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Not only does Jackson's Chase offer great golf in a beautiful
setting, it also offers history. As our name implies, Confederate forces under the command of Lieutenant General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson began a pursuit of Major General Nathaniel P. Banks' fleeing Union forces from the area around the golf course. Jackson's "chase" of Banks culminated in the First Battle of Winchester on May 25, 1862.

The action around the golf course was part of a string of battles between Confederate forces under Jackson and several different Union armies in what has come to be known as "Jackson's Valley Campaign." This campaign has been recognized by many historians as a tactical masterpiece for Jackson and a decisive strategic victory for the Confederacy. During this campaign, Jackson expertly used the geography of the Shenandoah Valley to his advantage and succeeded in befuddling over 60,000 Union troops with his small 17,000 man army. Jackson's victories in the Shenandoah created confusion among the leaders of the Union, including President Abraham Lincoln himself, who believed Stonewall to be a viable threat to the Union capital, Washington, D.C. In his concern for the capital's safety, Lincoln diverted troops away from Union Major General George B. McClellan's invasion on the Virginia peninsula, forcing the Union to alter its strategy mid-campaign. The situation that faced Jackson on May 24, 1862 was very favorable. His troops had completely surprised and routed a small detachment of Banks' army garrisoned at Front Royal on the day before. In addition to capturing the Union garrison at Front Royal, Jackson had also captured the bridges over the Shenandoah River west of the town. Also, Confederate cavalry troopers in advance of Jackson's force had successfully severed communications between Front Royal and Banks' headquarters at Strasburg. This meant that Banks was cut off from discovering that Jackson was in force in Front Royal, but it also meant that Banks might be suspicious and try to escape with his outnumbered force, either north to Winchester via the Valley Turnpike, or east by the Manassas Gap railroad. Whichever way Banks went, Jackson wanted to exploit his numerical advantage over Banks and smash him.Jackson made his headquarters in the small hamlet of Cedarville along the Reliance Road. Early on the morning of May 24, 1862, Jackson received intelligence from his cavalry scouts that Banks was trying to escape Strasburg northward along the Valley Turnpike (now Route 11). What ensued can best be described as a chase. Jackson wanted to catch Banks while his Union forces were strung out along the Valley Turnpike between Strasburg and Winchester and time was of the essence. Jackson deployed his brigades from the area surrounding the golf course. Jackson sent one brigade under the command of Richard Ewell northward along Plank Road (US 522) to Winchester. Jackson led the second brigade westward along Reliance Road (Rt 627) to Middletown. Unfortunately, Jackson's intelligence came too late, and the bulk of Banks' forces made it safely to Winchester, although there was some sharp action between Jackson's forward elements and Banks' rear guard along the Valley Pike north of Middletown. There was also some intense skirmishing between Jackson's cavalry and Banks' forces north of Newtown (Stephens City).The following day, Jackson pursued and attacked Banks at Winchester. This battle was a decisive victory for Jackson and gave him complete control of the Shenandoah Valley (if only temporarily). It also triggered President Lincoln to pull 40,000 troops away from the Union's ongoing Peninsula Campaign to deal with Jackson in the Valley. Jackson's tactical brilliance in the Shenandoah Valley resulted in a strategic victory for the Confederacy and it's military leader, Robert E. Lee, who now had more breathing room to defend the Confederate capital at Richmond. If you would like to know more about Jackson's Valley Campaign, we suggest Stonewall in the Valley by Robert G. Tanner, 1996. It is published by Stackpole Books.