Shamefully neglected in most Civil War histories, the crucial Shenandoah Valley campaign of 1864 is at last re-created and analyzed in this fascinating book. "Will stand as the definitive account of the final struggle".--The Civil War Book Exchange and Collector's Newspaper. 36 photos.

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.

Stott's diary reveals a soldier who was also a scholar in camp and on the march, one who took every available moment to read theology, philosophy, great literary works, and a few novels. He also had a playful side, slyly exposing a dry wit and a sense of humor that can sneak up on the reader.

The second of two volumes critiquing the generals who served under Ulysses Grant, focusing on their working relationships with Grant and assessing their actual performance commanding Union troops during the final two years of the war.

By spring 1864, the administration of Abraham Lincoln was in serious trouble, with mounting debt, low morale and eroding political support. As spring became summer, a force of Confederate troops led by Lieutenant General Jubal Anderson Early marched north through the Shenandoah Valley and crossed the Potomac as Washington, D.C., and Maryland lay nearly undefended. This Civil War history explores what could have been a decisive Confederate victory and the reasons Early's invasion of Maryland stalled.

Discusses how Union General Philip H. Sheridan rallied his men to turn defeat into victory on 19 October 1864.

"This book offers a unique mosaic of the Civil War through the eyes of individuals who lived and served in various parts of the Commonwealth. Between them, thses women and men experienced every facet of the war, from secession to combat, hardship to ultimate defeat. Throughout thir collective ordeal we see the human reaction to war and a sense of hope in the "cause' until it was lost."--Brian Steel Wills, Professor, The University of Virginia's College at Wise.