The First Battle of Cedar Creek

Zouaves vs. Zouaves on the Valley Turnpike

By Colin Zimmerman

The Civil War is full of many colorful stories, but arguably none more colorful, figuratively and literally, than when two opposing Zouave companies fought each other in the streets of Middletown during “The First Battle of Cedar Creek” on May 24, 1862.

The Zouaves who fought on the Union side came from Philadelphia.  The Union Zouaves d’ Afrique was formed in Philadelphia in the summer of 1861 under the Irish-born Capt. Charles Collis.  The company’s uniforms consisted of a red fez with turban, blue short jacket with vest, and baggy red pantaloons.  The company was an independent one whose purpose was to serve as Union Gen. Nathaniel Banks’ Headquarters Guard.

On the Confederate side, the Tiger Rifles, or Company B of Wheat’s 1st Special Louisiana Battalion, also donned the zouave uniform. The battalion was formed of men from the New Orleans back streets, and their uniforms reflected their unique personality – red fez, blue plain short jackets, and their signature white and blue striped pantaloons. Most important to the company was the issue of the 1841 Mississippi rifle, coveted amongst marksmen. The Louisianans fought at First Manassas and then were assigned to Gen. Richard Taylor’s Louisiana Brigade in Gen. Richard Ewell’s division.

Union Zouaves d’ Afrique Zouaves.

Sketch by Edwin Forbes.

Early in 1862, Banks’ army, including the Zouaves d’ Afrique, was ordered south from Harpers Ferry, initiating Stonewall Jackson’s Valley Campaign.  After a Union victory at First Kernstown on March 23, 1862, Jackson withdrew south, but following a Confederate victory at McDowell after May 8, 1862, Jackson marched back north to assail Banks.

Banks’ army had been reduced substantially by orders to send part of his force back east, as Federal officials underestimated the danger that Jackson presented.  Banks had split his remaining force in two, with the bulk of his army in Strasburg in the “main” Valley, and a small detachment to the east at Front Royal at the mouth of the Page Valley.  Meanwhile, as he moved north Jackson was reinforced with Ewell’s division – including the Tiger Rifles – and now outnumbered Banks.  Jackson crossed through the New Market Gap into the Page Valley, then hurried north and destroyed the Federal outpost at Front Royal on May 23, 1862.  With Banks still at Strasburg to the west, Jackson now had an opportunity to cut off the main Federal force.

Banks initially refused to believe that Jackson’s entire army was at Front Royal, and feared political backlash if he moved too early. “By God, I will not retreat!” he exclaimed.  “We have more to fear from the opinion of our friends than from the bayonets of our enemies.” Capt. Collis volunteered to take a small detachment of the Zouaves d’ Afrique and scout the situation at Front Royal. Collis returned on the morning of May 24 and reported that Jackson’s entire force was indeed present in the area.  Banks was in deep trouble.

Louisiana Tiger in Zouave Uniform

Initially, both Jackson and Banks were handicapped by a lack of information about their opponent’s location and intentions. By late morning Banks started his command down the valley towards Winchester.  Meanwhile, Jackson launched his foot cavalry at the Yankees who were then moving north down the Valley Turnpike in the area of Middletown, and isolated a portion of the rear guard that included the Zouaves d’ Afrique and some 40 wagons.

As he started north, Banks ordered a staff officer, Capt. James W. Abert, to take the Zouaves d’ Afrique and prepare to burn the bridge over Cedar Creek. The Zouaves commandeered a nearby barn and prepared the bridge for burning. Collis and his men waited from about 10 am until around 4 pm, but received no word.  They decided to abandon the bridge unburned and attempt to catch up with the rest of the army – not realizing that they were, essentially, already cut off.

In front of the Pennsylvania Zouaves and their counterparts, a mile south of Middletown, was Col. Calvin Douty and his 1st Maine Cavalry. Douty’s command had been covering the Banks’ withdrawal down the valley, and was engaged in a spirited running fight with Confederate Col. Turner Ashby’s cavalry.

Jackson sensed a chance to crush part of Banks wagon train. It was now 4 p.m. and “Old Jack” rode upon the scene and took charge. He was sure Banks train had passed through Middletown, but was unaware if all of it had made it through and if any Federal infantry were present in the vicinity. With Ewell’s infantry now pushing close to Middletown, Jackson sent a message ordering him to move to Winchester to cut off the Federals.  But almost immediately gunfire could be heard on the edge of town, indicating there might be more Federals in the vicinity than he suspected.  Jackson dispatched a second courier instructing Ewell to temporarily halt his move north.

Chatham Roberdeau Wheat

Confederate Maj. Chatham Roberdeau Wheat.  Wheat would be killed at the Battle of Gaines Mill in June 1862.

The Philadelphian Zouaves had moved north down the Valley Pike, trekking up a long hill about a mile southwest of Middletown, in the vicinity of Belle Grove.  Captains Collis and Abert spotted the 9th Louisiana infantry and Wheat’s Special Battalion closing in on the main street of the town, heading toward roughly 35 wagons that had been cut off from the train. Seizing the initiative, Collis double-quicked his men across the open plain in effort to get between the Louisiana troops and the wagons. Just in time, the Union Zouaves hustled into place behind a stone wall that ran perpendicular to the turnpike south of town. The race was close; they were just over 100 yards away from the Rebels and in their rear.

As the Zouaves d’ Afrique watched the enemy advance, they noted that some of the advancing Confederates were also sporting Zouave garb.  Collis’s men unleashed a well-disciplined volley. Confederate Private Henry Handerson remembered that, “As we jumped over the stone wall into the pike, a vicious volley of bullets whistled through our disordered ranks, splintering the rails of the neighboring fence and wounded several of my comrades, and looking down the road towards Strasburg, I saw a company of Zouaves firing vigorously upon our advance.”  The Louisianans took cover behind the houses in town and began returning fire.   Collis had his men fire three crisp volleys into the now scattered Confederates, which halted their advance briefly.

Collis would later reflect that the combination of “cool aim, short range, and grand position must have had terrible effect.”  But the Confederates would not be halted long.  As southern reinforcements moved through Middletown, it became obvious to Collis and Abert that holding the wall would do no further justice. Collis ordered his command to deploy into a skirmish line and fire in retreat. Collis remembered that “The movement was as orderly as though executed upon the drill ground.” Capt. Abert wrote that the withdrawal was “the most orderly movement of the kind on record” – the kind of light infantry tactic that the Zouaves specialized in.

As the Philadelphians withdrew they noted that the Louisiana men had lost interest in the fight and “were looting right merrily,” and did not aggressively chase the Federals, although the Zouave d’ Afrique still lost three men to gunfire.

After moving about a mile south of Middletown, the Federals were relieved to see the 1st Pennsylvania Artillery Battery F under the command of Capt. Robert B. Hampton firing into the advancing Confederates. Collis considered Hampton’s presence to be the direct intervention of God. The presence of the Zouaves and Battery F was enough to convince the southerners to halt, reform, and move in unison.

Charles Collis (left)

Charles Collis in August 1864, after his promotion to general.  Collis earned the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Fredericksburg.

Confederate Gen. Richard Taylor then got his entire Louisiana Brigade on line – save Wheat’s Battalion, who were in the act of looting.  The Louisianans headed toward the small Federal detachment on the heights around Belle Grove. One Confederate soldier recalled seeing “a body of Federals – cavalry, artillery, and infantry, with some wagons. Their number was unknown, and for a moment they looked threatening.” Hampton’s guns delivered a salvo of rounds into the midst of the southerners, knocking men down at every discharge.  As the attackers got closer, Hampton switched over to canister, which checked the Confederates long enough for the Federal detachment to safely get across Cedar Creek and for Capt. Abert to finally burn the bridge. The Federals fell back to Strasburg and formed in the works on Hupp’s Hill. Capt. Collis recalled his men were determined “to make a final struggle.”  Another Union soldier noted, “Well do I remember those moments of suspense as our little band of perhaps three hundred men, representing all branches of the army, were gathered in the earth works. Each and every man was aware that nothing he could do would prevent our capture, but we were anxious to make a show of resistance. Fortunately no final stand was ever needed, as the rebels did not fully pursue.”

Having already lost two hours to this delaying action, Jackson turned his men north in pursuit of what he now understood to be Bank’s army.  For the Federals, the small action had served its purpose, buying the precious Union wagons an hour to get ahead of the Confederate columns. In addition, the Zouaves had managed to outfox Jackson himself. Their appearance behind the Confederates had made it appear that the Federal army was still coming down the valley from the south, drawing Jackson’s brigades in that direction, allowing Banks and the wagons a critical head start.

Now behind enemy lines, the Zouave d’ Afrique were forced to take a wide detour in order to get to safety.  Led by Capt. Abert, the command swung west from Strasburg to the Cedar Creek Turnpike, then took back roads to the Romney Pike; on May 26 they crossed the Potomac to safety at Hancock Maryland.  (Banks himself would again be decisively defeated at First Winchester on May 25, but succeeded in getting most of his army and wagons safely across the Potomac.)

The “First Battle of Cedar Creek” showed how a small, well-disciplined unit with solid leadership could preform miracles in the face of a much larger force.  None of the Philadelphians would forget this day, and the Zouaves d’ Afrique would inspire the creation of an entire regiment of which they would hold the post of honor as Company A. They would go on to serve in the war’s largest battles, earning a reputation as one of the Civil War’s greatest regiments.