but was repulsed. Having damaged the telegraph lines in the area, Jackson abandoned the attempt to take Hancock on January 7 and withdrew. The exchanges of artillery fire had caused little damage. The National Park Service estimates that the two sides combined suffered about 25 casualties during the fighting. Aftermath and preservation The Confederate retreat was made difficult due to low wind chills and the failure to properly shoe the command's horses before the campaign. After halting at Unger's Store, Virginia on the night of January 7/8, Jackson learned that Union forces from Brigadier General Benjamin F. Kelley's command had defeated a Confederate outpost at Blue's Gap as a diversion in support of Lander. While Jackson was informed of the Union withdrawal from Blue's Gap after the fight, he viewed it as possible that the Union forces at Romney posed a threat to Winchester, Virginia and decided to move against Romney. Poor weather kept Jackson's force stuck at Unger's Store until January 13, but the Confederates then advanced to Romney, which was evacuated by the Union soldiers on January 15. Jackson relocated to Winchester with the Stonewall Brigade, while leaving Loring to hold Romney. Loring complained to the Confederate government about Jackson's handling of the campaign and being left in an isolated area with his troops while Jackson was in Winchester, and Confederate Secretary of War Judah P. Benjamin ordered Romney evacuated on January 30. Jackson resigned over the affair but was talked into rescinding the resignation by Governor of Virginia John Letcher. Loring received a promotion and was transferred out of the region. A unit of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is located along the Potomac near Hancock, and includes several signs commemorating the battle. The town of Hancock and the Confederate artillery positions can also be seen from the site. Hancock held commemorative events for the battle from January 5 through 7th, 2012. The battlefield is divided by US Route 522, although many of the battlefield features are still intact, including two churches damaged during the fighting. None of the battlefield has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, although a 2010 study by the American Battlefield Protection Program determined that may be eligible for listing. About of the battlefield are owned through protective stewardship, including tracts owned by the National Park Service and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. References Sources Battles