The Battle of Cedar Creek

Nestled between the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia's Shenandoah Valley enjoyed tremendous prosperity before the Civil War. This valuable stretch of land- called 'the Breadbasket of the Confederacy' due to its rich soil and ample harvests became the source of many conflicts between the Confederate and Union armies. Of the thirteen major battles fought here, none was more influential than the Battle of Cedar Creek. On October 19, 1864, General Philip Sheridan's Union troops finally gained control of the valley, which eliminated the Shenandoah as a supply source for Confederate forces in Virginia, ended the valley's role as a diversionary theater of war, and stopped its use as an avenue of invasion into the North. It also prevented the Valley's harvests from being utilized by the Confederate forces operating within the dominion. The author explains the battle and how it aided Abraham Lincoln's reelection campaign. It also defined and elevated the status of General Philip Sheridan into the pantheon of great American generals.