Valley Campaigns of 1864

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Valley Campaigns of 1864

The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley

Shenandoah Valley

The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bound to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River and to the south by the James River ....
of Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
from May to October 1864. Military historians divide this period into three separate campaigns, but it is useful to consider the three together and how they interacted.

he beginning of 1864, Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant , was an United States general and the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States ....
was promoted to lieutenant general

Lieutenant General (United States)

In the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, lieutenant general is a 3 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
and given command of all Union

Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
armies.

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Encyclopedia

The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War

American Civil War

Shenandoah Valley

Virginia

Background

At the beginning of 1864, Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Lieutenant General (United States)

Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
armies. He chose to make his headquarters with the Army of the Potomac

Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, although Maj. Gen.

Major General

Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. A Major General is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant General and senior to the ranks of Brigadier and Brigadier General....
George G. Meade remained the actual commander of that army. He left Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman

William Tecumseh Sherman

William Tecumseh Sherman was an United States soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched earth" policies that he implemente...
in command of most of the western armies. Grant understood the concept of total war

Total war

Total war is a war of unlimited scope in which a belligerent engages in a mobilization of all available Factors of productions at their disposal, whether human, industrial, agricultural, military, natural, technological, or otherwise, in order to entirely destroy or render beyond use their rival's capacity to continue resistance....
and believed, along with Sherman and President

President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States. He successfully led the country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery....
, that only the utter defeat of Confederate

Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
forces and their economic base would bring an end to the war. Therefore, scorched earth

Scorched earth

A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area....
tactics would be required in some important theaters. He devised a coordinated strategy that would strike at the heart of Confederacy from multiple directions: Grant, Meade, and Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler

Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)

Benjamin Franklin Butler was an Law of the United States and Politics of the United States who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as governor of Massachusetts....
against Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
's Army of Northern Virginia

Army of Northern Virginia

The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
near Richmond

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county....
; Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel

Franz Sigel

Franz Sigel was a German military officer and immigrant to the United States who was a teacher, newspaperman, politician, and served as a Union Army Major general in the American Civil War....
to invade the Shenandoah Valley and destroy Lee's supply lines; Sherman to invade Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
and capture Atlanta; Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks to capture Mobile, Alabama

Mobile, Alabama

Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern United States United States state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama....
.

Three Valley Campaigns of 1864

Lynchburg Campaign (May – June 1864)

The first campaign started with Grant's planned invasion by Sigel. Sigel was in command of the Department of West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a U.S. state in the Appalachian, Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia on the southeast, Kentucky on the southwest, Ohio on the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland on the northeast....
, and his orders from Grant were to move "up the Valley" (i.e., southwest to the higher elevations) with 10,000 men to destroy the railroad center at Lynchburg, Virginia

Lynchburg, Virginia

Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 71,282 at the 2007 United States Census. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River , Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills", "The Hill City" and sometimes described as "A City Unto Itself" mostly in ref...
.

Battle of New Market

Battle of New Market

The Battle of New Market was a battle fought on May 15, 1864, in Virginia during Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War. Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute fought alongside the Confederate Army and forced Union army General Franz Sigel and his army out of the Shenandoah Valley....
(May 15)

Sigel was intercepted by 4,000 troops and cadets from the Virginia Military Institute

Virginia Military Institute

The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest State university system military academy and one of six Senior Military College in the United States....
under Confederate Maj. Gen. John C. Breckenridge and defeated. He retreated to Strasburg, Virginia

Strasburg, Virginia

Strasburg is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, Virginia, United States, that was founded in 1761 by Peter Stover. It is the largest community, population-wise, in the county and known for its pottery, antiques, and civil war history....
, and was replaced by Maj. Gen. David Hunter

David Hunter

David Hunter was a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He achieved fame by his unauthorized 1862 order emancipating slaves in three Southern states and as the president of the military commission trying the conspirators involved with the assassination of President of the United States Abraham Lincoln....
, who later burned VMI in retaliation for the actions of the VMI cadets.

Battle of Piedmont

The Battle of Piedmont was one of the early battles in the Valley Campaigns of 1864. Following Major General#United States Franz Sigel's defeat at Battle of New Market on May 15, 1864, Union forces under Maj....
(June 5 – June 6)

Hunter resumed the Union offensive and defeated William E. "Grumble" Jones

William E. Jones

William Edmondson Jones, known as Grumble Jones, was a planter, a career United States Army officer, and a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer, killed in the American Civil War....
, who was killed in the battle. Hunter occupied Staunton, Virginia

Staunton, Virginia

Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County, Virginia in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,853 as of the United States Census 2000....
.

Battle of Lynchburg

The Battle of Lynchburg was a battle that took place during the American Civil War. The battle took place in Lynchburg, Virginia on the days of June 17 and 18, 1864....
(June 17 – June 18)

Hunter was foiled in his plan to destroy railroads, canals, and hospitals in Lynchburg when initial units under Jubal A. Early arrived. Hunter, short on supplies, retreated back through West Virginia.

Early's Raid and operations against the B&O Railroad (June – August 1864)

Robert E. Lee was concerned about Hunter's advances in the Valley, which threatened critical railroad lines and provisions for the Virginia-based Confederate forces. He sent Jubal Early's corps to sweep Union forces from the Valley and, if possible, to menace Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
, hoping to compel Grant to dilute his forces against Lee around Petersburg, Virginia

Petersburg, Virginia

Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and 23 miles south of Richmond, Virginia. The population was 33,740 as of the United States Census 2000....
. Early was operating in the shadow of Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, whose 1862 Valley Campaign

Valley Campaign

The Valley Campaign was Confederate States Army Major General Stonewall Jackson brilliant spring 1862 campaign through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia during the American Civil War....
against superior forces was fabled in Confederate history. Early got off to a good start. He drove down the Valley without opposition, bypassed Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, West Virginia. It is situated at the confluence of the Potomac River and Shenandoah Rivers where the U.S....
, crossed the Potomac River

Potomac River

The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic Ocean coast of the United States. The river is approximately 383 statute miles long, with a Drainage basin of about 14,700 square miles ....
, and advanced into Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
. Grant dispatched a corps under Horatio G. Wright and other troops under George Crook

George Crook

George Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars....
to reinforce Washington and pursue Early.

Battle of Monocacy Junction (July 9)

Also known as the Battle of Monocacy. Early defeated a smaller force under Lew Wallace

Lew Wallace

Lewis "Lew" Wallace was a lawyer, governor, Union Army general in the American Civil War, United States statesman, and author, best remembered for his historical novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ....
near Frederick, Maryland

Frederick, Maryland

Frederick is a city in west-central Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Frederick County, Maryland, the largest county by area in the State of Maryland....
, but this battle delayed his progress enough to allow time for reinforcing the defenses of Washington.

Battle of Fort Stevens

The Battle of Fort Stevens was an American Civil War battle fought on July 11 and July 12 in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 between forces under Confederate States Army Lieutenant General Jubal Anderson Early and Union General Horatio Wright....
(July 11 – July 12)

Early attacked a fort on the northwest defensive perimeter of Washington without success and withdrew back to Virginia.

Heaton's Crossroads

Heaton's Crossroads, also known as the Purcellville Wagon Raid, was a American Civil War skirmish that took place between Federal cavalry under General Alfred N....
(July 16)

Union cavalry attacked Early's supply trains as the Confederates withdrew across the Loudoun Valley

Loudoun Valley

The Loudoun Valley is a small, but historically significant valley located in Loudoun County, Virginia in northwestern Virginia in the United States....
towards the Blue Ridge Mountains

Blue Ridge Mountains

The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a Physiographic regions of the world of the larger Appalachian Mountains division. The province consists of the Northern and Southern physiographic sections, which divide near the Roanoke River gap....
. Several small cavalry skirmishes occurred throughout the day as the Federals continued to try and harass Early's column.

Battle of Cool Spring

The Battle of Cool Spring, also known as Snicker's Gap, Island Ford, Parker's Ford, and Snicker's Ferry, was a battle in the American Civil War fought in Clarke County, Virginia, Virginia, between July 17 and July 18, 1864, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864....
(July 17 – July 18)

Also known as Snicker's Ferry. Early attacked and repulsed pursuing Union forces under Wright.

Battle of Rutherford's Farm

The Battle of Rutherford's Farm, also known as Carter's Farm and Stephenson's Depot, was a small engagement between Confederate States Army forces under Major General#United States Stephen D....
(July 20)

A Union division attacked a Confederate division under Stephen Dodson Ramseur

Stephen Dodson Ramseur

Stephen Dodson Ramseur was one of the youngest Confederate States Army General officers in the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded in battle at the Battle of Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah Valley....
and routed it. Early withdrew his army south to Fisher's Hill, near Winchester, Virginia

Winchester, Virginia

Second Battle of Kernstown

Battle of Kernstown II

The Second Battle of Kernstown was fought on July 24, 1864, at Kernstown, Virginia outside Winchester, Virginia, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War....
(July 24)

Wright withdrew, thinking Early was no longer a threat. Early attacked him to prevent or delay his return to Grant's forces besieging Petersburg. Union troops were routed, streaming through the streets of Winchester. Early pursued and burned Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Chambersburg is a Borough in the South Central Pennsylvania region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley....
, along the way in retaliation for Hunter's previous destruction in the Valley.

Battle of Folck's Mill

The Battle of Folck's Mill, also known as the Battle of Cumberland, was a small cavalry battle fought August 1, 1864, in northern Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War....
(August 1)

Also known as the Battle of Cumberland. An inconclusive small cavalry

Cavalry

The Cavalry is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat, it represents the mobility and offensive power of the armed forces....
battle in Maryland.

Battle of Moorefield

The Battle of Moorefield was a cavalry battle in the American Civil War, which took place on August 7, 1864, at Moorefield, West Virginia, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864....
(August 7)

Also known as the Battle of Oldfields. Confederate cavalry returning from the Chambersburg burning were ambushed and defeated by Union cavalry.

Sheridan's Valley Campaign (August – October 1864)

Grant finally lost patience with Early, particularly his burning of Chambersburg, and knew that Washington remained vulnerable if Early was still on the loose. He found a new commander aggressive enough to defeat Early: Philip Sheridan

Philip Sheridan

Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to Major general and his close association with Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
, the cavalry commander of the Army of the Potomac, who was given command of all forces in the area, calling them the Army of the Shenandoah

Army of the Shenandoah (Union)

The Army of the Shenandoah was a Union army army during the American Civil War. First organized in 1861 and then disbanded, it is best known for its recreation in 1864 under Philip Sheridan....
. Sheridan initially started slowly, primarily because the impending presidential election of 1864 demanded a cautious approach, avoiding any disaster that might lead to the defeat of Abraham Lincoln.

Battle of Guard Hill

Battle of Guard Hill

The Battle of Guard Hill took place on August 16, 1864, in Warren County, Virginia as part of Philip H. Sheridan's Valley Campaigns of 1864 of the American Civil War....
(August 16)

Also known as Front Royal or Cedarville. Confederate forces under Richard H. Anderson

Richard H. Anderson

Richard Heron Anderson was a career United States Army officer, fighting with distinction in the Mexican-American War. He also served as a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War....
were sent from Petersburg to reinforce Early. Brig. Gen. Wesley Merritt

Wesley Merritt

Wesley Merritt was a general in the United States Army during the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War. He is noted for distinguished service in the cavalry....
's Union cavalry division surprised the Confederate columns while they were crossing the Shenandoah River

Shenandoah River

File:Shenandoah watershed.pngThe Shenandoah River is a tributary of the Potomac River, approximately 150 mi long, in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia....
, capturing about 300. The Confederates rallied and advanced, gradually pushing back Merritt's men to Cedarville. The battle was inconclusive.

Battle of Summit Point

The Battle of Summit Point, also known as Flowing Springs or Cameron's Depot, was an inconclusive battle of the American Civil War fought on August 21, 1864, near Summit Point, WV, West Virginia....
(August 21)

Also known as Flowing Springs or Cameron's Depot. Early and Anderson struck Sheridan near Charles Town, West Virginia

Charles Town, West Virginia

Charles Town is a city in Jefferson County, West Virginia, West Virginia USA. The population was 2,907 at the 2000 census. Due to its similar name, travelers have sometimes confused this city with the state's capital, Charleston, West Virginia....
. Sheridan conducted a fighting withdrawal.

Battle of Smithfield Crossing

The Battle of Smithfield Crossing was a small battle during the American Civil War fought August 25 through August 29, 1864, in Jefferson County, West Virginia and Berkeley County, West Virginia counties in West Virginia....
(August 25 – August 29)

Two Confederate divisions crossed Opequon Creek and forced a Union cavalry division back to Charles Town.

Battle of Berryville

The Battle of Berryville was fought September 3 and September 4, 1864, in Clarke County, Virginia. After taking control of Smithfield Summit on August 29, Union Army Major General Philip H....
(September 3 – September 4)

A minor engagement in which Early attempted to stop Sheridan's march up the Valley. Early withdrew back to Opequon Creek when he realized he was in a poor position for attacking Sheridan's full force.

Battle of Opequon

}|-||}The Battle of Opequon, more commonly known as the Third Battle of Winchester, was fought in Winchester, Virginia, Virginia, on September 19, 1864, during the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War....
(September 19)

Also known as the Third Battle of Winchester. While Early had his forces dispersed, raiding the B&O Railroad, Sheridan struck near Winchester, Virginia

Winchester, Virginia

Winchester is an independent city located in the extreme northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 23,585 according to the United States Census 2000....
. Sustaining ruinous casualties, Early retreated from the largest battle in all three of the campaigns, taking up defensive positions at Fisher's Hill.

Battle of Fisher's Hill

In the Battle of Fisher's Hill, Phil Sheridan had almost 30,000 men while Jubal Anderson Early had just under 10,000. Early, following the Third Battle of Winchester took a strong position....
(September 21 – September 22)

Sheridan hit Early in an early-morning flanking attack

Flanking maneuver

In military tactics, a flanking Maneuver warfare, also called a wiktionary:flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force....
, routing the Confederates with moderate losses. Early retreated to Waynesboro, Virginia

Waynesboro, Virginia

Waynesboro, deriving its name from Anthony Wayne, is an independent city located within the confines of Augusta County, Virginia in the U.S. state of Virginia....
.

With Early damaged and pinned down, the Valley lay open to the Union. And because of Sherman's capture of Atlanta

Battle of Atlanta

The Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia....
, Lincoln's re-election now seemed assured. Sheridan pulled back slowly down the Valley and conducted a scorched earth

Scorched earth

A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area....
campaign that would presage Sherman's March to the Sea in November. The goal was to deny the Confederacy the means of feeding its armies in Virginia, and Sheridan's army did so ruthlessly, burning crops, barns, mills, and factories.

Battle of Tom's Brook

Battle of Tom's Brook

The Battle of Tom's Brook was fought on October 9, 1864, in Shenandoah County, Virginia, during Philip Sheridan's Valley Campaigns of 1864 of the American Civil War....
(October 9)

As Early began a pursuit of Sheridan, Union cavalry routed two divisions of Confederate cavalry.

Battle of Cedar Creek

The Battle of Cedar Creek, or The Battle of Belle Grove, October 19, 1864, was one of the final, and most decisive, battles in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War....
(October 19)

In a brilliant surprise attack, Early routed two thirds of the Union army, but his troops were hungry and exhausted and fell out of their ranks to pillage the Union camp; Sheridan managed to rally his troops and defeat Early decisively.

Having completing his missions of neutralizing Early and suppressing the Valley's military-related economy, Sheridan returned to assist Grant at Petersburg

Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War....
. Most of the men of Early's corps rejoined Lee at Petersburg in December, while Early remained to command a skeleton force. His final action was defeat at the Battle of Waynesboro

Battle of Waynesboro

The Battle of Waynesboro, was fought on March 2, 1865, in Augusta County, Virginia, in the American Civil War. It was the last battle for Confederate States of America lieutenant general Jubal Anderson Early, whose force was destroyed....
on March 2, 1865, after which Lee removed him from his command because the Confederate government and people had lost confidence in him.

Valley Campaigns of 1864

Background

Three Valley Campaigns of 1864

Lynchburg Campaign (May – June 1864)

Early's Raid and operations against the B&O Railroad (June – August 1864)

Sheridan's Valley Campaign (August – October 1864)

Further reading