Battle of Fisher's Hill
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
On September 22, 1864, Confederate General Jubal Early with 18,000 Confederate soldiers made a stand at Fisher's Hill against the Union army. Union General Phillip H. Sheridan with 60,000 Union soldiers defeated the Confederate army mainly due to overwhelming numbers.
Images
Battle of Fisher's Hill Virginia historical marker
Monument to the Civil War Battle of Fisher's Hill along the Valley Pike south of Strasburg, Virginia
The tree still provides a great look out over the Valley
The 'Fisher's Hill Battlefield - Veteran's Picnic Grounds' wayside marker
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Just 2 miles south of Strasburg, Va. is the battlefield for Fisher's Hill. On this site there is a trail about 0.4 mile long where a person can view the battlefield.
Confederate Gen. Early had been ordered to divert Union forces from the Siege of Petersburg and the fighting around Richmond by threatening Washington by taking control of the Shenandoah Valley. He succeeded somewhat by drawing forces away from the other battles. Union General Phillip Sheridan had about 30,000 men opposing the 18,000 men under the command of the Confederate General Jubal Early for control of the Shenandoah Valley. After the defeat of Gen Early at the Battle of Winchester, the Confederate army was retreating south.
South of Strasburg the Shenandoah Valley is split in two by 40 mile long Masanutton Mountain, crossed by only one steep pass halfway down its length. The entrance to the northern half of the Valley is only four miles wide. A stream, Tumbling Run, comes down out of the west, carving a ravine on the north side of a steep-fronted ridge known as Fisher's Hill.The position seemed like a good place for Confederate Gen. Early to take a stand.
Gen. Early had a weakness as he didn't have enough men to fully span the 4 mile length of the line as he ran short about a mile short of the mountains to the West. Gen Early dispatched unmounted cavalry to loosely cover the gap. The Union forces recognized the Confederate weakness and dispatched Union Gen. George Crook to attack the weak gap of the Confederate forces while Union Gen. Sheridan's forces attacked the main Confederate force. This plan worked and the Confederate forces were beaten and forced to retreat about 75 miles to Waynesboro.
This battle left the Shenandoah Valley as far South as Staunton open for the next stage of Grant's strategy which was to burn crops, cattle, barns and mills to eliminate the Shenandoah Valley as the breadbasket for the Confederate army.
Confederate Gen. Early had been ordered to divert Union forces from the Siege of Petersburg and the fighting around Richmond by threatening Washington by taking control of the Shenandoah Valley. He succeeded somewhat by drawing forces away from the other battles. Union General Phillip Sheridan had about 30,000 men opposing the 18,000 men under the command of the Confederate General Jubal Early for control of the Shenandoah Valley. After the defeat of Gen Early at the Battle of Winchester, the Confederate army was retreating south.
South of Strasburg the Shenandoah Valley is split in two by 40 mile long Masanutton Mountain, crossed by only one steep pass halfway down its length. The entrance to the northern half of the Valley is only four miles wide. A stream, Tumbling Run, comes down out of the west, carving a ravine on the north side of a steep-fronted ridge known as Fisher's Hill.The position seemed like a good place for Confederate Gen. Early to take a stand.
Gen. Early had a weakness as he didn't have enough men to fully span the 4 mile length of the line as he ran short about a mile short of the mountains to the West. Gen Early dispatched unmounted cavalry to loosely cover the gap. The Union forces recognized the Confederate weakness and dispatched Union Gen. George Crook to attack the weak gap of the Confederate forces while Union Gen. Sheridan's forces attacked the main Confederate force. This plan worked and the Confederate forces were beaten and forced to retreat about 75 miles to Waynesboro.
This battle left the Shenandoah Valley as far South as Staunton open for the next stage of Grant's strategy which was to burn crops, cattle, barns and mills to eliminate the Shenandoah Valley as the breadbasket for the Confederate army.
Sources
Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.
"Battle of Fisher's Hill." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Oct. 2014. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.
"Fisher's Hill." The Battle of. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.
"A22 Battle of Fisher's Hill." The A22. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.
"Fisher's Hill Battlefield - Veteran's Picnic Grounds." The 'Fisher's Hill Battlefield. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.