Jackson was grossly outnumbered, and surrounded on multiple sides. He deliberately delayed his withdrawal until the last possible moment, in order to divert attention from Johnson's Confederate Army. He also delayed, crucially, in order to let a wagon train of captured union supplies get a head start, and the supplies all reached their destination.
The Union tried to cut off his retreat, and Jackson fought his way out, against long odds. He forced the retreat of McClellan, which is said to have prolonged the war by 3 years. In the process, he marched his troops 646 miles over 48 days to join the Seven Days Battle.
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