The Shenandoah Valley 1861 1865

Has the significance of the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War been overestimated? An extensive array of primary sources--including Philip Sheridan's official report--point to this revisionist conclusion.

The book, originally published in 1903, is a classic in detailing the major battles fought in the Shenandoah Valley. The new re-print has been annotated with additional notes for clarification and a closer look at the participants.

Into the Valley is the first book to offer a comprehensive history of every Civil War campaign that occurred in the Shenandoah Valley. The tour guide explores every battle and landmark used by the armies and contains hundreds of photographs that illustrate the driving tours, original battle maps, and more.

This book is a comprehensive history of the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War. The author, Sanford C. Kellogg, provides a detailed account of the military campaigns, battles, and political struggles that occurred in this important theater of the war. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Civil War and its impact on Virginia and the nation. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

No section of the United States furnishes a fuller picture of the extraordinary operations of two American armies, pitted against each other for four long years, than does the beautiful "Valley of Virginia," from Harper's Ferry south to Staunton. Its most important city, Winchester, in the lower valley, was occupied or abandoned sixty-eight times by the troops of both armies, as has been said by men of the period of 1861 to 1865, still living there. Indeed, that city changed commanders so frequently and so suddenly that it became customary for the inhabitants to ascertain each morning, before leaving their dwellings, which flag was flying--the Stars and Stripes or the Stars and Bars. Aside from its superb location, framed in by the Blue Ridge on the east and the Alleghenies on the west, the bottom lands watered by the two branches of the Shenandoah on either side of the main valley, it produced wonderful crops of grain and droves of horses, cattle and swine, proving a bountiful granary to either army that occupied it. -- Preface.

Generally regarded as the most important of the Civil War campaigns conducted in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, that of 1864 lasted more than four months and claimed more than 25,000 casualties. The armies of Philip H. Sheridan and Jubal A. Early contended for immense stakes. Beyond the agricultural bounty and the boost in morale a victory would bring, events in the Valley also would affect Abraham Lincoln's chances for reelection in the November 1864 presidential canvass. The eleven original essays in this volume reexamine common assumptions about the campaign, its major figures, and its significance. Taking advantage of the most recent scholarship and a wide range of primary sources, contributors examine strategy and tactics, the performances of key commanders on each side, the campaign's political repercussions, and the experiences of civilians caught in the path of the armies. The authors do not always agree with one another, yet, taken together, their essays highlight important connections between the home front and the battlefield, as well as ways in which military affairs, civilian experiences, and politics played off one another during the campaign. Contributors: William W. Bergen, Charlottesville, Virginia Keith S. Bohannon, State University of West Georgia Andre M. Fleche, University of Virginia Gary W. Gallagher, University of Virginia Joseph T. Glatthaar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Robert E. L. Krick, Richmond, Virginia Robert K. Krick, Fredericksburg, Virginia William J. Miller, Churchville, Virginia Aaron Sheehan-Dean, University of North Florida William G. Thomas, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Joan Waugh, University of California, Los Angeles