The Battle of Cedar Creek, fought on October 19, 1864, stands as one of the most dramatic turnarounds in American military history, primarily due to the inspiring leadership of General Philip H. Sheridan. This pivotal engagement in the Shenandoah Valley saw a near-total Union defeat transformed into a decisive victory, forever cementing General Sheridan’s legendary status.
As commander of the Army of the Shenandoah, General Philip H. Sheridan’s presence in Virginia in August 1864 marked a new era of aggressive campaigning for the Union. His strategy aimed to decisively defeat the Confederate forces and render the vital Shenandoah Valley unusable for the Confederacy, cutting off a crucial granary and supply route.
The Shenandoah Valley Campaign: Sheridan’s Early Victories
Upon taking command, General Sheridan wasted no time in engaging the enemy. He achieved brilliant victories against Confederate General Jubal A. Early, first at Winchester and then again at Fisher’s Hill. These successes were followed by another significant Union win when General Alfred Torbert’s cavalry routed General Thomas Rosser’s forces in an action so complete it earned the moniker “Woodstock Races.”
Sheridan’s initial plan was to conclude his campaign north of Staunton, then desolate the Valley to make it strategically untenable for the Confederates. Following this, he intended to move the bulk of his army through Washington to unite with General Ulysses S. Grant’s forces besieging Petersburg. However, Grant and the authorities in Washington favored a different approach: driving Early into Eastern Virginia and pursuing that line, a strategy Sheridan believed to be fundamentally flawed.
Strategic Disagreement and Sheridan’s Journey to Washington
This critical strategic divergence led to intense debate, culminating on October 16th. Leaving the main body of his army at Cedar Creek under the command of General Horatio Wright, Sheridan determined to travel to Washington personally to discuss the matter with General Henry W. Halleck and the Secretary of War. His journey was swift; he arrived in Washington on the morning of the 17th, departed by noon, and returned to Martinsburg that same night.
Sheridan spent the night in Martinsburg and, the following day, October 18th, rode with his escort to Winchester, arriving in the late afternoon. Hearing reports that all was quiet at Cedar Creek and along the front, he retired for the night, expecting to rejoin his army at headquarters the next day.
The Confederate Surprise Attack at Cedar Creek
The early morning of October 19th shattered the quiet. Around six o’clock, reports reached Sheridan of artillery firing in the direction of Cedar Creek. Initially, the irregular and fitful sounds led him to believe it was merely a skirmish. Yet, an underlying uneasiness prompted him to rise. Another officer soon reported continued firing, though still not sounding like a full-scale battle. Still unsettled, Sheridan mounted his horse between eight and nine o’clock after breakfast and rode slowly through Winchester.
A Scene of Panic and Retreat
As he reached the edge of town and paused, the distant, fitful firing suddenly transformed into an unceasing roar. Sheridan immediately understood that a general battle was underway. Riding forward, the rapid increase in the sound convinced him his army was falling back. After crossing Mill Creek just outside Winchester and cresting the rise beyond, a horrifying spectacle unfolded before him: a panic-stricken army in full retreat. Hundreds of wounded men, thousands of demoralized but unhurt soldiers, baggage wagons, and supply trains were all pressing to the rear in utter confusion. The Union lines at Cedar Creek had been broken.
A fugitive confirmed the grim reality: “the army was broken and in full retreat, and all was lost.” Sheridan instantly dispatched orders to Colonel Edwards in command of a brigade at Winchester, instructing him to stretch his troops across the valley to halt the flow of fugitives. His initial instinct was to make a stand there. However, as he rode, a different, audacious plan ignited in his mind. He deeply believed in his troops’ confidence in him and their determination to restore their broken ranks. Instead of merely holding Winchester, he would rally his army and lead them back to the very battlefield they had abandoned at Cedar Creek.
Sheridan’s Legendary Ride and the Turning Tide
Hardly had this resolve settled when news arrived: his headquarters at Cedar Creek had been captured, and the Union troops dispersed. Undeterred, Sheridan immediately set out with an escort of about 20 men, riding rapidly towards the front. As he galloped past, the unhurt men lining the road recognized him. Upon seeing their general, they threw up their hats, shouldered their muskets, and followed him as fast as they could. His officers rode alongside, spreading the electrifying news of the general’s return. As the word spread, retreating men in every direction rallied, turning their faces back towards the battlefield.
In his memoirs, reflecting on this momentous ride through the retreating troops, Sheridan famously recounted: “I said nothing, except to remark, as I rode among them, if I had been with you this morning, this disaster would not have happened. We must face the other way. We will go back and recover our camp.” With these powerful words, he galloped on for twenty miles, his ranks swelling with soldiers who, energized by his presence, rallied behind him in ever-increasing numbers.
The transformation was immediate and profound. As Sheridan passed, the paralyzing panic of retreat was replaced by the fierce ardor of battle. Sheridan had not overestimated the power of enthusiasm or his extraordinary ability to ignite it. He pressed steadily towards the front until he reached Getty’s division of the 6th Corps, which, along with the cavalry, were the only troops that had held their line and were still actively resisting the enemy. Getty’s division was positioned about a mile north of Middletown on slightly elevated ground, skirmishing with Confederate pickets. Leaping a rail fence, Sheridan rode to the crest of the hill, removed his hat, and was met with thunderous cheers of recognition as the men rose from behind their barricades.
Reforming the Lines and Launching the Counteroffensive
From this moment, Sheridan’s actions were a whirlwind of tactical brilliance. He first ordered the 19th Corps and two divisions of General Wright’s command to the front. He then communicated with Colonel Lowell, whose dismounted cavalrymen were fiercely fighting near Middletown, asking if he could hold his position, to which Lowell affirmed. These and many other swift orders consumed considerable time, but the Union soldiers were rapidly getting back into formation.
Seeing that the enemy was preparing to renew their attack, Sheridan rode along the entire line, ensuring every man could see him. His appearance was met with the wildest enthusiasm, and the army’s spirit was completely restored. The Confederate attack, launched shortly after noon, was decisively repulsed by General Emory’s forces. With the immediate threat neutralized, Sheridan meticulously worked to restore his battle lines, while General Merritt executed a bold charge that drove off an exposed Confederate battery.
The Decisive Union Advance
By half-past three, Sheridan had achieved what seemed impossible: his army was reformed and ready for a full-scale offensive. The fugitives he had rallied earlier that morning were back in their positions, and the different divisions were precisely arrayed. With a resounding order to advance, the entire Union line surged forward. The Confederates, initially resisting stubbornly, soon began to retreat. As they fell back past Cedar Creek, where the pike curved sharply west towards Fisher’s Hill, Merritt and Custer launched a devastating attack on the flank of the retreating columns. The Confederate army, routed and completely broken, fled up the Valley.
The day that had begun in utter rout and defeat concluded with a monumental victory for the Union army. The extent of the morning’s disaster before Sheridan’s arrival underscores the incredible transformation brought about by his timely appearance and masterful leadership.
Sheridan’s Tactical Genius at Cedar Creek
In Sheridan’s absence, General Jubal A. Early’s surprise dawn attack had plunged the national troops into chaos and panic. Only Getty’s division, supported by Lowell’s cavalry, had managed to hold their ground at Middletown; otherwise, the rout was complete. When Sheridan rode out of Winchester, he indeed encountered an army on the brink of total collapse. His initial thought, to rally his troops at Winchester, was quickly superseded by an audacious inspiration – the mark of a truly great commander. He believed his men would rally as soon as they saw him; he recognized that enthusiasm was a potent weapon of war, and this was the precise moment to wield it with decisive advantage.
With this conviction, he abandoned the more cautious plan of forming his men at Winchester and instead rode bareheaded through the fugitives, swinging his hat and calling on his men to follow him towards the front. The soldiers, seeing their resolute general, instantly turned and rushed after him. His faith in the power of personal enthusiasm was not misplaced. However, Sheridan did not rely solely on a wild rush to save the day. The moment he reached the battlefield, he set to work with the cool precision of a seasoned soldier, making all the necessary dispositions first to repel the enemy and then to deliver an irresistible attack. Division after division was rapidly brought into line and positioned, their thin ranks quickly filled by soldiers who had recovered from their panic and eagerly followed Sheridan and his black horse down from Winchester.
He had already been on the field for two hours when, at noon, he rode along the newly formed battle line. Many officers and men believed he had just arrived, unaware of the rapid, meticulous work he had already accomplished to bring them into fighting order. Once on the battlefield, the desperate rush from Winchester ended. The immediate priority was to reform the line, then to repulse the Confederate assault, effectively preventing them from regaining the offensive. But, undazzled by his brilliant success in stopping the rout, Sheridan did not rush his next moves. Two full hours passed as he methodically prepared. Then, when all was ready, his ranks established and his army precisely arrayed, he moved his entire line forward. This masterful counterattack secured one of the war’s most brilliant battles, a victory snatched from the jaws of surprise, disaster, and defeat purely through his profound power over his troops and his undeniable genius in action.
Conclusion: A Legacy of Leadership and Resolve
The Battle of Cedar Creek stands as a powerful testament to the impact of exceptional leadership during wartime. General Philip H. Sheridan’s arrival on the chaotic field not only stemmed the tide of a crushing defeat but ignited a resurgence that transformed despair into triumph. His legendary ride and unwavering resolve instilled renewed confidence in his demoralized troops, proving that a commander’s presence and tactical acumen can decisively alter the course of battle. This victory not only secured the Shenandoah Valley for the Union but also significantly boosted Northern morale, contributing to the ultimate Union success in the Civil War.
