Union Forces Commanded by: Brig. Gen. Wesley Merritt
Confederate Forces Commanded by: Lt. Gen. Richard Anderson
**Missing and Captured Conclusion: Inconclusive Victory |
BATTLE SUMMARY
With the Army of the Potomac too strong for Gen. Robert E. Lee to attack, he had to seek offensive opportunities elsewhere. In mid-summer the best option was in the Shenandoah Valley, where Gen. Jubal A. Early had almost repeated Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson’s exploits. Although Early had been rebuffed at Washington, he still had a potent force in the Valley.