Guard Hill was a Civil War engagement fought in Virginia, 1864. The outcome was inconclusive.
Kershaw's infantry division and Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry, under overall command of Lt. Gen. Richard Anderson (Army of Northern Virginia, I Corps) were sent from Petersburg to reinforce Early's army in the Valley. At Front Royal on the August 16, Union cavalry of Brig. Gen. Wesley Merritt's division surprised the Confederate columns in mid-stream of the Shenandoah River, capturing about 300. The Confederates rallied and advanced, gradually driving the two Union brigades back to Cedarville. After dark, Merritt withdrew to Ninevah.
Known by several names, including the Battle of Guard Hill, Crooked Run, Cedarville, or Front Royal, this engagement unfolded on August 16, 1864, in Warren County, Virginia. It formed part of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign led by Philip H. Sheridan during the American Civil War. At the time, Confederate troops commanded by Richard H. Anderson had been dispatched from Petersburg to bolster Early's forces. As these columns attempted to cross the Shenandoah River, Brig. Gen. Wesley Merritt's Union cavalry division caught them off guard, seizing roughly 300 prisoners in the process. However, the Confederates regrouped and pushed forward, slowly forcing Merritt's troops back toward Cedarville. In the end, neither side achieved a decisive victory.
On August 16, Confederate horsemen swept aside Federal picket lines guarding the Shenandoah River crossing at Front Royal early that morning. As they chased their opponents along the Front Royal Pike, they reached Guard Hill, a well known landmark in the area. It was there that Union Brig. Gen. Thomas C. Devin's cavalry brigade, fighting on foot, struck them and inflicted severe casualties. Seeking an opening on the flank, Confederate Brig. Gen. William T. Wofford's brigade waded across Crooked Run, only to be met by a pair of New York brigades who seized 300 of them as prisoners. Meanwhile, Union Brig. Gen. George A. Custer brought his Michigan Brigade galloping toward the fighting, propping up Devin's position along Crooked Run, but Confederate guns positioned on Guard Hill eventually compelled the Federals to pull back toward Cedarville.
As afternoon arrived, William C. Wickham launched an assault against Devin's brigade in the direction of Cedarville. Devin pushed two regiments forward to answer with a counterattack, and a clash erupted when opposing regiments met each other in close combat with sabers. The Confederate line gave way and fell back to its earlier position, but Wickham renewed his assault, this time weakening the Federal ranks so badly that they were pushed back across the river once more. Even so, Devin's men managed to seize two enemy flags along with 139 prisoners. This outcome reflected a carefully arranged Union success. Brig. Gen. Wesley Merritt, who commanded the 1st Division of the Cavalry Corps within the Army of the Shenandoah, verified that Confederate forces remained in strength nearby, prompting Sheridan to pull his troops back down the valley away from Front Royal. That same night Sheridan's command withdrew to its lines at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, and when morning came, Merritt led his men on to Nineveh, Virginia.
Patchan argues that greater Union troop strength combined with more capable leadership sent Confederate infantry fleeing in disarray. In his view, this clash marked a turning point within the broader Shenandoah Valley campaign.
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