Cedar Creek, VA

[Sheridan at Cedar Creek - Courtesy of Wikipedia]

Date(s): October 19, 1864

Location: Please click on link below for map.

Campaign(s): Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign [August-December 1864]

Battles in Campaign:

• Guard Hill, VA - August 16, 1864 C¹

• Summit Point, WV - August 21, 1864 D¹

• Smithfield Crossing, WV - August 25-29, 1864 D¹

• Berryville, VA - September 3-4, 1864 C¹

• Opequon, VA - September 19, 1864 A

• Fisher's Hill, VA - September 21-22, 1864 B

• Cedar Creek, VA - October 19, 1864 A

Situation:

Commanders:

• Union:  Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright and Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan

• Confederate:  Lt. Gen. Jubal Early

Principal Forces:

• Union: VIII and XIX Army Corps [31,945]

• Confederate: Army of the Valley [21,000]

Description:

• At dawn, October 19, 1864, the Confederate Army of the Valley under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early surprised the Federal army at Cedar Creek and routed the VIII and XIX Army Corps. 

• Commander Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan arrived from Winchester to rally his troops, and, in the afternoon, launched a crushing counterattack, which recovered the battlefield.

• Sheridan’s victory at Cedar Creek broke the back of the Confederate army in the Shenandoah Valley.

Photo Gallery:²

Slide Presentations³:

• Cedar Creek, VA - Microsoft Photo Story with music [4/04/07]

Classification⁴: A

Casualties⁵:

• Union: 5,665

• Confederate: 2,910

Results: Union Victory

Battlefield Website:

• Battle of Cedar Creek - Answers.com

• Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley, 1863-1865

• Shenandoah at War

Recommended Resources:

¹ National Park Service summary.

² Please click on the image to enlarge it. You may copy the images if you include the following note and link with each image: "Courtesy of civil-war-journeys.org."

³ Slide Presentations Click on link to view as web-based slide show.

⁴ Classification:

• A - having a decisive influence on a campaign and a direct impact on the course of the war

• B - having a direct and decisive influence on their campaign

• C - having observable influence on the outcome of a campaign

• D - having a limited influence on the outcome of their campaign or operation but achieving or affecting important local objectives

⁵ Casualties are someone killed, injured, wounded, captured or missing.

Revised 06/05/2008