14th OVI / 3rd Arkansas Civil War Reenactors

Cedar Creek Preservation Page

The Battle of Cedar Creek

In October of 1864 the Federal Army of the Shenandoah, having soundly defeated the Confederate Army of the Valley at Winchester (September 19) and again at Fisher's Hill (September 22), chased the Confederate forces out of the Shenandoah Valley and either burned or appropriated all food reserves and livestock between Staunton and Strasburg. Thinking he had denied the Valley to the Confederacy, both as a food source and as an invasion route to the North, Major General Philip Sheridan left his army camped along Cedar Creek at Middleton and went to Washington for consultations.

  On the morning of October 19, Lieutenant General Jubal Early, with about 17,000 hungry and poorly equipped soldiers, launched a desperate surprise attack on the sleeping Federal army of at least 30,000. Attacking from the east, instead of the south, he drove the Federals from their camps, past Belle Grove plantation and through Middleton. At midday he halted his forces at the northern edge of Middleton to consolidate his victory and regroup. Hearing the sounds of battle, Sheridan made a hard ride from Winchester (later celebrated in poetry and song), found his army along a ridge north of Middleton, rallied his men and counterattacked, sweeping the confederates from the field.

Please help to save the trenches by donating to the land acquisition fund

Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation

Chartered as a non-profit, tax-exempt foundation in 1988, the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation made its first land purchase of 158 acres to prevent the development of an industrial park on the grounds surrounding the Heater House. In 1996 the Foundation retired this debt, and then purchased a large commercial building which now houses the Visitors Center and adjoining 15 acres. The debt on recently purchased 135 acre earthworks property (site of the devastating Confederate surprise attack on entrenched Union troops) has been reduced from $1,205k to $325k.

Portion of the Federal earthworks

Belle Grove Plantation

Visitors Center as seen from Belle Grove

More Federal earthworks