“Two years ago today I fought my first battle.”

In Philip’s diary entry for June 8, 1864, he mentions the day as the second anniversary of his first battle, the Battle of Cross Keys. Unfortunately, he doesn't elaborate other than to say "A day to be remembered by me."

Source: Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District

The Battle of Cross Keys took place on June 8, 1862 in Rockingham County, Virginia and was a key victory for the Confederate army during Confederate Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Confederate forces under the command of Richard Ewell held off a larger Union army led by General John C. Fremont, allowing the Confederate troops to move south and reinforce Robert E. Lee at the Seven Days Battles.

In late May 1862, Abraham Lincoln had set a trap hoping to capture General Stonewall Jackson and his army. Jackson was near Winchester, Virginia in the Northern Shenandoah Valley and was in danger of being cut off by two Union armies moving into the valley south of his position.

Lincoln ordered General Frémont, with approximately 11,500 troops to move east into the valley. At the same time, Union troops under General James Shields converged into the valley from Central Virginia. Due to poor roads, Frémont was unable to follow Lincoln’s orders and marched his army into the valley by an indirect route. This gave Jackson extra time, enabling him to march his troops faster on the paved Valley Pike, pass through the planned Union rendezvous, and escape the trap.

 

Source:  Jackson’s Valley Campaign: Front Royal to Port Republic

Both Union troops continued to chase Jackson south into the Shenandoah Valley with Fremont’s troops on the west side of Massanutten Mountain and Shield’s troops on the east side of the mountain. Jackson used the mountain to his advantage to keep the Union troops separated. Jackson's troops controlled the bridges across the Shenandoah River near the town of Port Republic and used this advantage to turn and fight each of the Union armies separately. The Confederate division under the command of General Richard Ewell overlooked the crossroads at Cross Keys and blocked the road leading General Fremont’s army to Port Republic.

Despite outnumbering the Confederates by 2:1, General Fremont remained cautious and committed his army piecemeal without a solid plan, using his artillery to shell Confederate lines throughout the day. General Ewell had deployed his men in a strong position and patiently awaited attack and used his reserves effectively in response to Union attacks. Ewell’s division held off Frémont’s advance and in the pre-dawn hours of June 9th, began marching the rest of his men to join Jackson near Port Republic. By the time Frémont advanced in the morning, the Confederate troops had slipped away and burned the remaining bridge over the North River, isolating Frémont’s army away from Jackson and preventing a rendezvous with Shield’s forces.

Frémont’s Army lost 684 casualties, while the Confederates lost 288.

During the battle, Philip’s battery, Battery C, West Virginia Light Artillery was part of the First Brigade under the command of Brigadier General Julius Stahel.

Sources:

National Park Service - Battle of Cross Keys

Other than the brief mention of the Battle of Cross Keys, as the diary excerpt below shows, Philip's days at the beginning of June 1864 were filled with routine military duty.

 _____________

JUNE 4^TH

Drilled this morning. Cleaned for inspection. Went to the river. Took a bath.  Wrote a letter. And that was my occupations for the day.

JUNE 5^TH

The militia is all going to the front. Was detailed for guard duty on the fort. Had Sunday morning inspection. No news from the front of anything worth being mentioned.

JUNE 6^TH

Was on guard all day. No news from the front. Very hot weather. The 142^nd Ohio Militia left for the front.

JUNE 7^TH

Was on fatigue duty all day. This evening we had a grand dress parade of all the troops at the post. 

JUNE 8^TH

Had a drill this morning. Went fishing. Two years ago this day I fought my first battle. The Battle of Cross Keys under General Fremont. A day to be remembered by me. We missed the dress parade this evening and our corporal got a reprimand from the major.