Coming just three weeks before the presidential election, news of the victory boosted morale in the Northern states and helped carry Abraham Lincoln to a landslide reelection. Sweep the Shenandoah Valley clean and clear, Union General-in-Chief Ulysses S. Grant ordered in the late summer of 1864. Jackson paid his respects to this fortified post, by marching a large part of his forces close to it, threatening an assault, long enough to allow all the captured property at Winchester to be sent away toward Staunton, and then returned to Winchester. Sheridans instructions were to defeat Early and conduct a campaign of total warfare in the Valley. Battle of Manassas Gap (Wapping Heights), part of Confederate retreat from Gettysburg, Forces engaged: 14,000 (US 8,000; CS 6,000) The Sixth Corps marches to Ashby's Gap en route to Alexandria but is recalled by Sheridan. The Federal victory at the Battle of Cedar Creekon October 19, 1864 ended Confederate resistance in the Shenandoah Valley. Mike Pence. In my personal intercourse with him in the early part of the war, before he had become famous, he often said there were two things never to be lost sight of by a military commander: "Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy, if possible; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit so long as your men have strength to follow; for an army routed, if hotly pursued, becomes panic-stricken, and can then be destroyed by half their number. Estimated Casualties: 2,419 total (US 2,019; CS 400) In danger of being cut off, Banks abandoned Strasburg and conducted a hurried retreat northward to Winchester on May 24. Forces Engaged: 36,900 total (US 14,000; CS 22,900) Sheridan showed Grant his offensive plan. A skirmish at Hupp's Hill, north of Strasburg followed on October 13, 1864. This document was sent direct to the War Office, and the Secretary, in utter disregard of "good order and discipline," granted the request without consulting Jackson. Battle of Atlanta, (July 22, 1864), American Civil War engagement that was part of the Union 's summer Atlanta Campaign. On September 2-3, Averells cavalry division rode south from Martinsburg and struck the Confederate left flank at Bunker Hill, defeating the Confederate cavalry but being driven back by infantry. VISIT Shenandoah Valley Battlefields . Result: Confederate Victory, Forces Engaged: 4,063 total (US 1,063; CS 3,000) Gen. Ulysses S. Grant resolved to crush Confederate Gen. Jubal Earlys army and destroy the fertile Shenandoah as a military granary for Lees army. This week's NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius provided a valuable reminder that during a war, the battle for communications is as important as anything happening on the ground. As soon as the troops could be put in motion they took the road leading toward McDowell, the general having sent forward cavalry to Buffalo Gap and beyond to arrest all persons going that way. He demonstrated his capacity for command during assignments on the U.S. frontier and in. Meanwhile, Early had received reinforcements and pondered how he could successfully attack a much larger Federal force. In 1863, Robert E. Lee used the Shenandoah Valley as an avenue of invasion as he moved north and as a refuge after defeat at Gettysburg. During the burning of the Valley, the U.S. Army destroyed what they could not take: barns, mills, fields of grain, and livestock. For the second time in four days, Sheridan used the Army of the Shenandoahs' superior strength and firepower to decisively beat Early. Although Union soldiers practiced more restraint than legend or the Lost Cause credits them for, the Valley was largely burned and many of its residents made refugees. On October 28th General Johnston ordered Jackson to Winchester to assume command of his district, and on the 6th of November the War Department Ordered his old "Stonewall" brigade and six thousand troops under command of Brigadier General W. W. Loring to report to him. Forces Engaged: 12,500 total (US 6,500; CS 3,000) Shields promptly attacked him, and a severe engagement of several hours ensued, ending in Jackson's repulse about dark, followed by an orderly retreat up the Valley to near Swift Run Gap in Rockingham county. Confederate cavalry under John McCausland burns Chambersburg, Pa. Gen. Turner Ashby killed in action. Governor Letcher was astounded, and at once wrote Jackson a sympathetic letter, and then expostulated with Mr. Davis and his Secretary with such vigor that an apology was sent to Jackson for their obnoxious course. Jackson's 1862 Campaign in the Shenandoah Valley, Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park, Civil War battles, movements, and other actions in the Shenandoah Valley, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. By doing so, Lincoln inadvertently fulfilled the rebels goal of drawing Union forces away from the campaign against Richmond forces that might have helped Federals capture the capital. Philip Henry Sheridan (1831-88) was an aggressive Union general during the American Civil War (1861-65). Estimated Casualties: 2,375 total (US 875; CS 1500) It resulted in a Confederate victory. Jackson demonstrates against Harper's Ferry. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 57,000 acres in 25 states! On the afternoon of September 3, Andersons command encountered and attacked elements of Crooks corps (Army of West Virginia) at Berryville but was repulsed. Confederate Gen. Thomas J. To lose the Valley would mean to lose the state, Stonewall Jackson had once saidand now that prediction would be put to the test as Sheridan fought with Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Early for possession. Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. Having retired up the Valley, he learned that the enemy had begun to withdraw and send troops to the east of the mountains to cooperate with McClellan. Forces Engaged: 8,400 total (US 1,900; CS 6,500) ", "Oh! "The war consumed everything and the simple everyday task of feeding one's family became troublesome, as food shortages were commonplace and the few supplies that can be found demanded a higher price.". Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. Jackson ordered him to pursue as vigorously as possible, and to guard completely all avenues of approach from the direction of McDowell or Staunton till relieved of this duty. This was one more in a series of thrusts and parries that characterized this phase of the campaign, known to the soldiers as the mimic war.. The morning after the battle of McDowell I called very early on Jackson at the residence of Colonel George W. Hull of that village, where he had his headquarters, to ask if I could be of any service to him, as I had to go to Staunton, forty miles distant, to look after some companies that were to join my command. He found his old brigade had yielded slightly to overwhelming pressure. These hallowed grounds now stand as memorials to the men who fought and died here. "Stonewall" Jackson begins winter campaign in Winchester, Virginia. President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Earlys veterans decimated two divisions of the XIX Corps and a VI Corps division in fighting in the Middle Field and near the Dinkle Barn. Ewell's Second Corps crosses the Potomac River northward at Williamsport, Md. Next: Part of the Maryland Campaign that included the Battle of Antietam. US Maj. Gen.Nathaniel P. Banks Army cross the Potomac River into Virginia. Estimated Casualties: 1,800 total (US 1,200; CS 600) General Edward Johnson, with one of Jackson's Valley brigades, was already at Buffalo Gap. Casualties: 440 (US 243; CS 147) He was in a towering passion, and declared that Jackson had treated him outrageously. Photo: Bloomberg ( Getty Images) Federal Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley has ruled against the Federal Trade Commission's attempt to block Microsoft from closing its $69 billion acquisition of . During this portion of the campaign, Confederate partisan groups under John S. Mosby and Harry Gilmor increased their activities against Union supply lines in the Lower Valley. Just after breakfast, next morning, a courier arrived with a terse order to embark his troops on the railroad trains and move to Gordonsville at once, where he would receive further orders. Jackson rode down in that direction to see what it meant. Jackson followed as rapidly as possible, and the following day, May 8th, on top of the Bull Pasture Mountain, three miles east of McDowell, encountered Milroy reinforced by Schenck, who commanded by virtue of seniority of commission. After dark, Milroy abandoned his remaining entrenchments in an attempt to retreat to Charles Town. From the date of Jackson's arrival at Staunton till the battle of Port Republic was thirty-five days. Most of the day's fighting took place on the Shiflett . Skirmish at Front Royal, Federal cavalry execute six of Mosby's Rangers. The weather set in to be very inclement about New Year's, with snow, rain, sleet, high winds, and intense cold. Angered by Rossers constant skirmishing, Sheridan ordered his commander of cavalry, Gen. Alfred T. Torbert, to whip the enemy or get whipped. On October 9, Torbert unleashed the divisions of his young generals, Wesley Merritt and George Custer, on the Confederate cavalry, routing it at Toms Brook. Date Released American Battlefield Trusts map of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields. Union Major Generals William Tecumseh Sherman and James B. McPherson successfully defended against a Confederate offensive from Lieut. In 1996, Congress designated eight counties in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia as a National Battlefield Site - The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District - which preserves and interprets the regions significant Civil War battlefields and related historic sites. What these latter were no one but himself knew. Federalsoldiers climbed the hill and swarmed into the earthworks as Confederates hastily abandoned their lines at the Battle of Fisher's Hill, September 22, 1864. Lt. Gen. Jubal Early, commanding the Confederate Army of the Valley, sensed that Sheridan might be overly cautious. Such tactics will win every time, and a small army may thus destroy a large one in detail, and repeated victory will make it invincible. Jackson's army departs the Valley via Brown's Gap. One morning, near Bath, some of his men, having crawled out from under their snow-laden blankets, half-frozen, were cursing him as the cause of their sufferings. News of this disaster reached Banks at Strasburg, by which he learned that Jackson was rapidly gaining his rear toward Newtown. It was dated "McDowell," and read about thus: "Providence blessed our arms with victory at McDowell yesterday." Jacksons pursuit was handicapped by uncertainty about Banks plans and intended route, which forced him to divide his force to cover multiple possibilities. Share. Confederate generals Jubal A. Sheridan receives word of the decoded message in Front Royal and wires the news to Halleck. Recently Updated Created by Congress to protect and interpret the Valley's Civil War story, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District includes 14 significant Civil War battlefields and a wide variety of related historic sites across eight counties. If he does, I can't reach him with the field-batteries on account of the woods. Result: Confederate Victory, Federal surrender, Forces Engaged: (US 2,000) US Gen.Robert Milroy occupies Winchester. Despair was fast settling upon the minds of the people of the Valley. The attack being unexpected, and coming from a foe of unknown strength, the Federal column halted and hesitated to advance. On October 28th General Johnston ordered Jackson to Winchester to assume command of his district, and on the 6th of November the War Department Ordered his old "Stonewall" brigade and six thousand troops under command of Brigadier General W. W. Loring to report to him. The battle also demonstrated a rare use of extensive earthworks in the Shenandoah Valley. In less than one hour Banks line crumbled under the pressure of Jacksons assault and Union soldiers fled north through the streets of Winchester. Title. Early in May, Jackson wasnear Port Republiccontemplating his surroundings and maturing his plans. [1] hang him, he was polite enough. Forces Engaged: 54,440 total (US 39,240; CS 15,200) Jackson made no concealment of his flight, the news of which soon reached his enemies. Early's army cautiously pursued. Sheridan rides from Martinsburg to Winchester. I am glad to see you. Estimated Casualties: 1,380 total (US 840; CS 540) At Milford (Overall) in the Luray Valley on the same day Confederate cavalry prevented two divisions of Union cavalry from reaching Luray and passing New Market Gap to intercept Earlys defeated army as it withdrew up the Valley.Early retreated to Rockfish Gap near Waynesboro, opening the Valley to Union depredations and what came to be known as The Burning, a two-week campaign of destruction to neutralize the agricultural base of the Valley the Breadbasket of the Confederacy. After convincing Grant that he could proceed no farther than Staunton, Sheridan withdrew down the Valley, systematically burning mills, barns, and public buildings, destroying or carrying away the forage, grain, and livestock. But I still think he ought to have told me his plans; for if he had died McClellan would have captured Richmond. Estimated Casualties: 900 total (US 700; CS 200) Brig. Early crosses the Potomac back into the Valley at White's Ferry, Va. Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan arrives in Harper's Ferry, W.V., assuming command of the Middle Military Division and the Army of the Shenandoah. View Full Battle Overview. Why, I just came through Gordonsville day before yesterday. This plan of battle was carried out to the letter. McClellan had planned and organized a masterly movement to capture, hold, and occupy the Valley and the Piedmont region; and if his subordinates had been equal to the task, and there had been no interference from Washington, it is probable the Confederate army would have been driven out of Virginia and Richmond captured by midsummer, 1862. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The other rule is, never fight against heavy odds, if by any possible maneuvering you can hurl your own force on only a part, and that the weakest part, of your enemy and crush it. These, together with Turner Ashby's cavalry, gave him a force of about ten . The first campaign started with Grant's planned invasion of the Shenandoah Valley from the Department of West Virginia, which Gen. Sigel commanded. Result: Confederate Victory. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 57,000 acres in 25 states! Estimated Casualties: 407 total (US 57; CS 350) But when Sheridan returned to the Valley in 1864, the stakes jumped dramatically. Result: Union Victory. Estimated Casualties: 8,575 total (US 5,665; CS 2,910) The Shenandoah Valley was very important to the Confederates, because it was the principal storehouse for feeding their armies It was well known that they would make a desperate struggle to maintain it. Advance to Victory Lane: Byron, Truex battle to land that elusive lobster. That was all. About 10 o'clock at night I received a note from Jackson, written in pencil on the blank margin of a newspaper, directing me to report with my command at Port Republic before daybreak. He crossed the Massanutten Mountain, and, passing Luray, hurried toward Front Royal. Two hours after receiving this telegram from General Johnston, Jackson was en route for Harrisonburg, where he came upon the great Valley turnpike. Moving to cut off Early's army south of Winchester, Sheridan's Federals collided with Mosby's Rangers. From New Market Jackson disappeared so suddenly that the people of the Valley were again mystified. Early deployed his forces to defend the approaches to Winchester, while Sheridan moved his army, now 50,000 strong, south via Berryville with the goal of cutting the Valley Turnpike. After an initial period of mimic war, Sheridan delivered a series of stinging defeats.Sheridan took command at Harpers Ferry on August 7. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. Sheridan moved with caution early in the campaign, maneuvering and skirmishing in the lower Valley, avoiding major battle. Forces Engaged: 17,300 total (US 11,500; CS 5,800) Sheridans victory was decisive but incomplete; Early retreated twenty miles south to his entrenchments at Fishers Hill and Sheridan followed. Lesson Summary The Battle of Atlanta After the Union victory at the Battle of. Estimated Casualties: 960 total (US 904; CS 56) Suddenly the appalling news spread through the Valley that he had fled to the east side of the Blue Ridge through Brown's and Swift Run Gaps. On August 11, Confederate cavalry and infantry turned back Union cavalry at Double Toll Gate in sporadic, day-long fighting, preventing this maneuverRobert E. Lee sent reinforcements under the overall command of Gen. Richard Anderson to join Early. Civil War Comes to the Shenandoah Valley. At Cross Keys, about six miles from Harrisonburg, he delivered battle to Fremont, on June 8th, and, after a long and bloody conflict, as night closed in he was master of the field. After a fruitless resistance they fled toward Winchester, twenty miles distant, with Jackson at their heels. As Banks men ran through town, angry civilians reportedly shot at the Union soldiers. Every purchase supports the mission. Sigel's army encamps at Cedar Creek just south of Middletown. In 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia used the Valley as its avenue of invasion, culminating in the battle of Gettysburg. The pursuit was vigorous. Early dispersed his smaller army of about 15,000 to threaten the Potomac corridor. Result: Federal Victory. Only the VI Corps maintained its order as it withdrew beyond Middletown, providing a screen behind which the other corps could regroup. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. Battle of Monocacy, (July 9, 1864), American Civil War engagement fought on the banks of the Monocacy River near Frederick, Maryland, in which Confederate troops under Lieutenant General Jubal A. Date Released Jackson buried the dead and rested his army, and then fell back to the Valley on the Warm Springs and Harrisonburg road. ", Then seating himself, for the first time in all my intercourse with him, he outlined the day's proposed operations. Forces Engaged: 14,000 total (US 8,500; CS 5,500) The Battle of Atlanta Sherman's Atlanta Campaign The Significance of Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. On August 25, two divisions of Sheridans cavalry intercepted Earlys advance, but the Confederate infantry drove them back to the Potomac. 9386 S. Congress St. New Market, VA 22844 | Phone: 540-740-4545 | Fax: 540-534-1358 | info@svbf.net, Nor Long Remember Unsung Battles in the Shenandoah Valley, Second Battle of Winchester Anniversary Programs, The Third Battle of Winchester (September 19, 1864), The Battle of Fishers Hill (September 22, 1864), The Battle of Toms Brook (October 9, 1864), The Battle of Cedar Creek (October 19, 1864). At the beginning of May the situation was broadly about as follows: Milroy, with about 4087 men, was on the Staunton and Parkersburg road at McDowell, less than forty miles from Staunton, with Schenck's brigade of about 2500 near Franklin. The news of Banks's defeat created consternation at Washington, and Shields was ordered to return from east of the Blue Ridge to the Luray Valley in all haste to cooperate with Fremont. Pioneers from Rodes' (Ramseur's)Division improve trail. Result: Federal Victory. Historians Daniel Davis and Phillip Greenwalt, longtime students of the Civil War, have spent countless hours researching the Valley battles of 64 and walking the ground where those battles unfolded. Detachments of cavalry guarded every road beyond him, so that Banks remained in total ignorance of his approach. The route lay along a narrow valley hedged up by high mountains, perfectly protecting the flanks of the retreating army from Ashby's pursuing cavalry, led by Captain Sheetz. Sit down. 8,824. The orders were revoked and modified, and Jackson was induced to retain his command. The "Coaling," a 70-foot-high prominence northeast of the town of Port Republic and near the South Fork of the Shenandoah River in Rockingham County, Virginia was once cleared for a charcoaling operation. Early retreated up the Valley under sharp criticism of his generalship, while President Abraham Lincoln rode the momentum of Sheridans victories in the Valley and Shermans successes in the Atlanta campaign to re-election in November. Many in Jackson's command were opposed to the expedition, and as it resulted in nothing of much military importance, but was attended with great suffering on the part of his troops, nothing but the confidence he had won by his previous services saved him from personal ruin. Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. As soon as information reached Jackson of what had been done, he indignantly resigned his commission. After decisively defeating the Union Army of Virginia at Second Manassas and fighting a drawn battle at Chantilly, Robert E. Lee utilized the Valley in his 1862 invasion of Maryland that led to the Battle of Antietam. Loring objected to this, but Jackson was inexorable, Loring and his principal officers united in a petition to Mr. Benjamin, Secretary of War, to order them to Winchester, or at least away from Romney. Meanwhile I was having a remarkable time with our mules in the ravineNews came up the line from the left that Winder's brigade near the river was giving way. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history.