Neutralizing the Valley the Valley Campaigns of Term Paper

Neutralizing the Valley

The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were operations and battles during the American Civil War, which occurred in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864 (Wikipedia 2005). The opposing forces in these battles were the Union and the Confederates. The Union was led by then Lt General Ulysses S. Grant, Commander George G. Meade, and Benjamin Butler, while the Confederate was led by Robert Lee and his Lt General Jubal Early. The outcome of the campaigns shows that appropriate tactics and quality leadership determined victory in the particular terrain and physical conditions. Grant established a strategy that focused at the heart of the Confederacy from different directions according to the concept, which he shared with Abraham Lincoln and William Sherman, that only the utter defeat of the Confederate forces and their economic supply would win the War for the Union (Wikipedia).

The strategy pitted Grant, Meade and Butler against Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, whereby Franz Sigel would invade the Shenandoah Valley and cut off Lee's supply lines; Sherman to take Georgia and Atlanta; and Nathaniel Banks to capture Mobile, Alabama (Wikipedia 2005). Lee sent Jubal Early to contain the impact of David Hunter's offensive in the Valley and, if possible, to trouble Washington and force Grant to reduce his forces in Petersburg, Virginia. Early managed to traverse the Valley un-opposed, crossed Harpers Ferry and the Potomac River and drove into Maryland. In response, Grant sent troops under Horatio G. Wright and George Crook to handle Early and strengthen the position of Washington (Wikipedia, Feis 1993, Sifakis 2005).

At the Battle of Monocacy Junction on July 9, 1864, Early won over the smaller force of Lew Wallace but it delayed Early's progress with enough time for Washington to reinforce its defenses (Wikipedia 2005, Feis 1993, Sifakis 2005).At the Battle of Fort Stevens on June 11-12, 1864, Early failed in an attempt at taking a fort on the northwest defensive range of Washington and he had to withdraw his troop back to Virginia. At the Battle of Cool Spring from June 17 to 18, 1864, he attacked and drew back Wright's Union forces. The Battle of Rutherford's Farm on July 20, 1864 was a win for the Union and Early again withdrew his army to Fisher's Hill near Winchester, Virginia. At the Second Battle of Kernstown on July 24, 1864, Early took advantage of Wright's miscalculation and delayed his return to Grant's forces attacking Petersburg. This move routed Union troops. Early took and burned Chambersburg, Pennsylvania in retaliation for Hunter's previous destruction in the Valley. Grant sent Philip Sheridan, cavalry commander of the Army of the Potomac, to confront Early. Sheridan was on top of all the Union forces in the area, which he called the Army of Shenandoah. Sheridan proceeded with caution and in avoiding anything that would lead to the defeat of then candidate Abraham Lincoln. Confederate forces under Richard H. Anderson were dispatched to reinforce Early at the Battle of Guard Hill on August 16, 1864. Union troops accosted Wesley Merrit's forces in a battle that was inconclusive. At the Battle of Summit Point on August 21, 1864, Early and Anderson defeated Sheridan near Charles Town in West Virginia. Sheridan was forced to withdraw. At the Battle of Berryville on September 3 and 4, 1864, Early tried to stop Sheridan's army from going up the Valley but withdrew to Opequon Creek after realizing his poor position in attacking Sheridan's full force. At the Battle of Opequon, or the Third Battle of.....