Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia. In the Shenandoah Valley, beneath the rocky spur of Massanutton: the Southerners initially prevail; General Sheridan is absent, but upon his return, he manages to turn the tide of the battle. The cavalry charge of Union General Custer completes the Southern defeat, which nevertheless continues to suffer greater Union casualties: 4,047 (unified) killed and wounded versus 1,860 (conf.). The Shenandoah Valley, or gateway to Washington, D.C., is nevertheless lost to the Confederacy.
