Cavalry Battles

Loudoun County, VA
Marker No. B-22

Marker Text: In June 1863, Gen. Robert E. Lee led the Army of Northern Virginia through gaps in the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains and into the Shenandoah Valley to invade the North. Maj. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart's cavalry corps screened the army from Federal observation. The Union cavalry commander, Brig. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton, attempted to break through Stuart's screen, and fought three sharp engagements along this road. They included the Battles of Aldie (17 June), Middleburg (19 June), and Upperville (21 June). Stuart fell back westward under Pleasonton's pressure but kept the Federal cavalry east of the gaps.

Location: On Route 50 (John Mosby Highway), 2.59 miles west of Route 15 (James Monroe Highway), just east of Champe Ford Lane. Group with three other markers, B-30 (Stuart and Bayard); B-33 (A Revolutionary War Hero); B-32 (Gettysburg Campaign). Erected by the Department of Historic Resources in 1998.

Marker is on the far left of the photo.  Click any photo to enlarge.

  This marker is a companion marker at the same location to my last post called Gettysburg Campaign, Marker B-32. This marker speaks specifically to the three cavalry battles which occurred along current day U.S. Route 50. In Upperville, where the third and largest of the three cavalry battles. Along Route 50, there are several Civil War markers telling about the locations of the battles. In Upperville, a visitor today can still get a view of the battle area from the Civil War marker, I photographed below and the marker text tells the story of Upperville.

  The photo of the background behind this marker in Upperville gives you a view of where the battle would have occurred in 1863.

Upperville
Drama at
Vineyard Hill
Gettysburg Campaign

Marker Text: This site, known during the war as Vineyard Hill, commands a clear view of the road, stone walls, and fields in front of you where 10,000 cavalry and infantry clashed in the Battle of Upperville on June 21, 1863. It was the fifth day of attack and counterattack along present-day U.S. Route 50 and in the towns of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville. Union Gen. Alfred E. Pleasonton pushed west towards the Blue Ridge Mountains while Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart fought to delay the Northerners long enough to conceal Gen. Robert E. Lee’s march through the Shenandoah Valley toward Pennsylvania.

  The Battle of Upperville was the largest of these engagements, and the most dramatic aspects of that encounter took place at Vineyard Hill. From here Stuart fought to prevent the Federals from seizing the village of Upperville behind you and the critical intersection at Ashby’s Gap Turnpike (Route 50) and Trappe Road, to allow his embattled forces to reach the safety of the Blue Ridge Mountains at Ashby’s Gap.

View behind the Civil War Trails marker is a view of Upperville looking east toward Washington, D.C. Route 50 is the road in the background.

  Here Stuart directed two of his brigades as they resisted the advance of three Federal brigades. The fighting near here was desperate and often hand-to-hand, the men wielding sabers and pistols. As Stuart’s line gave way on the left, he rode among his troopers restoring order and fighting “with the men like a common soldier.” Charge and countercharge carried the men and horses back and forth across these fields under the deadly fire of artillery.

  Less than a mile to your left, and visible to the men on the high ground around Vineyard Hill, four other brigades clashed, leading one Federal participant to conclude, “the panorama was one of the finest and most animating ever beheld.” Once the Confederates extracted themselves there and reached Ashby’s Gap Turnpike, Stuart ordered the last of his men to retire from Vineyard Hill.  (End of text)

  J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalrymen did their job, holding the Union troops long enough for Lee to move his Army across the Potomac into Maryland undetected, only to collide with the Union Army two weeks later at Gettysburg.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives license.

Fredericksburg Campaign

Stafford County, VA
Marker No. N-4

Marker Text: Frustrated by the Army of the Potomac's lack of progress, President Abraham Lincoln replaced army commander Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan with Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, who assumed command on 9 Nov. 1862. Within a week, he had the army marching from its camps near Warrenton toward Fredericksburg along this road. Burnside hoped to cross the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg by pontoon bridges and march on Richmond, but a delay in the arrival of the pontoons thwarted his plan. By the time the bridges arrived, Gen. Robert E. Lee's army blocked his path. Burnside forced a crossing of the river on 11 Dec. but was defeated two days later at the Battle of Fredericksburg.

Location: On Route 17, south of Route 654. Grouped with two other markers, E-85 (Civilian Conservation Corps – Company 2363) and N-6 (The Mud March). Erected by the Department of Historic Resources in 2002.

“It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise men should grow too fond of it.” Comment as I remember it made to General James Longstreet by Confederate General Robert E. Lee, on seeing a Federal charge repulsed in the Battle of Fredericksburg on Dec. 13, 1862.

The above quote is one I heard many years ago and always thought it was appropriate to any war and as I learned was quite appropriate to the U.S. Civil War.  I don't have many historic markers about the Battle of Fredericksburg, which is approaching its 150^th anniversary.  I have attempted during trips to the area to take photo, but I found Fredericksburg traffic quite congested and not knowing my way around I took photos of some unrelated markers and landmarks. You can find photos and information about most of the historical markers in Fredericksburg, VA by following this link to The Historical Markers Database web site.

Photo taken looking south on U.S. Route 17 toward Fredericksburg.  Marker is the middle one.  Click any photo to enlarge.

  The Battle of Fredericksburg was about a month following Lincoln's removal of General George McClellan from command of the Army of the Potomac and replaced him with Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside. Within a week, Burnside had reorganized the Union army into three Grand Divisions, under major generals Edwin V. Sumner, Joseph Hooker, and William B. Franklin.

  On November 15, the army began its march toward Fredericksburg, though Fredericksburg was the place he intended to confront the Confederate Army. Burnside want to strike the Confederate Army further south on the way to Richmond, VA. The Army of the Potomac would need to build pontoon bridges to cross the Rappahannock River, in order to take Fredericksburg, since civilian bridges had been burned earlier, so Burnside ordered pontoons to be delivered there by the time troops arrived and were ready to cross. They would need to cross unopposed for the plan to go well.

Battle of Blair Mountain

Logan County, WV

Marker Text: In August of 1921, 7000 striking miners led by Bill Blizzard met at Marmet for a march on Logan to organize the southern coalfields for the UMWA. Reaching Blair Mt. on August 31, they were repelled by deputies and mine guards, under Sheriff Don Chafin, waiting in fortified positions. The five-day battle ended with the arrival of U. S. Army and Air Corps. UMWA organizing efforts in southern WV were halted until 1933. "

Location: On WV Route 17, approximately 8 miles east of Logan between Ethel and Blair, WV. Erected by WV Celebration 2000, West Virginia Division of Archives and History in 2002.

  From 2002-2008, I lived in Logan County, WV and I often heard of the stories about the Battle of Blair Mountain from local residents. From the mid-1800's residents in the area knew coal existed in the mountains of Logan County, but it was not until the railroad came to the county in 1904 was it possible to mine the coal for commercial use. Once the railroads made it possible to remove the coal to needed markets the coal business in Logan County took off and the population increased with men seeking employment in the coal mines.

  Prior to the construction of the four lane highway, U.S. Route 119 (or as the locals call it Corridor G) from Logan to Charleston, WV, the only way to travel to Charleston was to go over Blair Mountain on WV Route 17. Traveling over Blair Mountain is not the most difficult mountain road crossing a person can make in West Virginia, but you definitely know you are going over a mountain as you travel the road.

Photo taken looking south on Route 17 toward Logan County. This is where you would go up Blair Mountain from the north.  Click any photo to enlarge.

  The details about the Battle of Blair Mountain, including the events in the coal mines that lead to this confrontation, the lives of the miners, the struggle for unions and the political conditions at the time are so extensive, I cannot possibility cover them in my post on this marker. So I will only give a general description of the events here. If you want to learn more a simple search on the internet, using a search engine, like Google or Bing will give you many links about the details with many interesting photos. A web site by the West Virginia Archives and History has several links to articles about the Battle of Blair Mountain.

Fredericksburg Campaign

Fauquier County, VA
Marker No. C-55

Marker Text: Because he had moved too slowly to attack Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan was relieved of his command of the Army of the Potomac by President Abraham Lincoln. McClellan was replaced by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside. Determined to act boldly, Burnside reorganized his army and marched it to Fredericksburg, where he planned to strike south around Lee's right flank toward Richmond. Delays in crossing the Rappahannock River enabled Lee to confront Burnside there, then defeat him in a bloody battle on 13 Dec. 1862 - a battle neither general had intended to fight.

Location: At the intersection of U.S. Route 29 (Lee Highway) and County Route 605 (Colonial Road/Dumfries Road), on the west side of Lee Highway north of Warrenton, VA. Grouped with marker C-9 (McClellan's Farewell). Erected by the Department of Historic Resources in 1997.

  Today's marker is grouped with a related marker at the same location called “McClellan's Farewell,” subject of an earlier post this month. As one commander of the Army of the Potomac says farewell to the army, the same location begins the military plans of the new commander, Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside. Burnside wants to demonstrate to President Abraham Lincoln that he was chosen a capable general, unfortunately as the Battle of Fredericksburg unfolds this would prove false.

Photo taken looking north on U.S. Route 29.  Click any photo to enlarge.

  In November 1862, President Abraham Lincoln needed to demonstrate the success of the Union war effort before the public lost confidence in his administration. Confederate armies had been on the move earlier in the fall, invading Kentucky and Maryland, and although each had been turned back, the Confederate armies remained intact and capable of further action. Lincoln urged Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to advance against the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan had stopped Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Antietam in Maryland, but had not been able to destroy Lee's army, nor did he pursue Lee back into Virginia aggressively enough for Lincoln.

Lewisburg Battle

Greenbrier County, WV

Marker Text: Confederate troops under Gen. Henry Heth here, May 23, 1862, were repulsed in attack upon division of Col. Geo. Crook's brigade. The Old Stone Church was used as a hospital. In his retreat, Heth burned bridge over Greenbrier at Caldwell.

Location: On U.S. Route 60 (eastbound) at corner of Lee and Washington streets; in front of General Lewis Hotel.

"Of all the battlefields that I have studied, I know of none quite so dramatic as Lewisburg (where the battle was), fought in a mountain town, before breakfast, and combining rifle shooting, artillery fire, infantry charges, and cavalry, all in a sleeping little city whose inhabitants awoke to hear the cannon boom and the rifles speak, and who had no time to do anything in the way of escape until it was all over." Quote by Andrew Price, local historian.

  The Battle of Lewisburg occurred on the same day as the Battle of Front Royal, VA on May 23, 1862. The Battle of Lewisburg, a Union victory, occurred as Union troops under the command of Col. George Crook maneuvered from Western Virginia toward Tennessee in the spring of 1862. Union Gen. John C. Frémont, commander of the Mountain Department for the U.S. Army, planned to concentrate his forces in Monterey, Virginia, and then move southwest until he reached the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad near Christiansburg. There, Frémont was to connect with troops under the command of Union Gen. Jacob D. Cox, but Frémont was detained further north in the Shenandoah Valley due to the Valley Campaign of Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson in the spring of 1862.

The marker is located in front of the General Lewis Hotel in the background and most of the battle occurred at this location.  Click any photo to enlarge.

  Gen. Cox, unaware that Frémont’s troops would not arrive as planned continued with his plans. Three of Cox's four brigades occupied Princeton, VA (now in West Virginia), a town that had been lost to Confederate forces earlier in May 1862, his fourth brigade, under the command of Col. George Crook, moved to Lewisburg. From his position Crook and his 1,600 men were within supporting distance of the troops located in Princeton, but also unknowingly vulnerable to attack from Confederate Brig. Gen. Henry Heth's 2,200 men.

Battle of Port Republic

Marker No. JD-10
Rockingham County, VA

Marker Text: The cross road here roughly divides the Confederate and Union lines in the battle of June 9, 1862. Jackson attacked Shields, coming southward to join Fremont, but was repulsed. Reinforced by Ewell, Jackson attacked again and drove Shields from the field. At the same time he burned the bridge at Port Republic, preventing Fremont from coming to Shields' aid.

Location: On U.S. Route 340 (East Side Highway) at the intersection with County Route 708 (Ore Bank Road / Lynnwood Road) on the west side of the Highway. Erected by the Virginia Conservation Commission in 1941.

Photo taken looking south on Route 340.  The crossroads in the background is roughly where the battle line between the two armies existed as the battle began.  Click any photo to enlarge.

  One hundred and fifty years ago on June 8-9, 1862, the battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic were the culmination of “Stonewall” Jackson's Valley Campaign. Jackson had been given the task of keeping as many Union troops occupied in the Shenandoah Valley chaseing his army so they could not be sent to Richmond to aid Gen. McClellan in his Peninsular Campaign and his efforts to take Richmond from the Confederates. Between late April and early June, Jackson was able to maneuver around a superior Union army and defeat them using surprise, swift marching, and concentration of force.

You can walk to an observation platform toward the top of this hill.  This overlook of the battle is located on the road to the east of the state marker and is where artillery was located. 

  Stonewall Jackson's Army of the Valley, which never exceeded 17,000 men, inflicted more than 7,000 casualties on his opponents at a cost of only 2,500 of his own men, and tied up Union forces three times its strength. Jackson's victories infused new hope in the Confederate cause and contributed to the defeat of McClellan's campaign against Richmond.

Battle of Cross Keys

Marker No. D-6
Rockingham County, VA

Marker Text: Three miles south, on Mill Creek, Jackson's rearguard, under Ewell, was attacked by Fremont, June 8, 1862. Trimble, of Ewell's command, counterattacked, driving the Unionists back. Jackson, with the rest of his army, was near Port Republic awaiting the advance of Shields up the east bank of the Shenandoah River.

Location: On U.S. Route 33 (Spotswood Trail), east of VA Route 276 (Cross Keys Road), east of Harrisonburg. Erected by the Virginia Conservation Commission in 1941.

"I had rather be a private in such an Army than a Field Officer in any other Army," wrote a Confederate soldier about Gen. Stonewall Jackson's Shenandoah Valley campaign, in which Jackson's 16,000 man "foot cavalry" marched about 400 miles in 38 days, outmaneuvering federal forces totaling about 40,000 men.

Photo taken looking west on U.S. Route 33 toward Harrisonburg.  Click any photo to enlarge.

  Today, I continue with a state historical marker related to Jackson's Valley Campaign. One hundred and fifty years ago on June 8, 1862 following fighting near Harrisonburg, VA the fighting between Jackson's Confederate army and the Union army commanded by Maj. Gen. John C. Fremont continued as Jackson moved east and south of Harrisonburg. Brigadier-General Turner Ashby had been killed outside of Harrisonburg two days earlier and his body taken to Port Republic where Jackson was waiting for Shield's Union troops. Confederate Brig. Gen. Richard Ewell was protecting Jackson's western flank when he was engaged in fighting called, “The Battle of Cross Keys.”

Where Ashby Fell

Marker No. A-30
City of Harrisonburg
Rockingham County, VA

Marker Text: A mile and a half east of this point, Turner Ashby, Stonewall Jackson's cavalry commander, was killed, June 6, 1862, while opposing Fremont's advance.

Location: On U.S. Route 11 (South Main Street), just south of Port Republic Road. Erected by the Conservation & Development Commission in 1927.

"Poor Ashby is dead. He fell gloriously. I know you will join with me in mourning the loss of our friend, one of the noblest men and soldiers in the Confederate army." In a letter by Stonewall Jackson to General Imboden.

Photo taken looking north on Route 11.  Click any photo to enlarge.

  Brig. Gen. Turner Ashby cut a striking figure, called by many the "Black Knight of the Confederacy". He generally rode horses that were pure white or pure black. Ashby stood about five feet eight inches in height and probably weighed from 150 to 160 pounds. His hair and beard were described as black as a raven's wing, he had a long, sweeping mustache concealing his mouth and a heavy and long beard completely covered his breast.

  As Stonewall Jackson continued his Valley Campaign his army moved south along the Shenandoah Valley (or up the Valley as they say in Virginia) while being pursued by Union Gen. John C. Frémont’s forces. General Ashby’s final role in the Valley campaign occurred as Jackson’s army retreated south and east from Harrisonburg toward Port Republic.

First Battle of Winchester

Marker No. A-7
City of Winchester, VA

Marker Text: Here Stonewall Jackson, in the early morning of May 25, 1862, halted his advance guard and observed the union position.

Location: At 2120 Valley Avenue, in the south end of the City of Winchester on U.S. Route 11 next to a parking lot for Burger King. Erected by the Conservation & Development Commission in 1928.

  Today's earlier marker by the same title is located about two south of this marker on the same road, the old Valley Pike. As Jackson's main body of his army rest at the southern location, an advance guard of troops observed the defensive positions the Union army were establishing in Winchester. The main action of the Battle would occur another half a mile north.

  During the night, the advance of Maj. Gen. Richard S. Ewell's division (four brigades) reached Buffalo Lick. Ewell’s division converged on Winchester from the southeast using the Front Royal Pike. On May 25, Ewell attacked Camp Hill, while the Louisiana Brigade of Jackson’s division outflanked and overran the Union position on Bowers Hill.

First Battle of Winchester

Marker No. A-11
Frederick County, VA

Marker Text: Here Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson and his army, early on the morning of 25 May 1862, defeated Union Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks' forces during Jackson's Shenandoah Valley campaign. Banks, outnumbered and outflanked, hastily retreated north through the streets of Winchester. The Confederate pursuit was lethargic, as the men were exhausted from a week of heavy marching, but they captured many Union soldiers and a large quantity of wagons and stores. Because of Jackson's victory here, the Valley was temporarily cleared of Federal armies. President Abraham Lincoln diverted 30,000 men from the Union advance on Richmond to strike at Jackson.

Location: On U.S. Route 11 (Valley Pike), 0.1 miles south of Route 37, south of Winchester. Marker grouped with Marker A-8 (Second Battle of Winchester).  Erected by the Department of Historic Resources in 2006.

  This is a newer marker with an expanded text. Older Marker Text read: “The main body of Stonewall Jackson's army halted here to rest in the early morning of May 25, 1862.”

  Today, 150 years ago, on the early morning of May 25, Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson rested the main body of his army here before proceeding into Winchester, VA to attack Union Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks' army. Jackson's army had just marched from Front Royal, VA during May 24.

  After skirmishing with Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks’s retreating army at Middletown and Newtown (now, Stephens City) on May 24, Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson’s division continued north on the Valley Pike (U.S. Route 11) toward Winchester. About two miles further north, Banks was attempting to reorganize his army to defend the town. Stephens City is only about two miles south of this marker.

First Battle of Winchester

Marker No. A-5
City of Winchester, VA

Marker Text: On May 24, 1862, Confederate forces under Major General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson pursued Major General Nathaniel Banks' Union Army from Strasburg to Winchester. Banks made a stand south of Winchester, posting one of two infantry brigades on Bower's Hill, now known as Williamsburg Heights, and the other here in the plain below. In attacks the following day, Jackson routed the Union Army and drove it through the town towards Harper's Ferry.

Location: On U.S. Route 11 (Valley Avenue) 0.1 miles south of Handley Boulevard. Erected by the Conservation and Historic Resources in 1988.

  After the Battle of Front Royal on May 23, which basically resulted in eliminating the Union's 1st Maryland Infantry under the command of Col. John R. Kenly and the loss of vital communication lines, Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks' Union Army based Strasburg, VA west of Front Royal. Banks believing he might be facing a larger Confederate army than actually existed moved his army north to Winchester to take defensive positions. He established his defense here near this marker on May 24.

Marker is on Handley Boul. and John Handley High School is in the distance in the center of the photo.  This area is where most of fighting happened.  Click any photo to enlarge.

  This movement of both armies sets the stage for the First Battle of Winchester. The Battle to occur on May 25 would be the first of three battles to occur in and near Winchester. Other Civil War battles other than the battles called First, Second and Third Battles of Winchester also occurred near Winchester. The First Battle of Kernstown (south of Winchester) had occurred over a month earlier which began Jackson's Valley Campaign. The next year would be the Second Battle of Kernstown and in 1864 would be the Battle of Cedar Creek, occurring between Winchester and Strasburg. The Shenandoah Valley was an important military objective of both armies through the war. Many communities, like Winchester, found themselves occupied by one army or the other throughout the war.

  As described in the marker text, Bower's Hill is west of this marker behind the John Handley High School. In the above photo the high school can be seen in the distance behind the marker. Most of the features of the battlefield have been lost due to the growth of the City of Winchester since the Civil War and before individuals were working to preserve main features of the battle.

  From these positions, Banks would attempt to keep the Confederate Army under the command of “Stonewall” Jackson from taking control of the Shenandoah Valley.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives license.

Capture of Front Royal

Marker No. J-8
Warren County, VA

Marker Text: Stonewall Jackson, moving against Banks, captured this town from a Union force under Colonel Kenly, May 23, 1862.

Location: In front of the Warren County Courthouse on East Main Street. Courthouse is on Route 340 at the corner of South Royal Avenue and East Main Street in the town of Front Royal. Erected by the Conservation & Development Commission in 1927.

  One hundred and Fifty years ago today Confederate General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson's army attacked the Union Army troops under the command of Colonel Kenly, occupying the town of Front Royal, Virginia.

  The Battle of Front Royal was the second major engagement of "Stonewall" Jackson's 1862 Valley Campaign. Jackson had deceived Banks into believing his army was still in the main Valley near Harrisonburg. Jackson managed to move his army swiftly north to New Market and crossed the Massanutten Mountains via the New Market Gap to Luray crossing the South Fork of the Shenandoah at the White House Bridge.

Belle Boyd and Jackson

Marker No. JD-1
Warren County, VA

Marker Text: Near here Stonewall Jackson was met by the spy, Belle Boyd, and informed of the position of the Union troops at Front Royal, May 23, 1862. Jackson was advancing northward, attempting to get between Banks' army and Winchester.

Location: On U.S. Route 340, south of Front Royal and the entrance to the Skyline Drive, 0.1 miles south of VA Route 619 in front of the entrance of Skyline Caverns. Erected by the Conservation & Development Commission in 1929.

Photo taken looking north on U.S. Route 340 toward Front Royal in Front of entrance to Skyline Caverns.  Click any photo to enlarge.

  Today's marker like the previous two are related to the Battle of Front Royal which occurred 150 years ago on May 23, 1862. As the marker states the events described happened near here, which is not uncommon for many state historical markers when this marker was erected in 1929. The location of the meeting between Belle Boyd and Stonewall Jackson occurred on Browntown Road, 0.7 miles northeast of this marker. A Civil War Trail marker is located on the site of the meeting, further north on 340 and at the next right turn on Browntown Road, northeast. This marker is one of several comprising a driving tour of the Front Royal Battlefield, photo and text of this marker is below.

Captain Belle Boyd "I thank you, for myself and for the army, for the immense service that you have rendered your country today."

  These words were written by Confederate General Stonewall Jackson to 18 year old Belle Boyd in appreciation of information she brought him, braving enemy fire south of Front Royal. General Stonewall Jackson made Belle Boyd an honorary member of his staff with the rank of captain for the intelligence she provided in the capture of Front Royal, Virginia.

Brother against Brother

Marker No. J-17
Town of Front Royal

Warren County, VA

Marker Text: The first Maryland Regiment, U.S.A., was a part of the force holding this town when it was attacked by Stonewall Jackson, May 23, 1862. With Jackson was the First Maryland Regiment, C.S.A. The two regiments were arrayed against each other.

Location: On Route 340, North Royal Avenue at intersection with Chester Street, in the town of Front Royal. Erected by the Conservation & Development Commission in 1932

Photo is looking south on North Royal Avenue with the street on the right. Click any photo to enlarge.

  Throughout the American Civil War one characteristic of the war were divided family loyalties between the North and South. Individuals within families often fought on opposing sides. Today's marker describes these tensions of brother against brother during the Battle of Front Royal on May 23, 1863.

  Prior to the Civil War, Maryland had strong ties with Virginia and the other southern states. Maryland was quite different than many southern states being heavily populated and more industrialized than her southern sisters, most Marylanders still considered themselves "southerners" being south of the famed Mason-Dixon Line. When Virginia seceded from the Union many Marylanders clamored for their state to secede as well. President Abraham Lincoln, recognizing the strategic importance of keeping Maryland in the Union, suspended the writ of habeas corpus and arrested the most ardent secessionists.

Battle of Kernstown

Marker No. A-9
Frederick County, VA

Marker Text: On the hills to the west, Stonewall Jackson, late in the afternoon of March 23, 1862, attacked the Union Force under Shields holding Winchester, after a fierce action, Jackson, who was greatly outnumbered, withdrew southward, leaving his dead on the field. These were buried next day by citizens of Winchester.

Location: West of U.S. Route 11 (Valley Pike), at the end of Opequon Church Lane, 5.3 miles north of Stephens City and just south of Winchester. Follow street signs for Opequon Presbyterian Church. Erected by Conservation & Development Commission in 1932.

State historical marker is grouped with three other markers related to both first and second battles of Kernstown.  Background in photo is where main action of First Battle of Kernstown occurred.  Click any photo to enlarge.

  Yesterday was the 150^th Anniversary of the First Battle of Kernstown, which is south of the city of Winchester, VA. The First Battle of Kernstown is connected to the Peninsula Campaign that Union Maj. General George B. McClellan was beginning in the area around Newport News, Yorktown and Williamsburg, VA in his attempt to capture Richmond, VA the Confederate capital. Confederate General Johnston moved his troops closer to Richmond for its defense and knowing that he would likely be outnumbered in comparison to the number of Union soldiers attacking Richmond, he needed to prevent additional Union troops from coming to assist McClellan's army. Johnston instructed Confederate Maj. General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, to develop plans to keep as many Union troops occupied in the Shenandoah Valley.

Pritchard Farm in behind the marker in center of photo.

  The First Battle of Kernstown was fought on Sunday, March 23, 1862, in what would become the first battle of General Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862 and the only battle he would lose as a commander during the Civil War. The devoutly religious Jackson preferred to avoid battles on the Sabbath, but throughout the Civil War he did not hesitate when military advantage could be gained. He later wrote to his wife:

  “I felt it my duty to [attack], in consideration of the ruinous effects that might result from postponing the battle until the morning. So far as I can see, my course was a wise one; the best that I could do under the circumstances, though very distasteful to my feelings; I hope and pray to our Heavenly Father that I may never again be circumstanced as on that day. I believe that so far as our troops were concerned, necessity and mercy both called for the battle.”

Henry House

Prince William County, VA
Marker No. G-15

Marker Text: These are the grounds of the Henry House, where occurred the main action of the First Battle of Manassas, July 21, 1861, and the closing scene of the Second Battle of Manassas, August 30, 1862.

Location: On U.S. Route 29 (Lee Highway, formerly the Warrenton Turnpike) north of VA Route 234 (Sudley Road, on the left when traveling southwest, north of the Manassas National Battlefield Park’s Stone House parking lot. Grouped with three other markers C-44 (First Battle of Manassas); C-34 (First Battle of Manassas); and G-16 (James Robinson House). Erected by the Conservation & Development Commission in 1935.

  Throughout the Civil War, local citizens living near or on the battlefields of the war were placed in harms way. Many lost property, livestock, livelihoods, and their lives. Farms were burned to prevent one side or the other from receiving supplies while food supplies, cattle, pigs and other livestock were stolen to feed soldiers. Many local citizens living around or on the battlefield at First Manassas were directly affected by the battle on July 21, 1861 and in the weeks following as their homes where used as make shift hospitals for the wounded and dying.

  At the time of the battle, Henry Hill as it is called now, was called Spring Hill Farm and was owned by Mrs. Judith Carter Henry, an eighty-five year old widow confined to her bed. She lived with her daughter, Ellen Phoebe Morris. Due to her infirmity the fields surrounding the house lay fallow and in these fields the first major land battle of the Civil War would be fought.

First Battle of Manassas

Prince William County, VA
Marker No. C-34

Marker Text: Henry Hill lies just to the south. Here the Confederates repulsed the repeated attacks of the Union army under McDowell, July 21, 1861. Here Jackson won the name "Stonewall," and from here began McDowell's retreat that ended at Washington.

Location: On U.S. Route 29 (Lee Highway, formerly the Warrenton Turnpike) north of VA Route 234 (Sudley Road, on the left when traveling south, north of the Manassas National Battlefield Park’s Stone House parking lot. Grouped with three other markers C-44 (First Battle of Manassas); G-15 (Henry House); and G-16 (James Robinson House). Erected by the Virginia State Library in 1961.

  Several state historical markers have the title, “First Battle of Manassas” and each tells you a little bit about the battle as it transpired at given location. It is difficult to completely understand the battle actions for the day simply by reading the markers, but each marker puts you approximately in the location where the actions described occurred. I recently saw on television about a smartphone app that you can download at the visitor's center at Manassas that can help you experience the battlefield in a way not experienced before and the app is free. Today's marker tells about Henry Hill where a great deal of the action of the battle occurred. The two armies crossed the road next to this marker, back and forth between Henry Hill and Matthews Hill as the fortunes of each army developed during the course of the battle.

First Battle of Manassas

Prince William County, VA
Marker No. C-44

Marker Text: On the Matthews Hill, just to the north, the Confederates replused the attack of the Unionists, coming from the north, in the forenoon of July 21, 1861. The Union force, reinforced, drove the Confederates to the Henry Hill, just to the south. There the latter reformed under cover of Stonewall Jackson. In the afternoon, McDowell vainly attempted to rally his retreating troops on the Matthews Hill after they had been driven down the Henry Hill.

  Note that the first sentence of the marker is incorrect, and should read: On the Matthews Hill, just to the north, the Confederates repulsed the attack of the Unionists, coming from the north, in the forenoon of July 21, 1861.

Location: On U.S. Route 29 (Lee Highway, formerly the Warrenton Turnpike) north of VA Route 234 (Sudley Road, on the left when traveling south, north of the Manassas National Battlefield Park’s Stone House parking lot. Grouped with three other markers C-34 (First Battle of Manassas); G-15 (Henry House); and G-16 (James Robinson House). Erected by the Conservation & Development Commission in 1931.

Marker C-44 is on the far left, photo taken looking southwest on U.S. Route 29 in distance is intersection with Sudley Road at Stone House.

  General Irwin McDowell commander of the Union forces had planned to use Tyler's division at the Stone Bridge as a diversionary attack, while Davies' brigade did the same at Blackburn's Ford. At the same time, Hunter's and Heintzelman's divisions would cross Bull Run at Sudley Springs and attack from the north. After crossing Bull Run almost three hours later than planned, the Union forces would proceed southeast coming over Matthews Hill to the north of this marker. Matthews Hill is on the opposite side of the road from this marker looking north.

The Stone Bridge

Fairfax County, VA
Marker No. C-23

Marker Text: Originally built of native sandstone in 1825, the turnpike bridge over Bull Run became an important landmark in the Civil War battles at Manassas.  Union Brig. Gen. Daniel Tyler's division feigned an attack on Col. Nathan G. Evans's brigade guarding the bridge as the First Battle of Manassas began on the morning of 21 July 1861. When the confederates withdrew from the region, they blew up the bridge on 9 Mar. 1862. The rear guard of Maj. Gen. John Pope's retreating army, defeated at the Second Battle of Manassas on 30 Aug. 1862, destroyed a replacement military bridge at the site. Fully reconstructed after the war, it remained in use into the 1920s.

Location: West of Centreville, VA, on U.S. Route 29 (Lee Highway) west of County Route 609 (Bull Run Post Office Road), on the north side of the road. Grouped with marker Z-169 (Fairfax/Prince William County).  Erected by the Department of Historic Resources in 2000.

Photo taken on Route 29 looking west toward the Stone Bridge at the Prince William/Fairfax County line.

  This marker is actually 0.4 miles east of the Stone Bridge and is in Fairfax County and the bridge is in Prince William County. Makes one wonder why they did not place it closer to the bridge. The first shots on the morning of July 21, 1861 occurred at this bridge. With the Union troops on the east of the bridge and the Confederates on the west side. Though one can imagine Brigadier General Daniel Tyler's division marching past this point along the road on their way to the Stone Bridge. Tyler's troops were to give the Confederate troops the impression that the Union forces were going to force a crossing here at the Stone Bridge.

  The Stone Bridge crosses the stream called Bull Run, just a few miles north of the Manassas junction. Bull Run with banks too steep to ford just anywhere, it was crossable only at a stone bridge on the road to Warrenton and at a handful of fords. (A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle.)

First Battle of Manassas

Fairfax County, VA
Marker No. C-20

Marker Text: McDowell gathered his forces here, July 18, 1861, to attack Beauregard, who lay west of Bull Run. From here a part of the Union army moved north to cross Bull Run and turn the Confederate left wing, July 21, 1861. This movement brought on the battle.

Location: At the intersection of Machen Road and U.S. Route 29 (Lee Highway) on the grounds of the Centreville Public Library located at the southwest corner of the intersection at 14200 Saint Germain Drive, Centreville, VA 20120. Grouped with three other markers, C-21 (Confederate Defenses); C-22 (Second Battle of Manassas); and C-40 (Campaign of Second Manassas). Erected by the Conservation & Development Commission in 1928.

  As I write this today, it is 91 degrees outside with a predicted high of 94 where I live in Northern Virginia and I thought of those men who gathered here awaiting what they thought would be the first and the last battle of the Civil War on a blistering hot July 18, 1861 only about 40 miles east of where I live. Standing out in this heat in a wool uniform with all the heavy equipment carried by a soldier of this era, makes one wonder, if anyone thought this was all crazy.