Allamong, Larry W./Kehoe, Mike K./Kleese, Richard B. u.a. Badly Routed

The Battle of Fisher’s Hill in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, September 22-24, 1864

"I don't believe that ever an army was so utterly defeated," Major General Phil Sheridan declared in a message to Lieutenant General U.S. Grant the morning after the decisive victory at Fisher's Hill, Virginia, on September 22, 1864. The battlefield triumph was the result of Sheridan's ingenious plan to annihilate Lieutenant General Jubal Early's Confederate army, encamped in a seemingly impregnable position along the aptly named Tumbling Run, south of Strasburg in Virginia's strategically vital Shenandoah Valley. The battle was Early's last chance to prevent the valley's complete destruction in the fall of 1864. "So Badly Routed" is the first comprehensive account of this event. After several unsuccessful Union attempts to gain control of the Shenandoah Valley (known as the "breadbasket of the Confederacy"), Grant tasked Sheridan and his Army of Shenandoah with clearing and purging the region of enemy troops. Grant had grown weary of Early's constant threats against the capital, Washington, D.C., whose presence in the Shenandoah Valley also benefited Robert E. Lee's battered Army of Northern Virginia. The authors utilize extensive firsthand archival research to thoroughly examine the military operations in the days following the Third Battle of Winchester up to Sheridan's assault on Fisher's Hill. Their descriptions of the fighting, supported by precise and informative maps and accounts from the soldiers themselves, provide a comprehensive account of the decisive battle and the related military actions in Warren and Page Counties, as well as the Mosby Affair in Front Royal. Students and genealogists will appreciate the extensive original data from the muster rolls used to create the battle order, which for the first time names the actual commanders of the units on the battlefield that day. In addition to previously unpublished, detailed information, "So Badly Routed" includes powerful illustrations, complete casualty lists, and a virtual tour. This study is a valuable addition to the library of Civil War enthusiasts and genealogists.