The Battle of Cedar Creek (or Bell Grove and the end of the Valley Campaign of 1864)
October 19, 1864

The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864 opened with a crushing Union defeat at New Market (15 May). It was another setback in a long line of Federal embarrassments in the struggle to control the "Breadbasket of the Confederacy." The fertile Shenandoah, for the time being, remained the primary source of supply of GEN Robert E. Lee's embattled Army of Northern Virginia, now desperately engaged around Petersburg in the last great campaign of the War. By the end of May there was a new Union commander in the Valley. Out-spoken and aggressive, MG David Hunter (replaced MG Franz Sigel after the New Market debacle) soon defeated (5 June) BG William E. "Grumble" Jones (replaced John C. Breckinridge, the victor at New Market, transferred to Lee's command) at the Battle of Piedmont near Port Republic. Continuing south, the Federals put the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington to the torch in retaliation for the V.M.I. Cadet Corps' participation at New Market. Hunter's policy of indiscriminate burning, including many private homes, earned for him the unrelenting enmity of both southern soldiers and the region's citizenry. GEN Lee, alarmed at the turn of events, sent the II Corps (Jackson's old command, now reinforced and called the Army of the Valley by its leader LTG Jubal A. Early) to confront Hunter now menacing the Lynchburg rail hub. Hunter retreated to the Kanawha Valley of West Virginia, allowing the irascible and strict disciplinarian Early to march down the Shenandoah (north) to raid Maryland and endanger Washington, DC. An effective delaying action was fought by the out-numbered Union troops of MG Lewis Wallace (later to gain additional fame as the author of the novel Ben Hur) at the Battle of Monocacy (9 July - near Frederick, MD). Wallace bought precious time as Grant hurried the VI and XIX Corps (of the Army of the Potomac) north in the defense of the U.S. capital. Early actually reached Fort Stevens (11 July) on the north side of panic-stricken Washington before the arrival of the VI Corps forced a withdrawal across the Potomac. Back in the Valley, Early defeated elements of the recently designated Federal VIII Corps (the old Department of West Virginia army, BG George R. Crook, commanding) at the Battle of Second Kernstown (24 July), south of Winchester. And on 30 July, two cavalry brigades (BG John McCausland, commanding) of the Army of the Valley raided and burned Chambersburg, PA in retaliation for Hunter's depredations in the upper Shenandoah during the Summer. By now the Union high command had had enough. In early August, Grant announced that his combative, young cavalry commander, MG Philip H. Sheridan, would take charge of the newly created Middle Military Division, consolidating the jurisdictions of four military departments. Grant gave Sheridan and his nascent unified command, the Army of the Shenandoah, two distinct orders: eliminate Early's Army of the Valley and lay waste to the Shenandoah! Making very good use of his cavalry arm, superior numbers, and, as always, his characteristic dynamic leadership, Sheridan defeated Early at the Battles of Opequon Creek or Third Winchester (19 Sepember) and at Fisher's Hill (22 September) near Strasburg. Flushed with victory, the Federal forces began to implement Grant's second directive by systematically burning the Valley's agricultural resources. 2,000 barns, 120 mills, and a 1/2 million bushels of grain were destroyed between Staunton in the south and Strasburg in the north. Having completed this onerous duty and believing that the Army of the Valley was no longer a serious threat, Sheridan encamped his troops (10 October) on the high ground along the Valley Turnpike north of Cedar Creek, near Middletown. Even though Union cavalry and horse artillery had routed the Confederate mounted arm at Tom's Brook (9 October) southwest of Strasburg, Early's presence was quickly reestablished in the area. On 13 October, his forward artillery and infantry units dealt two brigades of the VIII Corps a sharp defeat at Hupp's Hill northeast of Strasburg. Nevertheless, on 16 October, Sheridan left the Army of the Shenandoah (3 Corps - 32,000 men), seemingly secure at their fortified encampment, to attend a strategy conference in Washington, DC. Meanwhile, nearby but unaware of Sheridan's departure, Early and his Army of the Valley (1 reinforced corps - 21,000 men) were planning a surprise for the Federal camps at Cedar Creek. After a superb reconnaissance, three Confederate infantry columns made a night march over a hidden trail and along the Valley Turnpike to positions near the Union defenses. Concealed by an early morning fog, Early's infantry slammed into the sleepy camps at 5 AM on 19 October. By 7 AM the 5 attacking divisions had overrun the Federal VIII Corps and had driven the XIX Corps from its entrenchments near the Belle Grove Mansion (Union army headquarters) to the lines of the VI Corps further north. The VI Corps, especially the Second Division, stubbornly resisted repeated southern charges. allowing time for the other two corps to reorganize. Later in the morning, all three Union corps withdrew to a stronger defensive line north of Middletown as the Confederate attacks gradually subsided. Early's exhausted infantry (much of his cavalry did not arrive on the main battlefield) had gained all three Federal camps and were on the verge of a great victory. As both sides paused to regroup and establish new lines, one of the most astonishing rallies of the entire War unfolded. Returning from the capital via Winchester at about 10:30 AM, MG Sheridan, hearing far-off rumble of cannon, spurred his horse up the Valley Turnpike. When he neared the battlefield he began to rally demoralized stragglers. and his mere presence seemed to inspire all around him to turn back toward the front. Then Sheridan rode up and down the new Union lines (about 2 miles) restoring order and morale and preparing his heretofore beaten army for a massive counterattack. At 4 PM the reenergized Army of the Shenandoah swept forward, and in an astounding reversal of fortune, its massed infantry and cavalry carried the field. Even an especially heroic stand by MG Stephen D. Ramseur's Division (Ramseur was mortally wounded) could not stem the Federal advance. Only a few hours earlier the battle had been apparently won by an out-numbered yet daring Army of the Valley. But "Sheridan's Ride" into legend (immortalized in Thomas Buchanan Read's poem) inspired one of the most remarkable battlefield turnabouts in American military history. The Valley Campaign of 1864, that had begun so favorably for the South at New Market, had ended in final defeat at Cedar Creek. Breckinridge and Early had done well, but once Grant had found a competent and relentless commander, it was only a matter of time before control of the Shenandoah would pass to the Union. And coming less than three weeks before the U.S. Presidential Election of 1864, the significance of Sheridan's timely triumph at Cedar Creek was not lost on the northern electorate. Estimated Casualties (Cedar Creek only): Union - 5,672; Confederate - 1,860 and 1,050 taken prisoner.

Notes:

  1. Numbers in parentheses reflect estimated strength of armies or units.

  2. Estimated casualty figures are totals for killed, wounded, missing in action, and taken prisoner.

  3. Alternative names of battles and campaigns appear in parentheses.

  4. Military and naval rank abbreviations in text: LT - Lieutenant, CPT - Captain, MAJ - Major, LTC - Lieutenant Colonel, CDR - Commander (Navy), COL - Colonel, BG - Brigadier General, MG - Major General, RADM - Rear Admiral (Navy), LTG - Lieutenant General, VADM - Vice Admiral (Navy), and GEN - General.

  5. Army Organization: Although authorized and actual strength and the rank of the commanding officer often varied, the standard military unit during the War was the infantry regiment (1,000 men, COL commanding) which was comprised of 10 companies (100 men each, CPT commanding). 3-4 Regiments = 1 Brigade (3,000-4000 men, BG commanding). 3 (sometimes 4) Brigades = 1 Division (9000-12,000 men, BG or MG commanding). 2-4 (usually 3) Divisions = 1 Corps (18,000-24,000+ men, MG - North and MG or LTG -South commanding). 2 or more Corps = An Army (usually 20,000-100,000+ men - MG, LTG, or GEN commanding). 2 or more Armies = An Army Group (usually 100,000+ men - MG, LTG, or GEN commanding).

Sources:

Photographs courtesy of The Generals of the American Civil War Website.

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