▁har sh ▁winter ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 1 – 6 2 . ▁The ▁weather ▁was ▁bitter ▁snow ▁was ▁often ▁kne e ▁deep , ▁something ▁the ▁southern ▁soldiers , ▁mainly ▁from ▁Georgia ▁and ▁Virginia , ▁were ▁not ▁acc ustom ed ▁to . ▁The ▁to ll ▁on ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁troops ▁was ▁brut al . ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁subsequent ▁Battle ▁of ▁Mc D ow ell ▁in ▁High land ▁County ▁( May ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ) ▁Johnson , ▁by ▁then ▁promoted ▁to ▁General , ▁had ▁roughly ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁men ▁station ed ▁at ▁Camp ▁Al leg hen y ▁in ▁P oc ah ont as ▁County , ▁but ▁his ▁effective ▁strength ▁was ▁only ▁ 2 , 7 8 4 , ▁as ▁nearly ▁ 1 , 2 0 0 ▁men ▁were ▁sick ▁or ▁un available . ▁▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Camp ▁Al leg hen y , ▁Johnson ▁also ▁knew ▁that ▁the ▁post ▁was ▁vulner able ▁to ▁being ▁fl ank ed , ▁and ▁believed ▁that ▁ ▁Sh en ando ah ▁Mountain , ▁ 4 0 ▁miles ▁to ▁the ▁sout heast , ▁was ▁a ▁better ▁position ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁Sta un ton ▁to ▁Parker burg s ▁Pi ke ▁and ▁the ▁approaches ▁to ▁the ▁Sh en ando ah ▁Valley . ▁Com b ined ▁with ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁men ▁in ▁the ▁har sh ▁mountain ▁winter ▁and ▁the ▁log ist ical ▁challeng es ▁of ▁keeping ▁the ▁remote ▁mountain ▁post ▁effectively