Battle of Fishers Hill in the American Civil War

Battle of Fishers Hill in the American Civil War Battle of Fishers Hill - Conflict Date: The Battle of Fishers Hill was fought September 21-22, 1864, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Armies Commanders: Union Major General Philip H. Sheridan29,444 men Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early9,500 men Battle of Fishers Hill - Background: In June 1864, with his army besieged at Petersburg by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, General Robert E. Lee detached Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early with orders to operate in the Shenandoah Valley.   The goal of this was to have Early reverse Confederate fortunes  in the region which had been sustained a blow due to Major General David Hunters victory at Piedmont  earlier in the month.   Additionally, Lee hoped that Earlys men would divert some Union forces away from Petersburg.   Arriving at Lynchburg, Early was able to force Hunter to withdraw into West Virginia and then drove down  (north) the valley.   Entering into Maryland, he pushed aside a scratch Union force at the Battle of Monocacy on July 9.  Ã‚  Responding  to this new threat, Grant ordered Major General Horatio G. Wrights VI Corps north from the siege lines to reinforce Washington, DC.   Though Early threatened the capital later in July, he lacked the forces to mount a meaningful assault on th e Union defenses.   With little other choice, he withdrew back to the Shenandoah. Battle of Fishers Hill - Sheridan Takes Command: Weary of Earlys activities, Grant created the Army of the Shenandoah on August 1 and appointed his cavalry chief, Major General Philip H. Sheridan, to lead it.   Composed of Wrights VI Corps, Brigadier General William Emorys XIX Corps, Major General George Crooks VIII Corps (Army of West Virginia), and three  divisions of cavalry under Major General Alfred Torbert,  this new formation received orders to eliminate Confederate forces in the Valley and render the  region worthless as a source of supplies for Lee.   Moving south from Harpers Ferry, Sheridan initially showed caution and probed to ascertain Earlys strength.   Leading four  infantry and two cavalry divisions, Early misinterpreted Sheridans early  tentativeness as  over-caution and permitted his command to be strung out between Martinsburg and Winchester. Battle of Fishers Hill - Gibraltar of the Shenandoah Valley: In mid-September, having gained an understanding of Earlys forces, Sheridan moved against the Confederates at Winchester.   In the Third Battle of Winchester (Opequon) his forces inflicted a severe defeat on the enemy and sent Early reeling south.   Seeking to recover, Early reformed his men along Fishers Hill just south of Strasburg.   A strong position, the hill was situated at a point where the valley narrowed with Little North Mountain to the west and Massanutten Mountain to the east.   Additionally, the north side of Fishers Hill possessed a steep slope and was fronted by a creek named Tumbling Run.   Known as the Gibraltar of the Shenandoah Valley, Earlys men occupied the heights and prepared to meet Sheridans advancing Union forces.    Though Fishers Hill offered a strong position, Early lacked sufficient forces to cover the four miles between the two mountains.   Anchoring his right on Massanutten, he deployed the divisions of Brigadier General Gabriel C. Wharton, Major General John B. Gordon, Brigadier General John Pegram, and Major General Stephen D. Ramseur in a line extending east to west.   To bridge the gap between Ramseurs left flank and Little North Mountain, he employed Major General Lunsford L. Lomaxs cavalry division in a dismounted role.   With the arrival of Sheridans army on September 20, Early began to realize the danger of his position and that his left was extremely weak.   As a result, he began making plans for a retreat further south to begin on the evening of September 22.      Battle of Fishers Hill - The Union Plan: Meeting with his corps commanders on September 20, Sheridan rejected mounting a frontal assault against Fishers Hill as it would cause heavy losses and had a questionable chance of success.   Subsequent discussions resulted in a plan to strike Earlys right near Massanutten.   While this was endorsed by Wright and Emory, Crook had reservations as any movement in that area would be visible to the Confederate signal station atop Massanutten.   Adjourning the meeting, Sheridan reconvened the group that evening to discuss a thrust against the Confederate left.   Crook, with support from one of his brigade commanders, future president Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes, argued in favor of this approach while Wright, who did not wish his men to be relegated to a secondary role, fought against it.   When Sheridan approved of the plan, Wright attempted to secure leading the flank attack for VI Corps.   This was blocked by Hayes who reminded the Union commander that VIII Corps had spent much of the war fighting in the mountains and was better equipped to traverse the difficult terrain of Little North Mountain than VI Corps.   Resolving to move forward with the plan, Sheridan directed Crook to begin quietly moving his men into position.   That night, VIII Corps formed in heavy woods north of Cedar Creek and out of sight of the enemy signal station (Map). Battle of Fishers Hill - Turning the Flank: On September 21, Sheridan advanced VI and XIX Corps towards Fishers Hill.   Nearing the enemy lines, VI Corps occupied a small hill and began deploying its artillery.   Having remained concealed all day, Crooks men commenced moving again that evening and arrived at another concealed position north of Hupps Hill.   On the morning of the 21st, they ascended the east face of Little North Mountain and marched southwest.   Around 3:00 PM, Brigadier General Bryan Grimes reported to Ramseur that enemy troops were on their left.   After initially dismissing Grimes claim, Ramseur then saw Crooks men approaching through his field glasses.   Despite this, he refused to send more forces to the left end of the line until he discussed it with Early. In position by 4:00 PM, Crooks two divisions, led by Hayes and Colonel Joseph Thoburn, commenced their attack on Lomaxs flank.   Driving in the Confederate pickets, they quickly routed Lomaxs men and pressed on towards Ramseurs division.   As VIII Corps began to engage Ramseurs men it was joined on its left by Brigadier General James B. Ricketts division from VI Corps.   Additionally, Sheridan directed the remainder of VI Corps and XIX Corps to pressure Earlys front.   In an attempt to rescue the situation, Ramseur directed Brigadier General Cullen A. Battles brigade on his left to refuse back to face Crooks men.   Though Battles men mounted a fierce resistance, they were soon overwhelmed.   Ramseur then sent Brigadier General  William R. Cox’s brigade to aid Battle.   This force became lost in the confusion of the fight and played little role in the engagement. Pressing forward, Crook and Ricketts next rolled Grimes brigade as enemy resistance faltered.   With his line shattered, Early began directing his men to withdraw south.   One of his staff officers, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Pendleton, attempted to mount a rearguard action on the Valley Turnpike but was mortally wounded.   As the Confederates retreated in confusion, Sheridan ordered a pursuit in the hopes of dealing Early a fatal blow.   Chasing the enemy south, the Union troops finally broke off their efforts near Woodstock. Battle of Fishers Hill - Aftermath: A stunning success for Sheridan, the Battle of Fishers Hill saw his troops capture nearly 1,000 of Earlys men while killing 31 and wounding around 200.   Union losses included 51 killed and around 400 wounded.   As Early escaped south, Sheridan commenced laying waste to the lower part of the Shenandoah Valley.   Reorganizing his command, Early attacked the Army of the Shenandoah on October 19 while Sheridan was away.   Though the fighting at the Battle of Cedar Creek initially favored the Confederates, Sheridans return later in the day led to a change in fortunes with Earlys men being driven from the field.   The defeat effectively gave control of the valley to the Union and eliminated Earlys army as an effective force.    Selected Sources Civil War Trust: Battle of Fishers HillShenandoah at War: Battle of Fishers HillHistoryNet: Battle of Fishers Hill