Atlas of Battles

battle, nineteenth century

Battle of McDowell

Battle of McDowell was a battle fought on 8 May 1862 at Highland County, in what is now Virginia, United States. It was part of the American Civil War, which ran from 1861 to 1865. The recorded result: Confederate victory. Recorded strength: 6,0006,500 against 6,0009,000.

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Fought8 May 1862
WhereHighland County, Virginia, United States38.325N, 79.475W
OutcomeConfederate victory
BelligerentsUnited States (Union)againstCSA (Confederacy)
Casualties and losses256259and500532
Battlefield todayMcdowell battlefieldNPS site VA102, 12,070 acres studied, 3,663 core
Part ofAmerican Civil War1861 to 1865

Where it sits in the American Civil War

Battle of Fort Sumter, 1861Siege of Lexington, 1861Battle of Cheat Mountain, 1861Battle of Canada Alamosa, 1861Battle of Pensacola, 1861Battle of Gloucester Point, 1861Battle of Sewell's Point, 1861Battle of Aquia Creek, 1861Battle of Fairfax Court House, 1861Battle of Arlington Mills, 1861Battle of Philippi, 1861Battle of Pig Point, 1861Battle of Big Bethel, 1861Battle of Boonville, 1861Battle of Cole Camp, 1861Battle of Mathias Point, 1861Battle of Hoke's Run, 1861Engagement near Carthage, 1861Battle of Rich Mountain, 1861Battle of Corrick's Ford, 1861Battle of Scary Creek, 1861Battle of Blackburn's Ford, 1861First Battle of Bull Run, 1861First Battle of Mesilla, 1861Siege of Tubac, 1861Battle of Cookes Canyon, 1861Battle of the Florida Mountains, 1861Battle of Athens, 1861Battle of Wilson's Creek, 1861Battle of Charleston, 1861Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries, 1861Battle of Dry Wood Creek, 1861Battle of Carnifex Ferry, 1861Battle of Lewinsville, 1861Action at Blue Mills Landing, 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Lebanon, 1862Battle of Eltham's Landing, 1862Battle of McDowell, 1862Second Battle of Dragoon Springs, 1862Battle of Plum Point Bend, 1862Battle of Drewry's Bluff, 1862Battle of Princeton Court House, 1862Battle of Pigeon Roost, 1862Battle of Whitney's Lane, 1862Capture of Tucson, 1862Battle of Front Royal, 1862Battle of Lewisburg, 1862First Battle of Winchester, 1862Battle of Hanover Court House, 1862First Battle of Pocotaligo, 1862Battle of Seven Pines, 1862Battle of Tranter's Creek, 1862First Battle of Memphis, 1862Battle of Good's Farm, 1862First Battle of Chattanooga, 1862Battle of Cross Keys, 1862Battle of Port Republic, 1862Battle of James Island, 1862Battle of Saint Charles, 1862Battle of St. Charles, 1862Battle of the Cumberland Gap, 1862Battle of Simmon's Bluff, 1862Seven Days Battles, 1862Battle of Oak Grove, 1862Battle of Beaver Dam Creek, 1862Battle of Gaines's Mill, 1862Battle of Garnett's & Golding's Farm, 1862Battle of Savage's Station, 1862Battle of Glendale, 1862Battle of White Oak Swamp, 1862Battle of Tampa, 1862Peninsula Campaign, 1862Battle of Malvern Hill, 1862Second Battle of Mesilla, 1862Battle of Booneville, 1862Battle of Cotton Plant, 1862First Battle of Murfreesboro, 1862Battle of Apache Pass, 1862Battle of Moore's Mill, 1862Battle of Baton Rouge, 1862Battle of Kirksville, 1862Battle of Cedar Mountain, 1862First Battle of Donaldsonville, 1862First Battle of Independence, 1862Battle of Compton's Ferry, 1862Battle of Yellow Creek, 1862Confederate Heartland Offensive, 1862First Battle of Rappahannock Station, 1862Manassas Station Operations, 1862Battle of Thoroughfare Gap, 1862Northern Virginia Campaign, 1862Battle of Chantilly, 1862Battle of Britton's Lane, 1862Battle of Mile Hill, 1862Battle of Riggins Hill, 1862Battle of Fayetteville, 1862Battle of Harpers Ferry, 1862Defense of Cincinnati, 1862Battle of Munfordville, 1862Battle of Crampton's Gap, 1862Battle of Shepherdstown, 1862Battle of Iuka, 1862Battle of Augusta, 1862First Battle of Newtonia, 1862Second Battle of Corinth, 1862Joint Expedition Against Franklin, 1862Battle of Galveston Harbor, 1862Battle of Hatchie Bridge, 1862Battle of Perryville, 1862Battle of Old Fort Wayne, 1862Battle of Pocotaligo, 1862Battle of Georgia Landing, 1862Skirmish at Island Mound, 1862Battle of Unison, 1862Battle of Clark's Mill, 1862Sinking Creek Raid, 1862Battle of Cane Hill, 1862Battle of Coffeeville, 1862Battle of Prairie Grove, 1862Battle of Hartsville, 1862Battle of White Hall, 1862Battle of Goldsboro Bridge, 1862Battle of Lexington, Tennessee, 1862Battle of Jackson, Tennessee, 1862Van Buren raid, 1862Capture of Van Buren, 1862Vicksburg Campaign, 1862Battle of Stones River, 1862Battle of Parker's Cross Roads, 1862Battle of Arkansas Post, 1863Battle of Galveston, 1863Second Battle of Winchester, 1863Knoxville Campaign, 1863Battle of Williamsport, 1863Battle of Fort McAllister, 1863Fight at Monterey Pass, 1863Stoneman's 1863 Raid, 1863Battle of Chalk Bluff, 1863Battle 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582 placed engagements of the American Civil War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date8 May 1862
PlaceHighland County, Virginia, United States
38.325N, 79.475W
KindBattle, nineteenth century
Strength6,0006,5006,0009,000
Casualties and losses256259500532
Commanders
  • Robert H. Milroy
  • Robert C. Schenck
Battle of McDowellBattle of McDowellJones-Imboden RaidBattle of Camp AlleghenyBattle of Greenbrier RiverJones-Imboden RaidBattle of Camp AlleghenyBattle of Greenbrier River20 km38.325N, 79.475W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. The dashed outline is the battlefield study area mapped by the NPS American Battlefield Protection Program. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.
Sketch of the battle of McDowell on Thursday, May 8th, 1862 (Jackson)
Sketch of the battle of McDowell on Thursday, May 8th, 1862 (Jackson), 1862. Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division; no known restrictions on publication.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1862

The National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program maps this as the Mcdowell battlefield (site VA102): a study area of 12,070 acres, with a core area of 3,663 acres where the fighting was concentrated; 12,070 acres retain enough integrity to be potentially eligible for the National Register.

Battle of McDowell is one of 3,694 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 1,264 in present-day United States (185 in Virginia).

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q855913, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of McDowell, revision 1370449390, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Battlefield boundary and area from the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program (public domain). Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.