The second key event of Battle of Shenandoah is the appointment of General Sheridan as commander of General Grant’s General Grant’s new military division, the Middle Military Command that comprised of three departments, and charged him with clearing out the Shenandoah Valley.
The Battle of Shenandoah 1864 had three major phases, which took place in a time of the battles. The first phase was the Battle of Third Winchester (September 19), which pitted General Sheridan’s Army of the Shenandoah amassing approximately 50,000 union troops against General’s Jubal Early’s Army of the Valley with a confederate force approximately 13,000 troops. General Sheridan attacked Early inaugurating a campaign that would drive the Confederates out of the Shenandoah …show more content…
The Union army advanced, driving back the skirmishers and captured the important high ground. Early’s cavalry offered little resistance, and the startled infantry were unable to face the attacking force. The Confederate defense collapsed from west to east as General Sheridan’s other corps joined in the assault. Early retreated to Rockfish Gap near Waynesboro, opening the Valley to “scorched earth” invasion by Union forces. The final and third phase, Battle of Cedar Creek (October 19), involved the Early’s forces surprising General Sheridan’s Army while he was away at a military conference in Washington, DC. Gen. Sheridan arrived just as his forces was retreating rallying them with his 12-mile-long ride to the front of the battle launching a crushing counterattack, which recovered the battlefield. General Sheridan’s victory at Cedar Creek broke the back of the Confederate army in the Shenandoah Valley. This final engagement severed Early’s leadership & forces and he was never able to mount a serious offensive again, which in turn gave the Union the Valley. The outcome of the Battle of Shenandoah was that it caused a large number of fatalities on both sides and …show more content…
The influences of the three principles on Sheridan’s campaign in the valley are evident in how he led the battle. For instance, in line with the principle of accepting prudent risks, Sheridan was strategic and very cautious as he maneuvered the lower part of the Valley. General Sheridan considered all surrounding factors of the Valley and used them to make informed battle plans for the best possible outcome for his Army and avoided major battles where loss would have come at a huge tactical cost to his mission. Through this process, he located suitable defensive positions and decided to wait to execute his plan for 30 days. This delay concerned General Grant which led him to visit his hand-picked commander to find out why his plans to take the Shenandoah Valley was not happening. General Sheridan assured his superior that he had accurately planned the battle, mitigated all risks and was ready for the tasks at hand. On one hand, Sheridan’s strategy of only accepting the prudent battles is touted as having a negative impact on his campaigns and questioned his ability to command. Some military scholars would argue that his unwillingness to take a prudent risk resulted in failure to obtain a decisive win against the confederate army in the valley. This led to prolonged
The Battle of Shenandoah 1864 had three major phases, which took place in a time of the battles. The first phase was the Battle of Third Winchester (September 19), which pitted General Sheridan’s Army of the Shenandoah amassing approximately 50,000 union troops against General’s Jubal Early’s Army of the Valley with a confederate force approximately 13,000 troops. General Sheridan attacked Early inaugurating a campaign that would drive the Confederates out of the Shenandoah …show more content…
The Union army advanced, driving back the skirmishers and captured the important high ground. Early’s cavalry offered little resistance, and the startled infantry were unable to face the attacking force. The Confederate defense collapsed from west to east as General Sheridan’s other corps joined in the assault. Early retreated to Rockfish Gap near Waynesboro, opening the Valley to “scorched earth” invasion by Union forces. The final and third phase, Battle of Cedar Creek (October 19), involved the Early’s forces surprising General Sheridan’s Army while he was away at a military conference in Washington, DC. Gen. Sheridan arrived just as his forces was retreating rallying them with his 12-mile-long ride to the front of the battle launching a crushing counterattack, which recovered the battlefield. General Sheridan’s victory at Cedar Creek broke the back of the Confederate army in the Shenandoah Valley. This final engagement severed Early’s leadership & forces and he was never able to mount a serious offensive again, which in turn gave the Union the Valley. The outcome of the Battle of Shenandoah was that it caused a large number of fatalities on both sides and …show more content…
The influences of the three principles on Sheridan’s campaign in the valley are evident in how he led the battle. For instance, in line with the principle of accepting prudent risks, Sheridan was strategic and very cautious as he maneuvered the lower part of the Valley. General Sheridan considered all surrounding factors of the Valley and used them to make informed battle plans for the best possible outcome for his Army and avoided major battles where loss would have come at a huge tactical cost to his mission. Through this process, he located suitable defensive positions and decided to wait to execute his plan for 30 days. This delay concerned General Grant which led him to visit his hand-picked commander to find out why his plans to take the Shenandoah Valley was not happening. General Sheridan assured his superior that he had accurately planned the battle, mitigated all risks and was ready for the tasks at hand. On one hand, Sheridan’s strategy of only accepting the prudent battles is touted as having a negative impact on his campaigns and questioned his ability to command. Some military scholars would argue that his unwillingness to take a prudent risk resulted in failure to obtain a decisive win against the confederate army in the valley. This led to prolonged