Shenandoah Summer: The 1864 Valley Campaign

by Scott C. Patchan

Jubal A. Early’s disastrous battles in the Shenandoah Valley ultimately resulted in his ignominious dismissal. But Early’s lesser-known summer campaign of 1864, between his raid on Washington and Phil Sheridan’s renowned fall campaign, had a significant impact on the political and military landscape of the time. By focusing on military tactics and battle history, Scott C. Patchan uncovers the facts and actions of these little-understood battles and offers a new perspective on Early’s contributions to the Confederate war effort—and to Union battle plans and politicking.

 

Patchan details previously unexplored battles at Rutherford’s Farm and Kernstown (a pinnacle of Confederate operations in the Shenandoah Valley). He examines the campaign’s influence on President Lincoln’s reelection efforts and provides insights into the personalities, careers, and roles in Shenandoah of Confederate General John C. Breckinridge, Union General George Crook, and Union Colonel James A. Mulligan, with his “fighting Irish” brigade from Chicago. Finally, Patchan reconsiders the ever-colorful and controversial Early himself, whose importance in the Confederate military pantheon this book at last makes clear.

 

Genres: Civil War, History, American Civil War

394 pages, Hardcover

First published January 6, 2007

Reviews

[Michael C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely 4.5
A Civil War campaign lost in history.

[Heinz Reinhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the Rebel advance into Maryland in the summer of 1864, an advance halted at Fort Stephens outside D.C., Washington determined to pursue the retiring Confederates under Major General Jubal Early and punish them. As it turned out, quite the opposite occurred.
Early has, rightly, taken flak for his tenure as an Army commander. While a superb Division commander, and even a very good Corps Commander, Early simply was not a great success as commander of an independent field force.
In 'Shenandoah Summer', Scott Patchan shows Early at his best, and Early's triumph in July of 1864 in the Valley should be added to the consideration of him as a field commander.
Pursued by two Corps from the Army of the Potomac, as well as the Army of the Kanawha (the main Federal force operating out of West Virginia), Early deftly avoided being cornered, and evaded his pursuers. His rear guard even managed to inflict serious losses on the Federals in some fierce, though small, encounters.
Early managed to make it seem as though he was returning back to Lee's main lines around Richmond-Petersburg, which prompted Grant to recall the VI and XIX Corps to his own works.
With only the Army of the Kanawha remaining in the Valley, Early pounced. At the Second Battle of Kernstown Early won the most lopsided Confederate victory of the entirety of the War Between the States, inflicting a 6-1 loss ratio on his foes, and clearing them from the Shenandoah.
Early followed this up with an August cavalry raid into Pennsylvania, which culminated in the sacking of the town of Chambersburg.
Patchan details all of this in an easy to read, fast moving, dramatic narrative often told by the participants themselves. However, Patchan does not make the mistake of failing to analyze what the people involved witnessed. His book is rich in analysis and gives the reader a clear understanding of just how important to the Rebel war effort Early's command was.
Early's triumph at 2nd Kernstown, and the raid into Pennsylvania boosted Southern morale, and reduced those of the long suffering North. However, it would come at a steep price.
Federal cavalry hotly pursued the Rebels after Chambersburg, and at the Battle of Moorefield Patchan shows how the Union horsemen delivered vengeance upon the Southern cavaliers, who were whipped so soundly that Early's cavalry was never again a major factor in the Valley Campaign.
Likewise, Grant, though irritated at diverting resources to a secondary theater, quickly ordered the two AoP Corps' back to the Valley, and gave them as their commander one of the best Generals in American military history: Philip Sheridan.
This is an excellent book, and following this the author details Sheridan's opening campaign against Early that culminated in the final Battle for Winchester. Hopefully, the author can be persuaded to write an excellent study on the operations that ended at Cedar Creek.
One of the best Civil War campaign narratives published in the last decade. Very highly recommended.

[Josh Liller · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1864, the Shenandoah Valley was the scene of a series of interlinked campaigns spanning just over five months. The first and last are the best know: Sigel's, Hunter's, Early's, Crook's, and Sheridan's. Sigel is remembered because New Market became one of the most famous small battles of the war. Early's campaign into Maryland brought the war to the doorstep of Washington, DC. Sheridan's crushing defeats helped seal Lincoln's reelection. Hunter's campaign garners too little attention. Scott Patchan has written about the first half of that campaign, centered on the Battle of Piedmont. But at least Hunter lives to some degree in infamy. The latter half of July 1864, primarily between Crook and Early, has been badly overlooked and Patchan rectified that here with an excellent book.

The book starts with Early's retreat back to Virginia and the subsequent sloppy Union pursuit by George Crook and Horatio Wright culminating in bloody, bungled attempts to force crossings of the Shenandoah River. The Union does score a small but dramatic victory at Rutherford's/Carter's Farm north of Winchester. Crook and Wright then badly misinterprets Early's intentions, resulting in Wright's departure pursuant to orders. Crook is unwittingly left outnumbered by Early, resulting in one of the worst routs of the war at Second Kernstown. The battle and retreat cover about a third of the main text of this book.

Failure to pursue and crush Early with overwhelming force in July 1864 and instead shift forces away from the Shenandoah to the Richmond area is reminiscent of similiar Union mistakes against Stonewall Jackson in the summer of 1862, with similarly disastrous results for the Union.

Other authors might have called the story done with Crook's retreat across the Potomac, but Patchan directly connects McClausand's infamous raid on and burning of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania as the final act of this campaign. The raid ends with one of the most dramatic cavalry charges of the war at Moorefield. (The Chambersburg raid could be the subject of a great movie.) The raid was only possible because of Kernstown, which was only possible because of Wright's departure. Burning Chambersburg directly results in the wrecking of Early's cavalry, the transfer of Sheridan and his cavalry to the Shenandoah, and Sheridan's harsh and destructive actions in the Valley. Patchan does a fantastic job of putting all the events in context and showing why these obscure events were quite important.

This is a university press publication so as you would expect there are extensive endnotes and bibliography. Maps are decent. A few relevant photographs are located at appropriate places. Patchan is a pretty good writer.

Highly recommended to American Civil War buffs and a must-read for anyone interested in the Shenandoah Valley campaigns of 1864.

[Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scott Patchan's "Shenandoah Summer" describes in great detail the July 1864 Shenandoah Valley Civil War campaign, pitting Confederate General Jubal Early against various Union commanders. When I purchased the book, I assumed it covered a broader range, from the beginning of Early's venture down the Valley, including his force's approach to the gates of Washington at Fort Stevens, all the way to the end of the Valley campaign in the fall of 1864. The first stages of the campaign are summarized quickly, but the narrative essentially brings us only up to the point when Philip Sheridan was appointed in early August to lead the various Union forces in subduing Early. I was a little disappointed, until I discovered that the author has now written a sequel, bringing the story up through "The Last Battle of Winchester" in September 1864.

Scott Patchan has evidently been a historical tour guide in the Shenandoah Valley, and his thorough knowledge of the terrain shows. He has also rigorously researched the movements and motivations of the various players in this stage of the Civil War. His natural storytelling ability shines through, but every so often the mechanics of his writing betray him. Most glaringly to me, he several times dangled a modifying clause at the beginning of a sentence. This is a particular pet peeve of mine. In addition, certain statements were repeated almost verbatim in different chapters. I think the book could have benefited from better editing, and as a result I've docked it a star.

With all that said, "Shenandoah Summer" is a fine campaign study of the period it covers.

[Mark Harden · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s strange that there is no book that covers the entire 1864 battles in the Shenandoah from New Market through Cedar Creek. This volume details less than a month, from July 11 through August 4. The compressed time offers a granular description of the campaign from the retreat of Early from Washington until the defeat of McCausland’s cavalry at Moorefield after the Chambersburg raid.

Patchan is the expert on this campaign, as is clear from his expert management of the narrative. In clear prose, he offers excellent character studies of the leaders on both sides, detailed tactical descriptions of each skirmish and battle, and high level strategic analysis and performance reviews.

This is one of those books that is thorough and definitive yet at the same time engaging and readable.

[Sean Chick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exhaustive account of the forgotten part of the 1864 fighting in the Shenandoah Valley. The maps are decent but could have been better all around. The prose is good, if not always arresting. The real strengths are Patchan's research and fair analysis of the campaign and the commanders, which does not veer into hyperbole. Even those commanders who performed poorly, such as Bradley T. Johnson and George Crook, are treated with an even hand.

[Pete Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's rare to encounter a book like this ... one that exhaustively covers a complete campaign season and places it in it's proper historical context.

If you are interested in the fighting in the Shenandoah, pick this this one up. It fills in an often overlooked gap between the battle of Monocacy and the transfer of Sheridan to the area of operations. It will really help connect the dots and bring more context into the decisions of Lee and Grant during this time period.

[W Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on an often overlooked time and place, the Shenandoah Valley in the summer of 1864. Most histories cover Early’s Raid on Washington and the fall campaign under Sheridan. This ably fills the gap. Well researched and well paced, it gives the reader the missing time period in between.