Army of the Shenandoah
The Army of the Shenandoah, first promulgated in 1861 and then disbanded, is best known for its creation in 1864 under (later one of the first Generals of the Army) Philip Sheridan. It played a crucial role in the closing days of the American Civil War.
History
A Union force was designated Army of the Shenandoah in 1861 under the command of Robert Patterson, but saw little action before being disbanded by the order of General-in-Chief Winfield Scott.
The force was next created by order of Ulysses S. Grant on 7 July 1864 in response to a raid by Jubal A. Early and his army of 15,000 on Washington, D.C., and especially his defeat of Lew Wallace at the Battle of the Monocacy River. Comprised of the Union VI and XIX Corps, and placed under Sheridan?s command with orders to repel Early, deal with Confederate guerillas and press on into Virginia, the Army of the Shenandoah was born.
Early, ever the cunning strategist, kept his force moving so as not to be trapped by Sheridan?s vastly superior force ? his raid had, if anything, had a good deal of success for morale. Confederate General Robert E. Lee, coming to the conclusion that early had done all that was practical, ordered Early to return two of his divisions to Richmond and remain to tie up Sheridan.
Learning of this, Sheridan waited until Early weakened himself and then attacked at the Third Battle of Winchester on 19 September and then again at the Battle of Fisher?s Hill on 20 and 21 September. By the end of these battles, Early?s force was effectively out of the war, and Sheridan proceeded with his secondary orders to destroy the ability of the Shenandoah Valley to produce foodstuffs for the Confederacy, torching more than 2,000 mills.
Reinforced again in sight of the threat of Sheridan?s 31,000-man army, Early moved against Sheridan once more. After a decisive cavalry victory by Union forces under Brig. Gen. George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of Tom?s Brook, Early?s army moved to launch a surprise attack against Sheridan at the Battle of Cedar Creek on 19 October. Initially successful, the Confederates were repelled by a Union counter-attack and the Shenandoah was firmly under Union control.
Following their victory, portions of the army were detached to Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman in Georgia and Sheridan himself joined Grant at Petersburg, Virginia. Command of the army then passed to Alfred Thomas Torbert until 27 June 1865 when the force was disbanded for the final time.
Commanders
Notable battles
