Confederate General Robert E. Lee, on the march northward, is placing pressure on the United States Army. Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell, moving down the Shenandoah Valley in the direction of Pennsylvania, today battles a Union garrison at Winchester, Virginia. By nightfall the Confederates have effectively defeated the Union forces, who begin quietly withdrawing under the cover of nightfall. In this Second Battle of Winchester, the Confederates capture the Virginia town and take many Union prisoners captive.
Meanwhile, in Williamson County, Tennessee, rebel forces this month also gain the upper hand over their northern opponents. For three months, Confederate cavalry have been testing Union strength in and around the village of Triune. This month, Nathan Bedford Forrest’s forces finally breach Union lines. The skirmishing has devastating consequences for the small community, as both the Baptist and Methodist churches — among other buildings and homes — are destroyed by fire during the military action.
The victories further advance Confederate momentum as summer looms.
Sources: “Second Battle of Winchester” (link); Triune, Tennessee (link); “The War at Triune: Another Fight at Triune the Rebels Repulsed,” New York Times, June 14, 1863 (link)
