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VIII.
Sheridan's operations in the Valley.
Before proceeding to recount the history of the final campaign of the Army of the Potomac, it will be necessary to describe briefly the
summer and
autumn operations in the Shenandoah Valley, as they have an important bearing on the events that are to follow.
In the relative situations of the contending armies in
Virginia, the operations in the Shenandoah Valley had always exercised a powerful influence on the main current of action.
From the peculiar geographical relations of that Valley in a military point of view, it was always open to a detached force to make incursions across the frontier of the loyal States, whether for the purpose of plunder or of a diversion in favor of the main Confederate army, by a menace against
Washington.
At the same time, the line of the
Blue Ridge perfectly covered its communications with
Richmond and
Lee's army.
From this circumstance, the
Confederates had always been able, with astonishingly small bodies of cavalry and infantry, to retain a powerful Federal force for the protection of the frontier of
Maryland and
Pennsylvania.
In several critical situations the
Shenandoah column had, by vigorous demonstrations, paralyzed the Army of the Potomac, by calling away therefrom so considerable a force as to compel a surcease of operations on the main line.
Relying on the oft-proved effect of such threats,
Lee, as soon as he found himself under beleaguerment at
Petersburg, had detached the column of
Early to menace the
Federal capital.
It has already been seen that the result did not correspond with his wishes; for
Grant, parting only with a sufficiency of force to protect
Washington, continued to hold
Lee with an unrelaxing grip.
