Battle of Waynesboro, Virginia

Battle of Waynesboro
Part of the American Civil War
Date March 2, 1865 (1865-03-02) Location Augusta County, Virginia Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States of America (Union)	Confederate States of America
Commanders and leaders
Philip Sheridan George Armstrong Custer	Jubal Early
Strength
2,500	1,600
Casualties and losses
9	1,500+

The Battle of Waynesboro was fought on March 2, 1865, at Waynesboro in Augusta County, Virginia, during the American Civil War. It was the final battle for Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Early, whose force was destroyed.

On February 27, 1865, Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan rode with two cavalry divisions from Winchester up the Shenandoah Valley toward Staunton. He had orders to take his cavalry south to join Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's army in the Carolinas Campaign. After crossing the North Fork of the Shenandoah River on February 28, Brig. Gen. George Armstrong Custer's division encountered some 300 Confederate cavalrymen under Brig. Gen. Thomas Rosser guarding the Middle River near the village of Mount Crawford. Rosser set a long covered bridge on fire, hoping to delay the Federals. Custer ordered two of his regiments to swim across the river and strike Rosser's flank, while additional regiments stormed the bridge. Custer successfully drove off Rosser's meager force, extinguished the fire, and rode on to Staunton, where they were joined by the bulk of Sheridan's force the next day. Desiring to eliminate Early's small force as a threat to his rear, Sheridan turned east instead of proceeding to Sherman.

Custer's men set out towards Early's force at Waynesboro on March 2 with orders to "proceed to Waynesborough, ascertain something definite in regard to the position, movements, and strength of the enemy, and, if possible, to destroy the railroad bridge over the South River at that point." Heavy rain and sleet, which had been falling for several days, turned the road into a quagmire and greatly impeded the speed of the march. At Fishersville, just six miles from Waynesboro, Custer's men drove off Confederate vedettes and continued their march. Upon arriving outside of Waynesboro, Custer found Early's army dug in behind a "formidable line of earth-works."

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