The “Other” Valley Campaign

On October 19, 2022, award-winning Civil War historian Gary W. Gallagher delivered the 2022 Hazel and Fulton Chauncey Lecture. Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early’s 1864 Valley Campaign in the summer and autumn of 1864 reached a decisive climax in the battle of Cedar Creek on October 19. Far less famous than "Stonewall" Jackson’s more limited operations in the Valley during May–June 1862, Early’s featured a series of significant battles against a powerful Union army under Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan. This lecture will examine Early and Sheridan as commanders, explore the military, economic, and political impact of the campaign, and assess why Jackson’s campaign looms much larger in historical memory. Gary W. Gallagher is John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the American Civil War Emeritus Director, John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History. He is nationally renowned Civil War historian and the author and editor of numerous books and articles. His most recent book, a collection of essays on all aspects of the Civil War, is The Enduring Civil War: Reflections on the Great American Crisis. The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.