The 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign
The Valley campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864. Some military historians divide this period into three separate campaigns detailed below.
Lynchburg campaign (May–June 1864)
Early's Washington Raid and operations against the B&O Railroad (June–August 1864)
Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley campaign (August–October 1864)
As 1864 began, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was given command of all Union armies. Grant understood the concept of total war and believed that only the utter defeat of Confederate forces and their economic base would end the war. Grant developed a coordinated strategy to strike at the Confederacy from multiple directions: he would join with Maj. Gen. George Meade and Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler to fight against Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia near Richmond; Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel would destroy Lee's supply lines in the Shenandoah Valley; Maj. Gen. Sherman would attack Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's Army of Tennessee, invade Georgia and capture Atlanta; and finally Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks was ordered to capture Mobile, Alabama.
Grant's invasion of the Shenandoah Valley started from the Department of West Virginia, commanded by Gen. Sigel. Grant ordered Sigel to destroy the Confederate railroad, hospital and supply center at Lynchburg, Virginia. Lee countered by dispatching Gen. Jubal A. Early and his troops to Lynchburg where they arrived on June 17. When Early's initial units arrived, Hunter, believing his forces outnumbered and short on supplies, retreated back through West Virginia.
Lee, concerned about Hunter's advances in the Valley, which threatened critical railroad lines and provisions for the Virginia-based Confederate forces, sent Early's corps to clear Union forces from the Valley and, if possible, to menace Washington, D.C. Lee hoped to compel Grant to dilute his forces against Lee around Petersburg, Virginia. Early drove down the Valley without opposition, bypassed Harpers Ferry, crossed the Potomac River, and advanced into Maryland. Grant dispatched a corps under Horatio G. Wright and other troops under George Crook to reinforce Washington and pursue Early.
Grant finally lost patience with Hunter, particularly his allowing Early to burn 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, 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. 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.
After his missions of neutralizing Early and suppressing the Valley's military-related economy, Sheridan returned to assist Grant at Petersburg. 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 on March 2, 1865, after which Lee removed him from his command because the Confederate government and people had lost confidence in him.
Lynchburg campaign (May–June 1864)
- New Market (May 15)
- Piedmont (June 5–6)
- Lynchburg (June 17–18)
Early's Washington Raid and operations against the B&O Railroad (June–August 1864)
- Monocacy (July 9)
- Fort Stevens (July 11–12)
- Heaton's Crossroads (July 16)
- Cool Spring (July 17–18)
- Rutherford's Farm (July 20)
- Second Kernstown (July 24)
- Folck's Mill (August 1)
- Moorefield (August 7)
Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley campaign (August–October 1864)
- Guard Hill (August 16)
- Summit Point (August 21)
- Smithfield Crossing (August 25–29)
- Berryville (September 3–4)
- Third Winchester (September 19)
- Fisher's Hill (September 21–22)
- Tom's Brook (October 9)
- Cedar Creek (October 19)
As 1864 began, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was given command of all Union armies. Grant understood the concept of total war and believed that only the utter defeat of Confederate forces and their economic base would end the war. Grant developed a coordinated strategy to strike at the Confederacy from multiple directions: he would join with Maj. Gen. George Meade and Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler to fight against Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia near Richmond; Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel would destroy Lee's supply lines in the Shenandoah Valley; Maj. Gen. Sherman would attack Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's Army of Tennessee, invade Georgia and capture Atlanta; and finally Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks was ordered to capture Mobile, Alabama.
Grant's invasion of the Shenandoah Valley started from the Department of West Virginia, commanded by Gen. Sigel. Grant ordered Sigel to destroy the Confederate railroad, hospital and supply center at Lynchburg, Virginia. Lee countered by dispatching Gen. Jubal A. Early and his troops to Lynchburg where they arrived on June 17. When Early's initial units arrived, Hunter, believing his forces outnumbered and short on supplies, retreated back through West Virginia.
Lee, concerned about Hunter's advances in the Valley, which threatened critical railroad lines and provisions for the Virginia-based Confederate forces, sent Early's corps to clear Union forces from the Valley and, if possible, to menace Washington, D.C. Lee hoped to compel Grant to dilute his forces against Lee around Petersburg, Virginia. Early drove down the Valley without opposition, bypassed Harpers Ferry, crossed the Potomac River, and advanced into Maryland. Grant dispatched a corps under Horatio G. Wright and other troops under George Crook to reinforce Washington and pursue Early.
Grant finally lost patience with Hunter, particularly his allowing Early to burn 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, 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. 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.
After his missions of neutralizing Early and suppressing the Valley's military-related economy, Sheridan returned to assist Grant at Petersburg. 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 on March 2, 1865, after which Lee removed him from his command because the Confederate government and people had lost confidence in him.
Want to Explore More of Early's 1864 Campaign?
Take the auto tour of the Battle of Cedar Creek
The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, fought October 19, 1864 near Strasburg VA, was the culminating battle of the Valley Campaigns of 1864. Early's Confederates launched a surprise attack against the encamped army of Union Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan, across Cedar Creek, northeast of Strasburg, Virginia. During the morning fighting, seven Union infantry divisions were forced to fall back and lost numerous prisoners and cannons. However, Early failed to continue his attack north of Middletown, and Sheridan, dramatically riding to the battlefield from Winchester, rallied his troops to hold a new defensive line. A Union counterattack that afternoon routed Early's army. At the conclusion of this battle, the final Confederate invasion of the North and Early's military career was effectively ended. The Confederacy was never again able to threaten Washington, D.C. through the Shenandoah Valley, nor protect one of its key economic bases in Virginia. The stunning Union victory aided the reelection of Abraham Lincoln and won Sheridan lasting fame.
Take the auto tour of the Battle of Cedar Creek
The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, fought October 19, 1864 near Strasburg VA, was the culminating battle of the Valley Campaigns of 1864. Early's Confederates launched a surprise attack against the encamped army of Union Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan, across Cedar Creek, northeast of Strasburg, Virginia. During the morning fighting, seven Union infantry divisions were forced to fall back and lost numerous prisoners and cannons. However, Early failed to continue his attack north of Middletown, and Sheridan, dramatically riding to the battlefield from Winchester, rallied his troops to hold a new defensive line. A Union counterattack that afternoon routed Early's army. At the conclusion of this battle, the final Confederate invasion of the North and Early's military career was effectively ended. The Confederacy was never again able to threaten Washington, D.C. through the Shenandoah Valley, nor protect one of its key economic bases in Virginia. The stunning Union victory aided the reelection of Abraham Lincoln and won Sheridan lasting fame.
