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Article: Valley's role often overlooked; The Confederate 'highway'.(TRAVEL)(THE CIVIL WAR)
- Article from:
- The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
- Article date:
- August 18, 2007
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 The Washington Times LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: John M. Taylor, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Virginia's Shenandoah Valley was a secondary theater for most of the Civil War.
After a series of defeats at the hands of Stonewall Jackson in 1862, the Federals were in no rush to return to the valley. For most of 1863, the area remained a backwater, but an important one, for the Shenandoah Valley was a vital food-producing area for the Confederacy and a potential highway for any Confederate invasion of the North.
The situation changed in 1864. Gen. Robert E. Lee, eager to force the Yankees to divert forces from the Richmond front, sought to distract the enemy with movements in the valley. ...