Cedar Creek, Virginia
October 19, 1864

After a string of costly setbacks at the hands of Union Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan during September and early October of 1864, it appeared that Confederate domination of the fertile Shenandoah Valley had finally ended. However, the Rebel chieftain, Lt. Gen. Jubal Early, was a stubborn man who would not easily admit defeat.

On the morning of October 19, Early launched an audacious surprise assault at Cedar Creek that routed elements of Sheridan's army and nearly reversed Southern fortunes in the Valley. Unfortunately for Early, his opponent was also his equal in stubbornness. Sheridan, galloping onto the field after a nearly 15-mile ride from his headquarters in Winchester, rallied his men and launched a crushing counter-attack from which Early's army would never recover.

Never again would a Southern army seriously challenge Union control of the Shenandoah. Coupled with ongoing Union success in Georgia following the fall of Atlanta, the victory at Cedar Creek propelled President Abraham Lincoln to success in the 1864 election.

Threat: The threat to Cedar Creek is as dire and immediate as any faced at a Civil War battlefield. The O-N Minerals Company has filed an application with Frederick County to rezone 639 acres from "rural" to "extractive manufacturing" so as to expand its current mining operations with five additional quarries. The property in question is adjacent to the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. According to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, at least 60 percent of this property is core battlefield land.

In June 2006, the Frederick County Planning Commission voted unanimously against the O-N rezoning application. However, the final decision rests ultimately with the Frederick County Board of Supervisors. That decision is expected later this spring.

Priority: CWSAC classified Cedar Creek as a Priority I, Class A battlefield—its highest designation.

Please note that no attempt is made to rank the sites within History Under Siege— instead, the battlefields are listed in alphabetical order.