Cool Spring Battlefield

On July 17-18, Union and Confederate forces fought in a battle that came to known as the Battle of Cool Spring, which resulted in a Confederate victory, albeit a relatively minor one. The battle occurred just north of the map location on the west side of the Shenandoah River on land that is now owned by the Holy Cross Abbey. Major General Horatio W. Wright commanded the Union force of 5,000 troops, including artillery units located on the bluffs on the eastern side of the river. Lt. General Jubal Early commanded the Confederate force of 8,000 men. Just days before on July 11, Early had unsuccessfully attacked Washington D.C. during a raid into Maryland. The eastern shore of the river directly opposite of the battlefield is owned and managed by Shenandoah University and is open to the public. The site features trails including a two-mile, self-guided trail describing key moments in the battle.

In the Spring of 1864, General Grant, who was appointed Lieutenant General in March and put in command of all of the Union armies, realized that the complete destruction of the Confederacy was the only way to win the war. President Lincoln and others agreed with him. To achieve this aim, Grant directed all of the armies to simultaneously attack Confederates on multiple fronts, including in the Shenandoah Valley. To distract Grant from this approach, in June Confederate General Robert E. Lee ordered Jubal Early to invade Maryland to draw Union troops away from Virginia. Lee also hoped Early could attack Washington D.C. The plan worked. By the time Early reached Washington on July 11, Grant had sent Union troops to help protect the city. However, they arrived just in time at Fort Stevens, which was located on the northern outskirts of the city and just a few miles from the White House. Early and the defenders skirmished, which resulted in hundreds of casualties on both sides. Early concluded that the fort was too well defended and retreated back to Virginia.

Lincoln directed Union forces to pursue and eliminate Early's army as they made their way south. The Battle of Cool Spring was part of this effort. Early made his headquarters in Berryville on July 17. Although Confederate troops blocked Union cavalry from crossing the river, Union troops eventually did so and formed two battle lines (see map below), with cannons placed on the bluffs on the other side of the river. The sides clashed for a few hours and eventually Union troops were ordered to retreat back across the river. The next day, the battle became a stalemate as each side closely watched the other. This ended when Union reinforcements were sent from Harper's Ferry, prompting Early to move his army out of Berryville on the 19. It wasn't until October that Union forces were able to finally push the Confederates out of the Shenandoah Valley for good.

Shenandoah University acquired the land on the eastern side of the river in 2013. The property was previously a golf course. The battlefield was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 as a historic district that includes large areas of land on either side of the river.

"Cool Spring." American Battlefield Trust. Accessed June 13, 2023. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/cool-spring.

"Cool Spring Battlefield." Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. Accessed June 13, 2023. https://www.shenandoahatwar.org/cool-spring-battlefield.

Geier, Clarence R. et al. "Cool Spring Battlefield." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. June 6, 1997. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41680254.