The Confederate retreat was so quick that Union cavalrymen dubbed it the Woodstock Races

One of the most interesting facts about the battle of Tom's Hook you should know is that the Confederate retreat was so quick that Union cavalrymen dubbed it the Woodstock Races. By October 6, Sheridan felt his reign of terror had come to an end, and he began moving his army north toward Cedar Creek. Confederate cavalry divisions led by Major Generals Thomas Rosser and Lunsford Lomax harassed the Union rearguard as the Federals advanced north. Dissatisfied with the Rebel attacks on the withdrawing Union troops, Sheridan directed his cavalry commander, Brigadier General Alfred Torbert, to either beat the enemy or get whipped. As a result, on October 9, Torbert directed two Union cavalry divisions led by brevet Major General Wesley Merritt and Brigadier General George A. Custer to turn and attack Confederate cavalry positioned along Tom's Brook near Woodstock, Virginia. The astonished Rebel troops briefly attempted to make a stand, but they were quickly galloping from the field. The Confederate retreat was so quick that Union cavalrymen dubbed it the Woodstock Races.

The Battle of Tom's Brook was a relatively small battle, with only 6,300 Federals and 3,500 Rebels taking part. Losses were relatively minimal, with the Union suffering 57 casualties and the Confederacy suffering 350. The Union win harmed the Rebel cavalry's morale and efficiency for the rest of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign in 1864.