The Battle of Guard Hill, Battle of Crooked Run, Battle of Cedarville, or the Battle of Front Royal took place on August 16, 1864, in

Warren County, Virginia Warren County is a U.S. county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The 2020 census places Warren County within the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area with a population of 40,727. The county seat is F ...

as part of

Philip H. Sheridan Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...

's Shenandoah Valley Campaign of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Confederate forces under

Richard H. Anderson Richard Anderson (1926–2017) was an American actor. Richard, Rich, Richie, or Dick Anderson may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * Richard Dean Anderson (born 1950), American actor * Richard L. Anderson (sound effects editor) (1977–2013) ...

were sent from Petersburg to reinforce Early. Brig. Gen.

Wesley Merritt Wesley Merritt (June 16, 1836December 3, 1910) was an American major general who served in the cavalry of the United States Army during the American Civil War, American Indian Wars, and Spanish–American War. Following the latter war, he became ...

's Union cavalry division surprised the Confederate columns while they were crossing the

Shenandoah River The Shenandoah River is the principal tributary of the Potomac River, long with two forks approximately long each,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 in t ...

, capturing about 300. The Confederates rallied and advanced, gradually pushing back Merritt's men to Cedarville. The battle was inconclusive.

Battle

On the morning of August 16,

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

troopers scattered the Federal pickets at the

crossing at

Front Royal Front Royal is the only incorporated town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was 15,011 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. History The entire Shenandoah Valley including the area to become F ...

. The troopers pursued them down the Front Royal Pike, eventually coming to Guard Hill, a prominent landmark. There, they were hit by

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Brig. Gen. Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Thomas C. Devin's dismounted

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

brigade and sustained heavy losses. Confederate Brig. Gen.

William T. Wofford William Tatum Wofford (June 28, 1824 – May 22, 1884) was an officer during the Mexican–American War and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Early life and career Wofford was born near Toccoa in Habersham C ...

's brigade attempted a flanking movement by wading across Crooked Run. There, they were attacked by two

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

s, who took 300 of them captive. Union Brig. Gen.

George A. Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, b ...

Michigan Brigade The Michigan Brigade, sometimes called the Wolverines, the Michigan Cavalry Brigade or Custer's Brigade, was a brigade of cavalry in the volunteer Union Army during the latter half of the American Civil War. Composed primarily of the 1st Michigan C ...

rode toward the battle and sustained Devin's line along Crooked Run until they were forced to withdraw to Cedarville by Confederate

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

now on Guard Hill. During the afternoon of August 16,

Williams C. Wickham Williams Carter Wickham (September 21, 1820 – July 23, 1888) was a Virginia lawyer and politician. A plantation owner who served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly, Wickham also became a delegate to the Virginia Secession Conventi ...

led a charge of Brig. Gen. Thomas C. Devin's brigade army towards Cedarville. Devin brought two of his regiments forward in order counterattack, but a Confederate and a Union regiment strikes each other in a sword fight. The Confederate broke apart and retreated back to their positions and Wickham led another charge resulting in the Union's force to weakened to the point where his own men have to cross the river again. While Devin's unit captured two flags and 139 soldiers. The Union's victory had been planned out very well. Brig. Gen.

, commander of the 1st Division, Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Shenandoah, confirmed the presence of the Confederate which forced Sheridan to order a retreat down the valley from the town, Front Royal. On the night of the battle, Sheridan's unit went back to their lines at

Harper's Ferry, West Virginia Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia. It is located in the lower Shenandoah Valley. The population was 285 at the 2020 census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, where the U.S. stat ...

and once the night had passed by, Merritt and his unit went to Nineveh, Virginia.

Outcome

According to Pachan, the

's superior numbers and quality leadership routed the

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

, and the battle proved a watershed event in the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...

campaign.

References

External links

National Park Service battle summary

CWSAC Report Update
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guard Hill, Battle Of Valley campaigns of 1864 Battles of the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War Inconclusive battles of the American Civil War Battles of the American Civil War in Virginia

Battle of Guard Hill The Battle of Guard Hill, Battle of Crooked Run, Battle of Cedarville, or the Battle of Front Royal took place on August 16, 1864, in Warren County, Virginia as part of Philip H. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign of the American Civil War. ...

Conflicts in 1864 1864 in Virginia August 1864 events

Battle

Outcome

References

Further reading

External links