Battle of Lynchburg

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Lynchburg Campaign
New Market – Piedmont – Lynchburg

The Battle of Lynchburg took place on June 17 through June 18, 1864. It was an American Civil War battle in Virginia, part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864.

The battle was fought when Maj. Gen. David Hunter led his Union forces from Lexington in an attempt to take Confederate rail and canal depots, as well as a hospital, located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Upon reaching the outskirts of the town on June 17, Hunter's forces were met by Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early's Second Corps vanguard. Under the false impression that the Confederate forces stationed in Lynchburg were much larger than anticipated, Hunter was repelled by the forces of Confederate General Jubal Early on June 18, 1864, in the Battle of Lynchburg. To create the false impression, a train was continuously run up and down the tracks while the citizens of Lynchburg cheered as if reinforcements were unloading. Even the local prostitutes took part in the deception, misinforming their Union "clients" of the large number of Confederate reinforcements.

Hunter's retreat route through West Virginia left a gaping hole in the Union's forces in the Shenandoah Valley, allowing Confederate advance into Maryland.