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Nestled between the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia's Shenandoah Valley enjoyed tremendous prosperity before the Civil War.
This valuable stretch of land--called
the Breadbasket of the Confederacy due to its rich soil and ample harvests--became the source of many conflicts between the Confederate and Union armies. Of the thirteen major battles fought here, none was more influential than the
Battle of Cedar Creek. On October 19, 1864, General Philip Sheridan's Union troops finally gained control of the valley, which eliminated the Shenandoah as a supply source for Confederate forces in Virginia, ended the valley's role as a diversionary theater of war and stopped its use as an avenue of invasion into the North.
Civil War historian, preservationist, and author Jonathan A. Noyalas explains the battle and how it aided Abraham Lincoln's reelection campaign and defined Sheridan's enduring legacy.
About the author
Jonathan A. Noyalas is an assistant professor of history and director of the Center for Civil War History at Lord Fairfax Community College in Middletown, Virginia, and the author or editor of seven books on Civil War, era history. Active in battlefield preservation, he serves on the board of directors of the Kernstown Battlefield Association and the committee on interpretation and education of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. Professor Noyalas is currently serving as the Civil War historian for the historic resource study at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park.
