Shenandoah Valley Civil War Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of the Shenandoah Valley to the Union and Confederacy’s war effort during the Civil War. The Shenandoah Valley was so significant to the Union and Confederacy’s strategic position, logistical support on the Homefront and frontlines, and psychological/moral stability for the troops, it is the reason why the valley is home to some of the war’s key campaigns. This paper will discuss the Shenandoah Valley’s location, military importance, logistic relevance, and battles waged for its control. Whoever controlled the valley controlled the tempo of the war. The Shenandoah Valley was located in Virginia as it was known in 1862 and still remains a region within Virginia today. The expanse of the Shenandoah Valley that saw battles included the modern day counties as follows: Highland, Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Page, Warren, Clarke and Frederick Counties. Highland and Augusta Counties being the most southern and Frederick County being the most northern point of the valley. The valley in 1862 looked different on maps than it does today with modern roads that allow easy access through the valley and some mirror the troop movements of the Confederacy during the war.
The Confederacy needed to maintain control of the valley to secure export, supplies and a relatively secure economic base for the south to live on for the duration of the war. The Union saw the Shenandoah Valley not as a requirement to support a war effort like the Confederacy, but saw the valley as a strategic objective to cripple the Confederacy if occupied and controlled by Union troops. Shenandoah Valley was not just an agricultural powerhouse for the Confederacy and a key military objective to cripple the enemy, it also afforded flexibility to who controlled the