VIRGINIA

Virginia
Valley & Mountains

Route 11: Winchester to Port Republic

Winchester and area

Winchester Visitor Center
1360 S Pleasant Valley Road
877-871-1326

Old Court House Civil War Museum, on the Loudoun Street walking mall downtown – Emphasis is on the common soldier. An excellent collection of artifacts from every theater of the war is displayed. The building, formerly the Frederick County Courthouse, dates from 1840. Graffiti scrawled by wounded soldiers and prisoners from the war is visible. $3. Wednesday–Saturday 10 am–5 pm, Sunday 1–5 pm. 540-542-1145.

"Stonewall" Jackson Headquarters, 415 N. Braddock St. – Jackson used this small house as his headquarters the winter of 1861–1862 after he took command of the Valley Army. Artifacts related to Jackson and his cavalry commander, Turner Ashby, are on exhibit. House tours. Open April–October, Monday–Saturday 10 am–4 pm, Sunday noon–4 pm. Winter hours: Friday–Sunday only. $5/adult. 540-667-3242.

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, 901 Amherst St. – Impressive new museum highlights the life and history of the Valley using audio-visual displays, artifacts and much more. Civil War displays focus on the civilian side of the conflict. A Civil War Trails sign in the parking lot explains the site's role in all the battles for Winchester. Museum open Tuesday-Sunday 10 am–4 pm. $8 (museum only). 888-556-5799.

Confederate and National cemeteries, across the street from one another, near downtown – Federal troops buried in one, Confederates in the other, these two sites reflect Winchester's history during the war. National Cemetery, 401 National Ave. Stonewall Cemetery is in Mt. Hebron Cemetery Complex, entrance end of Boscawen Street.

Abram's Delight, Trails sign located in front of the house near the Winchester Visitor Center – The oldest house in Winchester (built 1754) survived the Civil War despite being in the path of the First Battle of Winchester in 1862. Now a house museum, it interprets civilian life, which may have included a spy or two. Union Gen. Franz Sigel and staff occupied the house in 1864, paying the family $5 for the privilege.

Fort Collier, 922 Martinsburg Pike, north of downtown – Confederate fort, built in 1861 for the defense of the city was the scene of a Federal cavalry charge that effectively ended the Third Battle of Winchester, Sept. 19, 1864. Civil War Trails and other interpretive signs.

The following sites are marked with Civil War Trails signs:

The Kurtz Building, 2 N. Cameron St. – Trails sign located on the side of the building gives an overview of the action in and around Winchester during the war.
Stephenson's Depot, Trails sign near Route 11 north of Winchester at Old Charles Town and Milburn roads – Robert E. Lee, marching north toward Pennsylvania, sent 17,000 troops ahead to clear the way. After heavy fighting June 15, 1863, the Southerners did just that, routing the Union force and capturing thousands of prisoners and much-needed cannon. Two weeks later Lee fought the Battle of Gettysburg.
Shawnee Springs Hospital, Trails sign located just off Pleasant Valley Road at the site – This temporary hospital was established following the Third Battle of Winchester in September 1864. It treated and evacuated thousands of Union sick and wounded from the Winchester battlefield as well as from the battle of Cedar Creek a month later. The site was finally closed Jan. 4, 1865.
Star Fort, 510 Fortress Drive, Winchester 22603 [ Road map ] – This star-shaped earthwork, guarding an important wartime road junction north of the city, saw action several times and was occupied by both sides during the war. Constructed by Union troops in January 1863 on what had been an artillery position planned by Stonewall Jackson, the fort sheltered Federal soldiers during the Second Battle of Winchester and Confederates during the Third Battle.

Kernstown Battlefield

Thanks to the efforts of the Kernstown Battlefield Foundation and the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, large portions of the Kernstown battlefields have been preserved. Interpretation is ongoing, with plans to open more of the sites to public visitation. The first battle, March 23, 1862, was considered a defeat for Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson, who impetiously attacked a strong Union force gathered in the area. Jackson's aggresive behavior, however, scared official Washington enough to hold up thousands of troops destined for the major offensive against Richmond. The tables were turned July 24, 1864, when Confederate Gen. Jubal Early defeated an inferior Union force on nearly the same ground.

Kernstown Battlefield Foundation property, entrance just off Route 11 south of Winchester at the Saturn dealership – More than 300 acres of the Kernstown battlefields have been preserved here, including Prichard's Hill, which figured prominently in both the First and Second Battles of Kernstown. New interpretive signs are in place. A visitor orientation center is open weekends May 8–October, Saturday 10 am–4 pm and Sunday noon–4 pm. Free.

Rose Hill, take Amherst Street west from Winchester, then turn left on Merriman's Lane, continue 3 miles – A Trails sign on the perimeter and accessible via pull-off on Jones Road describes the action that swirled around this home March 23, 1862. Confederate infantry defended a stone wall on the property until they ran out of ammunition and were forced to retreat in some confusion. The property, managed by the Museum of the Shenandoah Vally, is not yet open to the public on a regular basis. For information, see www.shenandoahmuseum.org.

Opequon Church, watch for "Civil War Marker" sign on west side of Route 11 south of Winchester – Good battle maps and views highlight the action of both battles of Kernstown from this historic churchyard.

Stephen's City (historic Newtown) – Stonewall Jackson's troops fought here prior to the 1862 battle of Winchester. Area hosted hospital for Union troops following the battle at Cedar Creek. Civil War Trails interpretation along Route 11 just south of town.

Cedar Creek Battlefield

Union troops under Gen. Philip Sheridan, fresh from a string of victories over Jubal Early's Confederates, were camped in the vicinity of Cedar Creek and Belle Grove about 15 miles south of Winchester on Oct. 19, 1864. A furious Confederate attack early that morning forced a precipitous withdrawal by Northern soldiers that did not stop until they reached Middletown. Near there, Sheridan, after a breakneck ride from Winchester, rallied his troops and led a counterattack that regained the field. The battle of Cedar Creek ended Early's opportunities and resulted in a Confederate withdrawal back up the Valley. If you are on Route 11 heading south, you reach the battlefield beginning in Middletown and remain on the field until Strasburg.

Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park – Newly created to "commemorate a nationally significant Civil War landscape and antebellum plantation," this is a National Park in the making. Planning is ongoing. No traditional National Park facilities or programs are operating yet. The Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation visitor center continues to operate at the site. See below.

Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation Visitor Center and Book Shop (across Route 11 from Belle Grove) – Information about the battle and self-guided tours are offered here, the headquarters for the foundation charged with the preservation and development of the battlefield. Anniversary re-enactment is one of the highlights of the year. April–October hours are Monday–Saturday 10 am-4 pm and Sunday 1–4 pm. By appointment other times. Battlefield tours are available. 540-869-2064. Write PO Box 229, Middletown, Va. 22645.

Belle Grove – 18th-century home was a centerpiece for attack and counter-attack on Oct. 19. 1864. Call 540-869-2028 for hours. Fee charged.

Stonewall Jackson Museum at Hupp's Hill (a mile north of Strasburg on Route 11) – Located at the southern end of the Cedar Creek battlefield, this privately operated site features preserved earthworks, a museum and an excellent 12-by-6-foot topographic map of the Cedar Creek battlefield. New exhibit features Jackson's 1862 Valley campaigns. Special stuff for kids. Open 10 am–5 pm daily. $4/adults. 540-465-5584.

Strasburg to New Market

Tour continues on Route 11 south from Hupp's Hill into Strasburg and south.

Strasburg Train Station / Museum, King Street – Civil War items and information here in the Strasburg Museum. This is the place where T.J. Jackson re-employed locomotives in the service of the Confederacy after hijacking them in Harpers Ferry in April 1861. Open May–October daily 10 am–4 pm. 540-465-3175.

Walking Tour – Beginning at the Strasburg Museum, the tour includes Civil War topics such as the town's role as a strategic intersection, Jackson's raid on the B&O Railroad that brought rolling stock and locomotives overland to Strasburg and Signal Knob, and the 2,110-foot mountain overlooking the town that was used as an observation and signal station during the war.

Fisher's Hill Battlefield, a mile south of Strasburg, west of Route 11. Follow signs to the APCWS park – Jubal Early's position here was shattered by Union attacks Sept. 22, 1864. You are on the battlefield as you wind your way to the park. You will pass one of the few remaining antebellum mills in the area. Trails signs on Route 11 and Battlefield Road leading into the park.

The following sites along Route 11 are marked with Civil War Trails interpretation unless otherwise noted.

Tom's Brook – Union cavalry under Gens. George A. Custer and Wesley Merritt routed their Confederate counterparts under Gen. Thomas Rosser after hard fighting here Oct. 9, 1864. The Southerners retreated in haste more than 25 miles to infantry lines at Rude's Hill. Battle also known as the "Woodstock Races." Trails sign in a county park just south of Tom's Brook.
Woodstock, Trails sign located a block west of the courthouse – The citizens of the seat of Shenandoah County experienced the horrors of war in the late summer and fall of 1864 witnessing the smoke and flames of the infamous "Burning" as well as ranger, guerrilla and bushwacker activities. Trails sign details some of the worst.
Narrow Passage, east of Route 11, south of Woodstock – Stonewall Jackson ordered Jedediah Hotchkiss to make a map of the Shenandoah Valley near here on March 26, 1862. The house on Narrow Passage Creek still stands. Jackson's spring campaign that followed became famous. So did Hotchkiss' maps.
Edinburg Mill, two Trails signs in the parking lot of the mill on Route 11 – This mill, opened in 1850, survived the burnings ordered in late September and early October 1864 by Union Gen. Philip Sheridan. More than two years earlier Confederates used Stony Creek (which provided the mill's power) as a defensive line. A sharp battle on the line near the mill in late March 1862 delayed a Federal advance on the Valley Pike.
Mount Jackson – This small town hosted a Confederate hospital complex established early in the war. A Confederate cemetery and monument honors those who died here. Just south on Route 11 is Union Church, a hospital site. Open some weekends. [No Trails sign.]
Rude's Hill, turn-off with interpretation south of Mount Jackson on Route 11 – Stonewall Jackson's troops camped here on high ground above Meem's Bottom during the summer of 1862 and Jubal Early's infantry halted the 1864 Woodstock Races begun in Tom's Brook.

New Market Battlefield

Confederates here blunted a Federal foray "up" the Valley, part of U.S. Grant's multi-pronged Virginia offensive in the spring of 1864. Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington played a role in the Southern victory on May 15, 1864. The historic battlefield is located on both sides of modern I-81. Part of the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park, run by VMI, extends to Route 11. A monument to Pennsylvania soldiers stands by the road there. Three museums are located west of I-81 along Route 211.

New Market Battlefield State Historical Park and the Hall of Valor Civil War Museum – The museum and park at the top of the hill features the role of the Virginia Military Institute's cadets during the May 15, 1864, battle. The 19th-century Bushong farm buildings, landmarks on the battlefield, have been restored on the grounds of the 280-acre park. The museum explores the entire scope of the war through dioramas and artifacts. The Emmy-award-winning film "Field of Lost Shoes" (45 minutes) is offered. One $9 adult admission covers all. 9 am–5 pm daily. Write Box 1864, New Market, Va. 22844. 540-740-3101.

New Market area

Lacey Springs, Trails sign located in elementary school parking lot off Route 11 in Lacey Springs – Union cavalry under Gen. George A. Custer was attacked here Dec. 21, 1864, by Confederates commanded by Custer's West Point classmate and friend Thomas Rosser. This was one of the last actions of the war in the Valley.

Harrisonburg and area

Turner Ashby Monument, 1 mile southeast of the I-81 intersection, take a left off Port Republic Road at Neff Road [road map] – Ashby, in command of Jackson's cavalry, was mortally wounded at this site now marked with a monument and a small park. His death, June 6, 1862, immediately preceded the battles fought the next days. Battle map of the Battle of Harrisonburg here.

Cross Keys/Port Republic Battlefields – Six interpretive markers on the Cross Keys battlefield are located on property preserved by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District. All the signs are located on or near the Port Republic Road (Route 659) southeast of Harrisonburg. The signs describe the battle June 8, 1862, when Confederate forces under Stonewall Jackson turned back one wing of the Union armies attempting to encircle and destroy him. The action moved the next day to the Port Republic area where Jackson defeated the other Federal wing. A small museum in Port Republic is open Sunday afternoons and by appointment. Call 540-249-3156. There also is a set of street-side interpretive signs in Port Republic, some of which describe the activity in town during the battles. A walking tour on part of the battlefield is offered at the site of "The Coaling" located just off 340 northeast of town.

Mill Creek Church, Trails sign on Route 253, 3 miles east of Route 276 – The current church stands on the site of the wartime Mill Creek Church, used as a hospital during the battle of Cross Keys, June 8, 1862. More than two years later, in September 1864, the church was at the center of the Union effort to burn out the Confederate "breadbasket" in this part of the Valley. The sign also tells about the struggle of the peaceful Brethren Church members, the "Dunkers," as they were buffeted by the war around them.

Dayton, Trails sign in town (south of Harrisonburg) just off Route 42, 100 yards south of the Route 257 W intersection – This small town was the site of many examples of the nasty style of warfare descending on the Valley in the fall of 1864. Near here Union Gen. George A. Custer angered residents by ordering the execution of a young man questionably identified as a bushwhacker. A few weeks later much of the town was burned in retaliation for the death of Union Lt. John R. Meigs.

Daniel Bowman Mill at Silver Lake, Trails sign 1 mile west of Dayton on Route 290 – This was the site of one of the mills that dotted the landscape in the Valley, the "breadbasket of the Confederacy." This mill and 35 others in the area were destroyed (along with barns and crops in the field) by Union soldiers in the fall of 1864.

Court Square & Springhouse, Trails sign on the square in Harrisonburg at the corner of North Main Street – The courthouse grounds were used as a prison pen following the first battle of Winchester in 1862. Soldiers and townfolk quenched their thirst at the springhouse in the southwestern corner.

Hardesty-Higgins House, Trails sign on North Main Street between Bruce and Franklin streets in Harrisonburg – Home to the town's first mayor, Isaac Hardesty, this house was used briefly as headquarters for Union Gen. Nathaniel Banks as he tried to corner Stonewall Jackson in 1862.

Warren-Sipe House, Trails sign on North Main Street between Franklin Street and Ash Tree Lane in Harrisonburg – This was the home of Edward T.H. Warren, a Harrisonburg attorney, who went to war early and fought in most of the famous battles in the East until he was killed at the Wilderness in 1864. The structure was used as a hospital following the battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

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