Shenandoah

Shenandoah, river, southeastern U.S., formed by the junction of two headstreams, the North Fork and the South Fork, in northern Virginia. It flows from the junction 89 km (55 mi) northeast into the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. It passes through a valley, called Shenandoah Valley, between the Blue Ridge and central Appalachian ranges. The Shenandoah is not navigable. An important source of waterpower, the river contains several hydroelectric power installations. In the American Civil War the valley of the Shenandoah was the scene of numerous battles, being successively occupied by the opposing armies and finally laid waste by the Union general Philip Henry Sheridan in 1864-65.