A significant part of the Civil War was fought in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, especially in 1864. Books and articles have been written about the fighting that took place there, but they generally cover only a small period of time and focus on a particular battle or campaign.
This work covers the entire year of 1864 so that readers can clearly see how one event led to another in the Shenandoah Valley and turned once-peaceful garden spots into gory battlefields. It tells the stories of the great leaders, ordinary men, innocent civilians, and armies large and small taking part in battles at New Market, Chambersburg, Winchester, Fisher’s Hill and Cedar Creek, but it primarily tells the stories of the soldiers, Union and Confederate, who were willing to risk their lives for their beliefs. The author has made extensive use of memoirs, letters and reports written by the soldiers of both sides who fought in the Shenandoah Valley in 1864.

Jack H. Lepa, the author of several Civil War books, lives in Las Vegas, retired after almost forty years in the hotel industry.

Jack H. Lepa
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 260
Bibliographic Info: 16 photos, 10 maps, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2010 [2003]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4583-7
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1

1. A Long Road Ahead      3

2. The Valley      13

3. The Campaign Begins      20

4. The Battle of New Market      33

5. New Commander, Same Plan      46

6. The Battle of Piedmont      53

7. On to Staunton and Lynchburg      60

8. Lynchburg and Retreat      73

9. Early Moves North      84

10. The Battle of Monocacy      95

11. The War Comes to Washington      103

12. Back to the Valley      116

13. Chambersburg and the Turning Point      126

14. A War of Maneuver      135

15. The Battle of Winchester      146

16. The Battle of Fisher’s Hill      160

17. The Burning and Tom’s Brook      170

18. Camping at Cedar Creek      179

19. Cedar Creek, The Morning      189

20. Cedar Creek, The Afternoon      199

21. To the End      211

Notes      221

Bibliography      235

Index      243

“the writing style is very good…told in depth”—The Civil War News; “remarkable…a fine job”—Civil War Interactive.