Johnston believed that Banks, behind the earthworks at Strasburg, was securely sheltered.  Jackson saw that his enemy had made a fatal mistake, and that his earthworks, skilfully and strongly constructed as they were, were no more than a snare and a delusion.

Ashby had already moved to New Market; and a strong cordon of pickets extended along Pugh’s Run near Woodstock, within sight of the Federal outposts, and cutting off all communication between Strasburg and the Upper Valley.  Ewell’s cavalry regiments, the 2nd and 6th Virginia, held the Luray Valley, with a detachment east of the Blue Ridge.

May 20.

On the 20th Jackson arrived at New Market, thirty miles from Mount Solon.  Ewell had meanwhile marched to Luray, and the two wings were now on either side of the Massanuttons.  On his way to New Market Jackson had been joined by the Louisiana brigade of Ewell’s division.  This detachment seems to have been made with the view of inducing Banks to believe, should information filter through Ashby’s pickets, that the whole Confederate force was advancing direct on Strasburg.

The Army of the Valley numbered nearly 17,000 officers and men.* (* This estimate is Colonel Allan’s.  Cf The Valley Campaign pages 92 and 93.  Dabney gives 16,000 men.) Ewell’s effective strength was 7500; Johnson’s 2500; Jackson’s 6000; and there were eleven batteries.

The troops were now organised in two divisions:—­

Jackson’s division.

First (Stonewall) Brigade, General Winder:  2nd Virginia, 4th
Virginia, 5th Virginia, 27th Virginia, 33rd Virginia.

Second Brigade, Colonel Campbell:  21st Virginia, 42nd Virginia, 48th
Virginia, 1st Regulars (Irish).

Third Brigade, Colonel Taliaferro:  10th Virginia, 23rd Virginia, 37th
Virginia.

Cavalry, Colonel Ashby:  7th Virginia.

Artillery:  5 batteries (1 horse-artillery), 22 guns.

Ewell’s division.

Taylor’s Brigade:  6th Louisiana, 7th Louisiana, 8th Louisiana, 9th
Louisiana, Wheat’s Battalion (Louisiana Tigers).

Trimble’s Brigade:  21st North Carolina, 21st Georgia, 15th Alabama, 16th Mississippi.

Elzey’s Brigade and Scott’s Brigade:  13th Virginia, 31st Virginia, 25th Virginia, 12th Georgia. (late Johnson’s), 44th Virginia, 52nd Virginia, 58th Virginia.

Maryland Line:  1st Maryland.

Cavalry, General G.H.  Steuart:  2nd Virginia, Colonel Munford:  6th
Virginia, Colonel Flournoy.

Artillery:  6 batteries, 26 guns.

For the first time in his career Jackson found himself in command of a considerable force.  The greater part of the troops were Virginians, and with these he was personally acquainted.  The strange contingents were Taylor’s and Trimble’s brigades, and Steuart’s cavalry.  These had yet to be broken to his methods of war and discipline.  There was no reason, however, to fear that they would prove