Marching his 17,000 troops rapidly over long distances, he defeated superior Union forces at Front Royal, Winchester, Cross Keys, and Port Republic. In the spring of 1862, Jackson ordered a vigorous offensive that diverted thousands of Federal troops from their massive advance against the Confederate capital at Richmond. With the US General. George B. McClellan advancing on Richmond with about 100,000 soldiers, Jackson had orders to cause a strategic distraction in the Shenandoah Valley. Using aggressive tactics and knowledge of the Valley's terrain, Jackson fought and beat several Federal commanders up and down the Valley from late March to early June. The Federals' retreat from Shenandoah Valley let Jackson's army join Gen. Robert E. Lee's besieged army near the Confederate capital at