Learn Our History Today: On August 11, 1864, during the Civil War, Winchester, Virginia was captured by Union troops under General Phil Sheridan after the departure of Confederate General Jubal Early from the city. Located at the very tip of the Shenandoah Valley, an extremely fertile region of western Virginia, Winchester was one of the most strategic towns of the entire conflict. It sat on the same latitude as Washington D.C. and was located at the confluence of more than three major railroads. During the war, Winchester was the epicenter of all fighting that went on in the Shenandoah Valley and at least a dozen battles took place in or around Winchester. Stonewall Jackson and Phil Sheridan both had headquarters in Winchester at one time or another, with the two buildings being located only blocks apart. In addition to battles, the city itself was occupied by each side on numerous occasions and Winchester was said to have changed hands seventy-two times. Occupation, no matter what side, was brutal on the inhabitants. Citizens were exiled for allegiances, homes were taken and used for military affairs illegally, and personal property was stolen by soldiers both Union and Confederate. Occupation under Phil Sheridan, which began after August 11, was exceptionally hard on Winchester’s inhabitants as the general set out on a “total war” style of campaign designed to drain the Confederacy of resources. Under Sheridan nearly 2,000 barns were destroyed and seventy mills were razed to the ground. After a few months of his occupation, Sheridan stated, “The crow that flies over the Valley of Virginia must henceforth carry his rations with him.”
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 17:28:55 +0000
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