Discord in the Confederate Camp

The make-up of Lander's command through the period covered by the B & O WINTER is much less clear than his Confederate counterparts. Major General Thomas J. Jackson's Valley District was composed of his "Stonewall Brigade," a few batteries, the 7th Virginia Cavalry, and a three militia "brigades." To launch a campaign against the B & O and re-take Romney, Jackson requested support from the Army of the Northwest operating to his southwest against Rosecrans' Department of West Virginia. Brigadier General William W. Loring not only sent three brigades of infantry, but accompanied them himself. 

Brig. Gen. William W. Loring; No friend of Jackson.

Jackson was not amused with the actions of Loring and his command.

Jackson envisioned and led what would be called the Romney Campaign, Romney Expedition, or Bath-Romney Campaign of January 1862, but the majority of the infantry in the campaign came from Loring's Army of the Northwest. To make a long story short, relations between the two commanders and their commands were strained. It developed into what is has become known as the Loring-Jackson incident, which affected the course of later campaigns because of re-assignments as a result of it.

Although Loring was transferred out of the east and no court martial took place, Jackson had made formal charges against him:

More on the incident will appear in later posts. The B & O WINTER Command simulation is still under development. I am not sure yet whether Brig. Gen. Loring will appear in the simulation personally, or I will take an "alternative history" approach and just put the three brigades from the Army of the Northwest directly under Jackson's command.