 Virginia
Civil War Battlefields in Frederick County
Frederick County Virginia and the many communities within this beautiful region of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley played an integral role in the Civil War in Virginia. In fact, the Confederate and Union armies both had large camps in Winchester and the city changed hands numerous times between the sides; some say it was as often as once every three weeks during the height of the war. By the end of the war, many battles had been fought in Frederick County, and today special markers dot our area noting the different Virginia Civil War Battlefields in the area. A few of the Virginia Civil War Battlefields in Frederick County still remain, having been preserved for historical reenactments and education.
While many battles took place here, a few are widely known and commonly reenacted,
including the First, Second, and Third Battle of Winchester, the First and Second Kernstown Battles, and the Battle of Cedar Creek.
The Battle of Cedar Creek
The Battle of Cedar Creek was fought in present day Middletown Virginia and was one of the two largest battles fought in Virginia’s pristine Shenandoah Valley. On October 19, 1864, Gen. Jubal Early led the Confederate Army of the Valley on a surprise attack on the Federal army camped at Cedar Creek. Confederate divisions had trekked all night through the mountains to surprise the Federal army before sunrise, and after crossing the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, the confederate forces had successfully rerouted the Federal forces. It seemed like the Confederate attack was a complete success, however the Federal army under the command of Gen. Horatio Wright, retreated to the north and stabilized themselves while one company, the Federal VI Corps, fought very hard to hold the Confederate forces down. The site of this part of the battle took place in and around the large historic cemetery located on the west side of Middletown. After holding the front, many of the Confederate soldiers were tired, hungry and very worn out. Some abandoned the battle and temporarily went to plunder through the Federal camps for food and other essentials. During this time Gen. Sheridan of the Federal army returned from Washington and after hearing about the battle taking place in Cedar Creek he immediately rode to the Cedar Creek Battlefield to rally his troops and launch a full scale counterattack. His swift and fast response recovered the camps lost to the Confederates from the surprise attack and sent General Early’s
Confederate Army of the Valley on a
different course, which helped solidify
the Federal Army’s stronghold on the
entire state of Virginia. Historians
note the Battle of Cedar Creek for
helping end the period of Confederate
rule in Virginia and creating a momentum in Washington leading to the re-election of President Abraham Lincoln.
The First and Second Battle of Kernstown
 The First and Second Battle at Kernstown Virginia mainly took place near and on the home stead of the Pritchard-Grim Farm located in Frederick County Virginia. The First Battle of Kernstown began on March 23, 1862 and was the first battle of Major General Stonewall Jackson’s raid through Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. General Jackson received faulty intelligence and mistakenly calculated that the Union forces only had four regiments in the area, and launched an aggressive attack along with Colonel Turner Ashby against the Union Forces commanded by Colonel Nathan Kimball. Once the battle began, Jackson realized that he had greatly miscalculated and Union troop numbers actually were upwards of 9,000 men, instead of 3,000 as expected. As such, the First Battle of Kernstown proved to be a small defeat of the Confederate army and was the only defeat in Stonewall Jackson’s many Civil War campaigns. While defeated, Jackson’s army rallied and moved forward with one of the most successful military campaigns of the Civil War.
The Second Battle of Kernstown took place in July just a year and a half after the first battle. Here the Confederate forces crushed the Federal armies that were left in the valley after Gen. Wright ordered two large companies to return to Washington to prepare for Grant’s Petersburg campaign. Gen. Wright mistakenly believed that Confederate General Early’s army was no longer a threat to the Shenandoah Valley and only left Brig. Gen. George Cook with three divisions to hold Winchester.
After hearing of the companies returning to Washington to reinforce Grant’s Petersburg front, General Early received orders to march north and attack General Cook’s three small divisions. After battling for quite awhile, the Union forces collapsed and Commander James Mulligan of one of the divisions was mortally wounded during the fight. The Federal army retreated to Maryland, leaving the Shenandoah Valley; a suffering blow to their efforts in the region.
Both Battles are commemorated at the Pritchard-Grim Farm in Winchester. A National Historic Landmark marker notes these historical Civil War Battlefields in Virginia, and now the 315 acre Pritchard-Grim Farm is protected and preserved as an important piece of our nation’s history.
First and Second Winchester Battlefield
 The battlefield of First Winchester has been lost as a coherent landscape to the growth of the city of Winchester. Most of the core area has been developed for residences on Bower's Hill, along US 11, and around the intersection of I-81 and rte. 50. US Artillery positions have been built upon and vantage points lost. According to a county planning official 1,600 new residences have been approved for construction at the base of Bower's Hill along Abrams Creek. Access to Battery Hill (Hill 819) north of Cedar Creek Grade, west of US 11 and south of railroad tracks, would offer an interesting vantage point, although access is restricted. This site overlooks the field over which Taylor's Louisiana brigade marched to assault Bower's Hill, just south of the water tower. This same ground was fought over during the first day's fighting at Second Winchester when this hill served as a CS artillery position.
Willow Lawn, circa 1765, is set back from the road behind an industrial building, west of US 11 and north of the railroad. Parkins Mill on US 11 at Abrams Creek (burned in 1864 and rebuilt after the war). All historic structures are surrounded by modern buildings. The Winchester Historic District protects many buildings of Civil War vintage and offers a focal point for visitors. Beck and Grunder's ``Three Battles of Winchester'' provides a driving tour of the battlefield with stops at Camp Hill, Milltown, Williamsburg Heights, and Bower's Hill.
The core area of the First Winchester battlefield has largely been lost and, according to a county planning official, 1600 additional houses are planned for this area in the immediate future. This will eliminate the remaining core area of First Winchester and decrease the size of the remaining core area of Second Winchester.
The Third Battle of Winchester
The Third Battle of Winchester is also commonly known as The Battle of Opequon, and it goes down as one of the bloodiest battles found in the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War. It began on September 19, 1864 after General Grant ordered Major General Sheriden to take his army divisions and head to the Shenandoah Valley to counter and defeat General Early's confederate army that was camped near Winchester. Sheriden's men outnumbered Early's almost 3 to 1 and even with the help of Major Generals John B. Gordon's and Rodes divisions the confederate armies were inevitably defeated. At this Virginia Civil War Battlefield 4,000 confederates were lost and 5,000 members of the Federal armies were lost, thus being one of the most violent battles in all of the war. Today the 222 acre property is marked with interpretive trails and
educational markers telling the story of the historic moment that took place.
Our Shenandoah Valley area is full of
historic places that date back to the
earliest days of our Nation. It's no
wonder that Winchester VA Homes are in
such high demand. If you're interested
in owning your own piece of Frederick
County VA Real Estate, or Leesburg VA
Real Estate, contact Paul Loveless
today. Paul Loveless is a Shenandoah Valley Real Estate Agent that works
exclusively with Buyers. No one
knows Winchester VA Homes for Sale like
Paul Loveless! No one knows Shenandoah Valley Real Estate Market Trends like
Paul loveless.
If you have any questions or would like
more information, please call us at
540.955.0730 or send an email to
paul@paulloveless.com.
|
