Lynchburg, VA

Date(s): June 17-18, 1864

Location: Please click on link below for map.

Campaign(s): Lynchburg Campaign [May-June 1864]

Battles in Campaign:

• New Market, VA - May 15, 1864

B

• Piedmont, VA - June 5-6, 1864 B¹

• Lynchburg, VA - June 17-18, 1864 B

Situation:

Commanders:

• Union: Maj. Gen. David Hunter 

• Confederate: Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early

Principal Forces: Corps (44,000 total)

• Union:

• Confederate:

Description:

• From Lexington, Maj. Gen. David Hunter advanced against the Confederate rail and canal depots and the hospital complex at Lynchburg.

• Reaching the outskirts of town on June 17, his first tentative attacks were thwarted by the timely arrival by rail of Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early’s II Corps vanguard from Charlottesville. 

• Hunter withdrew the next day after sporadic fighting because of a critical shortage of supplies.

• His line of retreat through West Virginia took his army out of the war for nearly a month and opened the Shenandoah Valley for a Confederate advance into Maryland.

Slide Presentation: None [Battlefield Lost Integrity]

Classification²: B

Casualties³: 900 total

• Union:

• Confederate:

Results: Confederate Victory

Battlefield Websites: 

Recommended Resources:

¹ National Park Service summary.

² 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

³ Casualties are someone killed, injured, wounded, captured or missing.

Revised 01/02/2009