Cedar Creek, Battle of

In the American Civil War, decisive battle of the Shenandoah Valley campaign at Cedar Creek, 32 km/20 mi south of Winchester, Virginia, USA, 19 October 1864; 17,000 Confederates under General Jubal Early attacked and were defeated by 30,000 Union troops under General Philip Sheridan.

Sheridan had conducted a campaign up the valley during the autumn, defeating Early at Winchester and Fisher's Hill. Unwilling to advance further with winter approaching, he then withdrew down the valley and took up a position at Cedar Creek. Early pursued him and, calculating that the Union troops would be relaxed, made a dawn attack while Sheridan was absent in Washington. The attack struck the flank and rear of the Union position, forcing a headlong retreat. General Horatio Wright, commanding in Sheridan's absence, was beginning to stabilize the Union line when Sheridan returned, took command, and, seeing that the Confederates were more concerned with looting the abandoned Union camp than following up their victory, launched a counterattack which completely shattered Early's force and put an end to any further Confederate activity in the Shenandoah Valley.