Battle of Lynchburg

The Battle of Lynchburg was fought on June 17–18, 1864, as part of the American Civil War. Over 30,000 soldiers were at the battle, including cavalry and infantry. The fighting took place outside of Lynchburg, Virginia. The Union Army of West Virginia, commanded by Major General David Hunter, attempted to capture the city. Hunter took too much time moving his force to Lynchburg; allowing Confederate reinforcements time to arrive to defend the city. Hunter was repulsed by troops under the command of Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal Early. A portion of Early's troops arrived on the first day the battle. Following the battle, Confederate troops pursued the Union army as it retreated into West Virginia.

Lynchburg was important to the Confederate Army. It had three railroads, a navigable canal, military hospitals, and was a distribution center for food and military supplies. Telecommunication lines strung along the railroads enabled Confederate military headquarters in Richmond to communicate with regional headquarters in western Virginia and Tennessee. Because of its importance, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant wanted Hunter to attack the city and its railroads.

Hunter retreated west into West Virginia after his defeat at Lynchburg. This left the Shenandoah Valley open to the Confederate Army down to Maryland. Early moved down the valley and threatened Washington, DC, until his defeat in the Battle of Fort Stevens on July 11–12. After this battle, which took place less than four miles (6.4 km) from the White House, Early began a retreat back to the Shenandoah Valley. On July 30, cavalry sent by Early, and commanded by Brigadier General John McCausland, moved into Pennsylvania and burned the city of Chambersburg.