More than 150 years after its conclusion, the Civil War continues to be dissected by authors who examine and re-examine the motives and strategies of the major players on both sides of the country-wrenching conflict. In Three Days In The Shenandoah, Gary Ecelbarger clears the fog of time to bring forward a more detailed analysis of General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's 1862 crushing foray on Union forces at Front Royal and Winchester, Virginia.

This is not a light read, but rather one heavily steeped in 19th century military maneuvers in a fashion that would appeal foremost to military historians and, perhaps, secondarily to armchair Civil War buffs. Drawing from journals and letters of soldiers, officers' accounts, newspaper dispatches, and maps of the day that depicted the lay of the land the Confederate and Union armies were battling over, Mr. Ecelbarger gives us an almost hour-by-hour chronology of May 22, 23, and 24, 1862, three days that blunted the Union Army's drive to Richmond with hopes of a quick end to the war.

What might come as shocking to the 21st century audience is the confusion that revolved around the maneuvers of those three days. Though separated at times by just a handful of miles, the Union forces under Major General Nathaniel P. Banks at times never realized how they were being boxed in by General Jackson's forces. And those Confederate forces at times didn't realize how quickly they might have dispatched the Union troops fleeing Strasburg for Winchester.

While General Banks' miles-long wagon train heading north from Strasburg on the morning of May 24 was plodding along, with the infantry and artillery mired behind wagons carrying supplies and wounded, General Jackson and his army was just five miles to the east.

Totally unaware of the inviting target west of him, Jackson discussed the situation with General (Richard S.) Ewell. For the second straight day, Stonewall was forced to hold his men in an hours-long respite before he could commit the troops in movement or battle. Uneasy about not knowing what Banks was doing, Jackson had to aggressively seek out his opponent.

A book rich in detail and minutia, Three Days In The Shenandoah (University of Oklahoma Press, 2008) can be complemented by The Undying Past of Shenandoah National Park, by Darwin Lambert (Roberts Rinehart, 2001), which adds context in terms of the skirmishes taking place in relation to today's Shenandoah National Park. While Mr. Ecelbarger's book contains maps, they are tightly compressed on small areas of battle, while Mr. Lambert's book contains a map depicting Stonewall Jackson's back-and-forth crossings of the Blue Ridge Mountains within today's national park as well as narrative explaining how Jackson again and again stymied Banks' plans. 

Some historians say Jackson was psychic; he seemed to know in advance what would happen. Military writers have called his Valley Campaign the strategic equal of any in history. In approximately a month Jackson's small army had covered almost four hundred miles, taken four thousand prisoners and an immense amount of military supplies including cannons, broken up and discouraged the Federal effort to take the Confederates' rich source of bread and beef, and had scared the Federal government with visions of a long, fast march on Washington itself.

Stonewall Jackson's moves, and counter moves, against Gen. Banks pushed the Union Army out of the Shenandoah Valley and complicated President Lincoln's plans for marching on Richmond, noted Mr. Ecelbarger.

The ripples of Jackson's grand achievements did not permeate Richmond until late on Monday, May 26. The Valley victories infused hope into a beleaguered capital starving for victories. The news also appeared to have hobbled the grand Union offensive on Richmond. Expecting (Major General Irwin) McDowell's presence from the north, the Confederate War Department was relieved to see no sign of his formidable army. By May 28 General Lee was so encouraged by McDowell's absence that he sent Jackson a short dispatch that encouraged a daring and aggressive continuation of his mission. "We rejoice at your brilliant success," wired Lee to Jackson. "If you can make demonstrations on Maryland and Washington, it will add to its great results."

Three Days In The Shenandoah shines a bright light on Stonewall Jackson's career, which was prematurely cut down just a year later when his own troops fired on him at the Battle of Chancellorsville. If you find yourself at Big Meadows Lodge with this book, you might look out upon the Virginia landscape down below and outside the park and imagine his forces moving faster than the Union thought possible as Stonewall Jackson thwarted his adversaries from the North.