On 5 January 1862, the regiment was engaged at the Blue's Gap Affair. On 23 March, it was at Kernstown, the opening battle of Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley. The battle was a Union victory, later proving to be Jackson's only defeat in the war. The last battle of Jackson's Valley Campaign was the Battle of Port Republic, which took place on 9 June. Here, the Seventh fought very effectively. With less than three thousand muskets, Jackson's force of fourteen thousand was held at bay for five hours. The Union forces however, were finally forced to retreat.