Lee sent Lieutenant General Richard Anderson to the Valley with Kershaw’s Infantry Division, Fitz Lee’s Cavalry Division and Cutshaw’s Battery to reinforce Early’s army. His plan was already working: thousands of Federal troops were diverted from Petersburg.

Battle of Moorfield (Oldfields)

Averell’s Union cavalry ambushed McCausland’s raiders returning ffom Chamberbirg, killing or capturing 400 at a loss of less than 50 men.

Double Toll Gate

Early turned back Union cavalry east of Winchester who were attempting to cut the Valley Pike.

Guard Hill

Confederate reinforcements under Richard Anderson moved north to join Early around Winchester. Union cavalry under George Custer captured over 300 in a sudden attack north of Front Royal.

Summit Point

Early attacked the Union infantry at Cameron’s Depot while Anderson struck the cavalry at Summit Point, north of Berryville. Sheridan continued to withdraw.

Smithfield Crossing

Union cavalry were driven back from an attempted crossing of the Opequon, but a follow up attack by infantry restored the Union line along the creek.

Battle of Berryville

Anderson unsuccessfully attacked Crook’s Army of West Virginia at Berryville. Early reinforced him with the rest of the army but decided the Federal defences are too tough to attack.

Third Battle of Winchester, or Opequon (see details)

Sheridan attacked west from Berryville, hoping to catch Early’s scattered army and defeat it in detail. But delays from trying to move three army corps up the narrow Berryville canyon gave Early time to force march his scattered infantry and reconcentrate east of Winchester. The fight went on all day. Confederate General Robert Rodes and Union General David Russel were killed within a short distance of each other as the fighting seesawed back and forth.

By late afternoon Crook’s two divisions outflanked the main Confederate line on the north. The Union cavalry overran Early’s line north of Winchester in a thundering saber charge, the largest of the war. Early’s line collapsed and his army retreated through Winchester and south twenty miles to the natural citadel of Fisher’s Hill. Sheridan lost 5,000 men, about 12% of his army. Early lost 3,500, but these represented over 25% of his small force. It was the bloodiest battle fought in the Shenandoah Valley in the Civil War.

Early’s second in command, John Breckinridge, was ordered to leave the Valley to resume command of the Department of East Tennessee and Western Virginia.

Battle of Fisher’s Hill (see details)

Crook’s plan worked perfectly. While most of Sheridan’s men kept the attention of the Confederate defenders by preparing to make a frontal assault, Crook’s corps worked its way along the densely wooded mountain on the Confederate western flank. In the afternoon they charged down the mountainside “like an avalanch” and the Confederate line unraveled in panic. The rest of the Union line launched their assault against the rapidly emptying Confederate trenches. Compared to the Third Battle of Winchester three days before, Fisher’s Hill was almost bloodless – 30 Confederates and 51 Federals were killed, and 200 Confederates and 400 Federals wounded. Early, however, lost over a thousand prisoners, over a tenth of his army.

Sheridan’s victory was not complete. He had sent two of his three cavalry divisions in a long flank march to the east around Massanutten Mountain in the hopes they could cross and come in behind Early’s retreat at New Market. But Confederate cavalry blocked the attempt near Luray and it failed.

The Burning

Beginning near Staunton, Sheridan slowly withdrew down the Valley, destroying its manufacturing and agricultural capability as he went. Public buildings as well as mills and barns were burned, livestock were herded away and crops were removed or destroyed.

Battle of Tom’s Brook (see details)

Tired of the Confederate harassment, Sheridan told his cavalry commander, A.T.A. Torbert, to “whip the enemy or get whipped.” When they reached Tom’s Brook, Merritt’s and Custer’s divisions of cavalry turned on their tormentors and made use of their superior numbers and repeating carbines to rout the Confederate horsemen. They were chased twenty miles down the Valley Pike in what would come to be known as the “Woodstock Races.”

Battle of Hupps Hill

Battle of Cedar Creek (see details)

Early launched a pre-dawn surprise attack against the Union camps. Dense fog helped the Confederates, who rolled over the defenders and sent many of them running in a disorganized mob down the Valley Pike toward Winchester. But by mid-morning the attack reached the camps of the now-forewarned Army of the Potomac veterans of the 6th Corps and the fighting became much harder. The Federals established a defensive line and the Confederate attack lost its momentum as fatigue and the lure of looting the rich Union camps sapped Confederate strength.

Then Sheridan reappeared on the field. He had heard the sounds of battle in Winchester and had ridden hard for the army, rallying retreating stragglers as he came. By this time both armies faced each other in relatively static lines; Early did not want to push his worn-out men into more costly attacks, thinking the Federals were defeated and would withdraw in due time.

Instead Sheridan rallied his men, reinforced by stragglers he had brought back and the cavalry whose distant camps had not been overrun in the day’s fighting. After careful preparations Sheridan launched a crushing counterattack. It was resisted at first, but as it found weak spots the Confederate line began to crumble. Soon Early’s whole army was in panicked flight, with the Union cavalry riding hard to cut them off from retreat. Confederate General Stephen Dodson Ramseur, who had just learned of the birth of his daughter, was mortally wounded trying to rally his men. A cannon overturned and blocked a bridge on the Valley Pike, preventing the escape of most of Early’s artillery and wagons, including the Union artillery he had captured during the morning attack.

Early had launched a brilliant attack which almost succeeded. It would be his last.

Battle of Waynesboro

The last of Early’s infantry were wiped out. Early and a handful of followers escaped.

When Early sought to rejoin the army around Richmond, Lee told him that while he never doubted his abilities, public opinion prevented him from giving him a command. Lee thanked him for his service and told him to go home.