Editing Nathaniel P. Banks (section)

===Shenandoah Valley Campaign===
{{main|Jackson's Valley Campaign|Peninsula Campaign}}
[[File:230 West Boscawen Street.jpg|thumb|Banks' headquarters in Winchester, Virginia, during the Civil War]]
Banks's division technically belonged to [[George McClellan]] despite serving as an independent command in the Shenandoah Valley. On March 14, 1862, President Lincoln issued an executive order forming all troops in McClellan's department into corps. Banks thus became a corps commander, in charge of his own former division, now commanded by Brig. Gen [[Alpheus Williams]], and the division of Brig. Gen [[James Shields (politician, born 1806)|James Shields]], which was added to Banks's command. After [[Stonewall Jackson]] was turned back at the [[First Battle of Kernstown]] on March 23, Banks was instead ordered to pursue Jackson up the valley, to prevent him from reinforcing the defenses of [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]].  When Banks's men reached the southern Valley at the end of a difficult supply line, the president recalled them to [[Strasburg, Virginia|Strasburg]], at the northern end.{{sfn|Work|2012|pp=58–59}} Jackson then marched rapidly down the adjacent Luray Valley, and encountered some of Banks' forces in the [[Battle of Front Royal]] on May 23. This prompted Banks to withdraw to [[Winchester, Virginia|Winchester]], where Jackson [[First Battle of Winchester|again attacked]] on May 25. The Union forces were poorly arrayed in defense, and retreated in disorder across the [[Potomac River]] and back into Maryland.{{sfn|Work|2012|pp=60–61}}  An attempt to capture Jackson's forces in a pincer movement (with forces led by [[John Frémont]] and [[Irvin McDowell]]) failed, and Jackson was able to reinforce Richmond. Banks was criticized for mishandling his troops and performing inadequate reconnaissance in the campaign,{{sfn|Work|2012|pp=61–63}} while his political allies sought to pin the blame for the debacle on the War Department.{{Sfn|Harrington|1948|p=79}}