4-S 



8HENANDOAH VALLI.Y 



Ewoll captured several thousand Union troop8 and 

 orer 20 guns from Milroy. After tlio defeat of las 

 armv at Gettysburg Lee fell back again by the way 

 of the valley and posted liis forces along the O|>e- 

 qnan. The importance of the Shenandoah Valley 

 liad now been thoroughly tested and proved. Yet 

 the events of the succeeding campaigns gave it still 

 greater prominence. Not until this granary ami 

 highway could be wrested from the Confederate 

 control could the Union designs against Itichmond 

 bo brought to a successful close. 



In March, 1864, Gen. U. 8. Grant was promoted 

 to the command of the entire Union army. \\ In n 

 be crossed the Rapidan, in the beginning of May, 

 three movements were in progress in the Sheuan- 

 doah Valley those of Crook and Averell down tho 

 Kanawha from West Virginia, and that of Sigel up 

 the Shennndoah, the common objects being the 

 breaking up of the Virginia Central and Tenne 

 railroad* and the destruction of the works at Wythe- 

 ville and Saltville, and then marching their united 

 troops nuder Sigel to Lynchburg in support of 

 Grant. The scheme miscarried in its main objoet . 

 Sigel, in particular, was defeated by Breckcnridiro 

 t New Market, and the command of the Depart- 

 ment of West Virginia was transferred from him to 

 Gen. Hunter. Crook and Averill returned to \\VsL 

 Virginia. 



The second attempt to effect these ends was 

 made in the end of May under Gen. David Hunter. 

 Moving up the valley he, ou June 5th, encountered 

 the enemy under Jones at Piedmont, and drove it 

 back to Stauuton with loss of guns and 1500 pris- 

 oners. Jones was killed. On Crook's approach 

 from the west the remainder of Jones' force, aban- 

 doning Staunton, fled, pursued by Hunter to 

 Wayneslxiro'. At Stann'on, the factoiies and stores 

 were destroyed, the railroad broken, and a junc- 

 tion effected with Crook and Averell. On Juno 

 10th Hunter's consolidated force, 18,000 strong, set 

 out to follow the enemy farther up thn valley. On 

 reaching the New river, opposite Lexington, ho 

 found the bluff ou the farther bank occupied l>y tho 

 enemy under McCausland. The resistance was ea- 

 sily overcome, and Lexington occupied. Here con- 

 siderable damage was inflicted, and a statue of \\ a-h- 

 ington carried off. 



Hunter now directed his march on Lvnchbnrg, 

 and on the 17th touched the enemy's first lino within 

 six miles of the town. Here he encountered Brock- 

 enridge, while oivthe same day Early, whom Sheridan 

 should have detained, arrived at Lynchburg from 

 Charlottesville. Severe fighting occurred on the 18th, 

 but Hunter found tho enemy BO strong that, 9 p. M., 

 he commenced a retreat which was to continue day af- 

 ter day, with Early in close pursuit, till, on the 27th, 

 his exhausted and half-famished soldiery found sup- 

 plies and rest, within a day's march of Ganley Bridge, 

 W. Va. Next day Hunter retired to Lonp Creek, 

 near Ganley Bridge, and the retreat was at an end. 



Hunter's retreat to West Virginia left the valley 

 open to the enemy. Early seized the opportunity to 

 make his famous raid into Maryland and advance on 

 Washington. On July llth he stood within view of the 

 capital, but, re-enforcements arriving from all quar- 

 ters, he had no alternative but to withdraw, followed 

 on his retreat by Wright. On the 14th he 

 tered the valley through Snicker's and Ashby's Gaps. 

 At .Snicker's Ferry he crossed tho Shenandoah, and, 

 repulsing Crook in his endeavor to cross in pursuit, 

 he moved leisurely on to Winchester and finally to 

 Btraslmrg. But in the meantime Hunter's forces 

 from the west were coming on the scene. On the 

 19th Averell moved from Martinsburg. and on the 

 20th. encountering Rarasenr three miles north of 

 Winchester, put him to flight with loss of guns and 

 prisoners. At Kernstown, on the 22d, Averell was 



joined by Crook, who took (lie command. Nexf daf 

 tiii-v \\ .1 and defeated by Early, Crook re- 



troating into Mar^ land. 



Kurly was now again master of the valley, and be- 

 gan afresh to destroy tin- 15. & O. Railroad at Mar- 

 tinsburg. Grant, pore, i\ in;- that the valley, domi- 

 nated by Early, would bea permanent menace to the 

 North, determined to accumulate an overwhelming 

 force against him. With this view a " Middle Mili- 

 tary Division " was created, and Gen. Phil. H. Sher- 

 idan, on August 7th, named to the command of it. His 

 army afterward to be known as "The Army of tho 

 Shenandoah" consisted of the 6th and 19th Army 

 Corps, Crook's infantry, Torbert's division of cavalry, 

 and four brigades of Hunter's cavalry amounting 

 in all to 45,000 men, with 22 batteries of 6 guns 

 each. Some of these, however, had jet to report. 



Sheridan at once selected a strong position (to 

 which he repeatedly returned) stretching from Clif- 

 ton to Bony ville, near the line of the Harper's Feny 

 and Winchester Itailroad. Opeqnan Creek ran along 

 its front on the east. Early stood in the vicinity of 

 Bunker Hill, to the northwest of the Union lines. 

 Observing, on the 10th, that Sheridan was in move- 

 ment to interpose between him and Winchester, he 

 moved rapidly southward, and covered that to\ui. 

 Next day, in order to be nearer the re enforcements 

 that lie knew to be approaching him from Lee, ho 

 moved farther south, Uirongh Straslmrg, and on the 

 12th took up a strong position on Fishei's Hill, two 

 miles to tho south of Strasburg. Sheridan followed 

 him as far as Cedar Creek, and considerable fighting 

 took place. At Fisher's Hill Early was joined by 

 Gen. Anderson, bringing with him Koishaw's infan- 

 try, Fitz Lee's cavalry, and Cutsliaw's artillery, and 

 also by McC'ausland's infantry, whereby his force 

 was brought close up to 40,000 men, with 14 batter- 

 ies of 6 guns each. Sheridan, now considering the 

 enemy too strong to be assaulted in such a position, 

 retired on the 17lh by way of Winchester to the po- 

 sition whence he had moved a week previously. 

 Hero he was re-enforced through Snicker's Gap, and 

 Averell had reported at Martinsburg and Dnfn'e at 

 Charlestown. To impede pursuit Sheridan destroyed 

 nil the crops and provisions south of Winchester, and 

 drove off all the cattle. On the 19th Early moved 

 his forces to Bunker Hill, and on the 21st he and 

 Anderson determined to assault Sheridan, whoso 

 main force now lay near Charlestown. The Opequnn 

 was easily crossed, and a sharp conflict e: 

 which resulted in Sheridan moving back to a posi- 

 tion before Halltown. tho strongest in the valley. 

 After delaying three days before the Halltown lines, 

 Early, leaving Anderson and ( 'ntshaw to watch 

 in front, moved north to Shepheidstown, repeated 

 conflicts with Torbert's cavalry taking place on tho 

 way. Discovering here that it was as impossible to 

 effect anything against Sheridan on his flank as on 

 his front, he withdrew across tho Opeqnan to hi* 

 old position at Bunker Hill and Winchester, while, 

 on Sept. ;id, Sheridan returned to his familiar Clif- 

 ton-Berryvillo lines. Meanwhile Lee had recalled 

 Anderson to himself, and on the some day that Sher- 

 idan made his movement he started for lierryville, 

 ' to cross the Blue Ridge on his way to Richmond. 

 The consequence was lie came into collision with the 

 Eighth Corps, just going into camp. After a stout 

 fight Anderson returned to Winchester, to take, later, 

 southerly route. For ten days after this them 

 was constant manoanvring and skirmishing along 

 the Opequan.Gen. Mclntosh on the 13th capturing 

 the Eighth South Carolina Infantry. Nothing deci- 

 sive, however, was effected, and on the 14th Ander- 

 son, with Kershaw and Cntshaw, left to join I 



Sheridan saw that the moment he had waited for 

 had come, and proceeded at once to seize it. Early 

 was not only weakened by Anderson's and Korshaw's 



