His first personal command in battle was at Rich Mountain, which he also won, but only after displaying a strong sense of caution and a reluctance to commit reserve forces that would be his hallmark for the rest of his career.
Hans første personlige ledelse af et slag var ved Rich Mountain, hvor han også vandt, men kun efter at have viste en forsigtighed og en tøven overfor at indsætte reservestyrker, noget der ville kendetegne ham i resten af hans karriere.