Editing Nathaniel P. Banks (section)

===Northern Virginia Campaign===
{{main|Northern Virginia Campaign}}
[[File:GenNPBanks.jpg|thumb|right|Banks in his military uniform, c. 1861 (portrait by [[Mathew Brady]])]]
In July, Maj. Gen [[John Pope (general)|John Pope]] was placed in command of the newly-formed [[Army of Virginia]], which consisted of the commands of Banks, [[Irvin McDowell]], and [[Franz Sigel]]. By early August this force was in [[Culpeper County, Virginia|Culpeper County]]. Pope gave Banks an ambiguous series of orders, directing him south of [[Culpeper, Virginia|Culpeper]] to determine enemy strength, hold a fortified defensive position, and to engage the enemy. Banks showed none of the caution he had displayed against Stonewall Jackson in the Valley campaign, and moved to meet a larger force. Confederates he faced were numerically stronger and held, particularly around [[Cedar Mountain, Virginia|Cedar Mountain]], the high ground.  After an artillery duel began the August 9 [[Battle of Cedar Mountain]] he ordered a [[flanking maneuver]] on the Confederate right. Bank's bold attack seemed close to breaking in the Confederate line, and might have given him a victory if he had committed his reserves in a timely manner.  Only excellent commanding by the Confederates at the crucial moment of the battle and the fortuitous arrival of Hill allowed their numerical superiority to tell.{{sfn|McPherson|1988}}{{page needed|date=April 2025}} Banks thought the battle one of the "best fought"; one of his officers thought it an act of folly by an incompetent general."{{sfn|Work|2012|p=69}}

The arrival at the end of the day of Union reinforcements under Pope, as well as the rest of Jackson's men, resulted in a two-day stand-off there, with the Confederates finally withdrawing from Cedar Mountain on August 11. Stonewall Jackson observed that Banks's men fought well, and Lincoln also expressed confidence in his leadership.{{Sfn|Harrington|1948|p=84}} During the [[Second Battle of Bull Run]], Banks was stationed with his corps at Bristoe Station and did not participate in the battle.{{Sfn|Hollandsworth|1998|p=81}}{{Sfn|Harrington|1948|p=85}} Afterwards, the corps was integrated into the Army of the Potomac as the [[XII Corps (Union army)|XII Corps]] and marched north with the main army during the Confederate invasion of Maryland. On September 12, Banks was abruptly relieved of command.