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Description:
In an effort to break the stalemate at Petersburg and Richmond,
Gen. Robert E. Lee sent the II Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
under General Early on a raid through the Shenandoah Valley and
Maryland to threaten Washington. The raid culminated on the very
outskirts of Washington at Ft. Stevens. Believing he had accomplished
his purpose, Early withdrew to the Shenandoah Valley crossing the
Potomac River at White's Ferry, and the Blue Ridge Mountains at
Snickers Gap. Early’s forces were closely pursued by a Federal
force, consisting of the VI Corps and elements of the XIX Corps
under Gen. Horatio Wright, who was joined by elements of Gen. George
Crook’s VIII Corps. Hoping to catch the Confederates on the
move, on July 17, Federal cavalry passed through Snickers Gap and
attempted to cross the Shenandoah River at Snickers Ford or “Castleman’s
Ferry.”
On the morning of July 18, the vanguard
of the Federal infantry moved through Snickers Gap and Col. Joseph
Thoburn was ordered to lead his division north to cross the river
at Parker’s Ford near the Cool Spring farm. Early’s
three nearby infantry divisions moved forward to defend the fords
and attack Thoburn’s force. In the late afternoon, a Confederate
division attacked and shattered the Federal right flank on the Cool
Spring farm. Thoburn made a stand behind a stone wall at the river’s
edge and beat off three attacks until darkness enabled him to withdraw
back across the river.
Significance:
Though small in numbers, the Battle of Cool Spring was a hotly contested
engagement and demonstrated the use of division-sized commands that
would be a hallmark of later operations in the Shenandoah Valley.
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