Appealing from his native sod
In forma pauperis to God: 
“Lay bare Thine arm—­stretch forth Thy rod. 
Amen!” That’s Stonewall’s way.

It is not always joy that cometh in the morning, least of all to generals as ignorant as Banks when they have to do with a skilful foe.  It was not altogether Banks’ fault that his position was a bad one.  Stanton had given him a direct order to take post at Strasburg or its vicinity, and to send two regiments to hold the bridges at Front Royal.  But Banks had made no remonstrance.  He had either failed to recognise, until it was too late, that the force at Front Royal would be exposed to attack from the Luray Valley, and, if the post fell, that his own communications with both Winchester and Washington would be at once endangered; or he had lost favour with the Secretary.  For some time past Mr. Stanton’s telegrams had been cold and peremptory.  There had been no more effusive praise of “cautious vigour” and “interesting manoeuvres;” and Banks had gradually fallen from the command of a large army corps to the charge of a single division.

His 10,000 men were thus distributed.  At Strasburg were 4500 infantry, 2900 cavalry, and 16 guns.  At Winchester 850 infantry and 600 cavalry.  Two companies of infantry held Buckton station on the Manassas Gap Railway, midway between Strasburg and Front Royal.* (* O.R. volume 12 part 1 pages 523 and 560.) At Rectortown, east of the Blue Ridge, nineteen miles from Front Royal, was General Geary with 2000 infantry and cavalry; these troops, however, were independent of Banks.

Front Royal, twelve miles east of Strasburg, was committed to the charge of Colonel Kenly, of the 1st Maryland Regiment in the Federal service, and 1000 rifles and 2 guns were placed at his disposal.  The post itself was indefensible.  To the west and south-west, about three miles distant, stand the green peaks of the Massanuttons, while to the east the lofty spurs of the Blue Ridge look down into the village streets.  A mile and a half north the forks of the Shenandoah unite in the broad river that runs to Harper’s Ferry.  The turnpike to Winchester crosses both forks in succession, at a point where they are divided by a stretch of meadows a mile in width.  In addition to these two bridges, a wooden viaduct carried the railway over the South Fork, whence, passing between the North Fork and the Massanuttons, it runs south of the stream to Strasburg.  Kenly had pitched his camp between the town and the river, covering the bridges, and two companies were on picket beyond the houses.

In front were the dense forests which fill the Luray Valley and cover the foothills of the mountains, and the view of the Federal sentries was very limited.  A strong patrol of 100 infantry and 30 troopers, which had been sent out on the 20th, had marched eleven miles south, had bivouacked in the woods, and had captured a Confederate straggler.  The officer in command had obtained information, by questioning civilians, that Confederate infantry was expected, and this was confirmed by his prisoner.  Banks, however, notwithstanding this report, could not bring himself to believe that an attack was imminent, and the cavalry was called back to Strasburg.  For this reason Kenly had been unable to patrol to any distance on the 22nd, and the security of his camp was practically dependent on the vigilance of his sentries.