations, Three Days in the Shenandoah answers questions that have perplexed historians for generations. -- back cover.

Introduction -- 1. "Creating a stir" -- 2. Battle of Front Royal -- 3. A tale of two cavalry attacks -- 4. Banks's fog of war -- 5. Jackson's fog of war -- 6. Opportunity lost -- 7. Culmination point -- 8. Battle of Winchester -- 9. Exhilaration and despair -- Epilogue -- Appendix : Order of battle.