Third Winchester

The battle of Third Winchester took place on September 19, 1864. In the largest and bloodiest battle in the Valley, Union Gen. Philip Sheridan will attempt to clear the Shenandoah Valley once and for all as Confederate Gen. Jubal Early blocks his advance east of Winchester.

This is the largest battle in the Shenandoah Valley and part of the last phase of the 1864 Valley Campaign also known as Sheridan’s Campaign. The battle included two future U.S. Presidents, two future governors of Virginia, a former U.S. Vice President, and a colonel who would be the grandfather to WWII legend George S. Patton Jr.

Part of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s overall wartime strategy was to clear the Shenandoah Valley once and for all while eliminating the breadbasket of the Confederacy and invasion route of the North. If effective, it will also threaten Gen. Robert E. Lee’s left and rear flank.

However, in September of 1864, Gen. Sheridan saw an opportunity to strike against a portion of Gen. Early’s force east of Winchester. On September 19, 1864, a large slow moving Union force moving west along the Berryville Pike towards Winchester encountered Confederates at the Berryville Canyon. 

This will delay the Union advance and allow Confederate Gen. Early to consolidate his largely outnumbered army along a strong ridge, running north to south, east of Winchester, and use the topography to his advantage.

While the main Confederate line held steady against superior numbers, a late afternoon attack with fresh Union infantry and cavalry divisions descended from the north and smashed into the Confederate left flank. This attack will unhinge the Confederate line and drive them back towards their forts and defenses outside of Winchester

At the end of the day Gen. Alfred Torbert will lead a grand cavalry charge down the Valley Turnpike with infantry support and take the Star Fort, Fort Collier, and other surrounding defenses. This would cause the Confederates to retreat, running through the streets of Winchester, and ending the battle.

The bloodiest battle of the Valley will cost the Union 5,000 casualties including one general dead and two others wounded. Meanwhile, the Confederates will take 4,000 casualties, just over twenty-five percent, with two generals killed and four others wounded.

Third Winchester was the beginning of the end of the Confederate supremacy of the Valley. A series of Confederate defeats that fall will ensue which will help aid the reelection of President Lincoln.

Notable Places of Interest at the Third Winchester Battle Site

• The James R. Wilkins Winchester Battlefields Visitor Center – Located next to the Third Winchester battlefield, it interprets all three Winchester battlefields. Gift shop on site.
• The Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum – Located in historic downtown Winchester, the collection is housed in the old Frederick County Courthouse.
• Fort Collier Civil War Center – Located where the final Union attack broke the last Confederate line. See preserved earthworks and the recreated Stine House.
• Winchester National Cemetery – A cemetery for Federal soldiers, many Civil War regimental monuments can be found here.
• Stonewall Confederate Cemetery – A subsection in Mount Hebron Cemetery in Winchester. 2,575 Confederates are buried here including Gen. Turner Ashby and the Patton brothers. Various Civil War monuments are located here as well.
• Maj. Gen. Robert Rodes Monument – Stone monument located near the spot where the general fell mortally wounded while leading a counter-attack.