Some Updates Related to Family History

Last year I discovered that I had a family relationship to Pvt. William Baumgarten of Company K, 102nd Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers. (See here for the story.) My exact connection is unknown at this time, and I am still searching for more information to complete the story. I hope that this new year brings additional discoveries in my quest to learn more about William.

While researching William's Civil War service, I came across John H. Niebaum's History of the Pittsburgh Washington Infantry: 102nd (Old 13th) Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers and Its Forebears, 1792 to 1930, published in 1931. The book tells the story of the 102nd Pennsylvania and its predecessors, including the Pittsburgh Blues (War of 1812), and the Jackson Independent Infantry (Mexican War). The Washington Infantry itself was established in 1855. Not surprisingly, a large section of the book is dedicated to the story of the regiment during the Civil War. The unit initially organized for three months' service in 1861 as the 13th Pennsylvania Volunteers. In August 1861, members of the 13th raised a new three-year regiment, which was mustered into federal service as the 102nd Pennsylvania. The regiment was assigned to the Fourth Corps, Army of the Potomac in 1862, and later that year became part of the Sixth Corps, where it spent the remainder of the war. The 102nd won a reputation for hard fighting during the Overland Campaign and the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864. After the war, members of the Pittsburgh Washington Infantry served in the Spanish-American War and World War I.

Cover of the 1st edition, 1931.

I had my eye on first editions of this book for quite some time. The history has particular sentimental value to me, as William Baumgarten is mentioned on its pages a couple of times. The book is also valuable for the rare photographs of regimental commanders, as well as complete muster rolls. After getting a little cash for Christmas, I decided to treat myself, and I purchased a first edition from a bookseller in Pittsburgh a couple of weeks ago. The book is in near fine condition, and I couldn't be happier with owning this regimental history with a family connection. 

Excerpt showing William Baumgarten among those from the 102nd Pennsylvania wounded in the fighting at Third Winchester, Sept. 19, 1864.

William Baumgarten on the muster roll for Co. K, recruited in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

On a related note, back in November my Father attended a church function in Richland Township, Pennsylvania, where he had a long conversation with a neighbor, Richard Baumgarten. My family had wondered for years whether there was any family relationship to Richard. During the course of their chat, Richard mentioned that his grandfather, William, had been a Civil War veteran. When my Dad told me, I knew that I just had to talk to Richard. Could this William be the same William Baumgarten who fought with the 102nd Pennsylvania?

Flash forward a few weeks. My Dad paid a visit to Richard, who showed him an original photograph of William Baumgarten. When my Dad described the portrait to me, I realized that the photograph was the same one of William that I had acquired earlier last year from a Katie Baumgarten. Indeed, Richard was the grandson of Pvt. Baumgarten, 102nd Pennsylvania. And, it turns out, Katie is Richard's granddaughter!

I called Richard a few weeks ago. He and I had a very affable conversation about this grandfather. Richard's father, Frederick, along with another of William's sons, remained behind in Western Pennsylvania when William headed to Alabama. Richard's grandmother was William's first wife, Elizabeth, who died at childbirth in 1887. Richard only met William a couple of times. Unfortunately, he could not confirm the exact relationship between William and my Great Great Grandfather, John Baumgarten. Richard and I are going to meet the next time I am back in Gibsonia to go through his family history research, including materials compiled by one of William's stepgrandchildren.

This past weekend my parents came to visit, and my Dad brought a very special gift from Richard--a large, framed copy of the portrait of William (above). I am truly amazed at life's little turns. Sometimes I see fate at work. After many years, I finally meet a former hometown neighbor who is part of my extended family, and who happens to be the direct descendant of a Civil War ancestor. The fact that Richard is a living grandson of a Union veteran is also remarkable and reminds me that we are not that far removed from the nation's most violent and destructive conflict and those who fought in it.

A Trip to Honor My Ancestor for the 150th of Third Winchester

On Saturday morning I eagerly got behind the wheel and drove an hour west to attend a special descendants' reception at the Old Court House Civil War Museum in Winchester, hosted by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation (SVBF) on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Third Winchester. This unique Sesquicentennial event, entitled "Don't Forget That I Did My Duty," brought together individuals whose ancestors had fought on both sides of the battle.

As readers may recall, I've written several times about Pvt. William Baumgarten, who served with Co. K, 102nd Pennsylvania throughout the bloody eastern campaigns of 1864. William was part of Phil Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah and participated at Third Winchester, where he was wounded slightly in the left leg. A few days later, at Fisher's Hill, William was wounded again -- this time in the left hand.

Excerpt from the Pittsburgh Daily Gazette & Advertiser, Oct. 6, 1864, showing William Baumgarten among those soldiers of the 102nd Pennsylvania wounded at Third Winchester (courtesy of Vince of the Lancaster at War blog). William's last name is misspelled here, something with which I am all too familiar!

Before going to the reception, I decided to "retrace" the footsteps of William's unit. The 102nd Pennsylvania belonged to Frank Wheaton's brigade (1st), George Getty's division (2nd), of the VI Corps. Thanks to Craig Swain's legwork, I had a good idea of where the regiment advanced against Stephen Ramseur's Confederates. On the map below, Getty's division moved east to west across the land south of the Berryville Turnpike (VA-7), parallel to and along today's Valley Mill Rd. (CR-659).



Unfortunately, much of this part of the battlefield has been forever lost to residential development. I drove along Rt. 7 through the Berryville Canyon and turned down Greenwood Rd. (CR-656) onto Valley Mill Rd. In a general sense I followed the path of Getty's men, including the 102nd Pennsylvania, but couldn't really get much of a feel for the wartime appearance of the land. And the actual ground where the 102nd marched is likely somewhere among all those homes you see on the map. I wasn't going to risk trespass charges or dog bites to walk where William may have fought, so I had to remain satisfied with an overall tour of that area of the battlefield.

Looking south from Valley Mill Rd.  near VA-7 towards the general vicinity where the 102nd Pennsylvania and other units of Getty's division advanced. This view is one of the few that is less cluttered by modern development, although housetops are visible in the distance.

Following my battlefield "tour," I arrived at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, where I joined the growing crowd of descendants. Based on a show of hands at the start of the morning's program, Union and Confederate soldiers were represented in near equal numbers, and a few people even had ancestors who fought on both sides. Given the need to find a seat and keep it, I wasn't able to mingle as much as I wanted to. Nevertheless, I had an opportunity to meet two men whose family members had served with the 60th Virginia, as well as the descendant of a soldier from the 14th New Hampshire.

Kevin Walker, SVBF CEO, addresses descendants at the Old Court House Civil War Museum. Following the presentations, attendees were given free admittance to the museum's extensive collection of Civil War artifacts.

Kevin Walker, the CEO of the SVBF, kicked off the program. Calling us all "VIP guests," he observed that the descendants were "the closest thing we have" to the actual soldiers who participated in Third Winchester being there for the 150th. I looked around the room and was overcome by emotion. Here we were, a direct link through blood (or DNA, as one speaker put it) to those who had battled at Third Winchester. We all cared enough to take the time out of our busy lives to honor our distant family members who had sacrificed so much. And even though our ancestors may have shot at each other 150 years ago, today we all sat together in the same room, more alike than different, and all Americans.

A few other speakers also addressed the crowd. Gen. Duncan Campbell, SVBF Membership Ambassador, discussed his own family's ties to the battle. SVBF Chairman Emeritus Nicholas Picerno focused on the 29th Maine at Third Winchester. An avid collector of Civil War artifacts, he brought along some objects belonging to those who had participated in the battle. Picerno also told the story of the fight to preserve the Third Winchester battlefield. His group successfully saved the Middle Field, but developers beat them to most of the ground where the VI Corps was engaged.

Picerno had several of his artifacts on display, including this frock coat worn by Maj. William Knowlton of the 29th Maine, who was killed on the Middle Field at Third Winchester.

Following the program, the descendants posed for a formal group photograph on the Old Court House steps. We also broke into state groupings. These individuals all had ancestors who served with Virginia regiments. I had my picture taken with the Pennsylvania group, many of whom had ancestors with the 14th Pennsylvania Cavalry.

All attendees received this Third Winchester Reunion ribbon, intended to replicated the ribbons worn by veterans at their reunions after the war.

My participation in the descendant reception felt like a proper way to commemorate William Baumgarten's service during the battle and the war. However, I often had a sense that something was missing. I wanted to know William -- What did he sound like? What was his personality? Why did he fight? When and how was he wounded? What did he write to the folks back home? I also wondered what William would have thought about the event that attracted so many descendants of both sides. Would he have been honored to know that I was here, 150 years later, recalling his sacrifice? In the end, I can never know. But I left the reception satisfied that I was able to represent William and remember his part fighting for the Union and freedom at Third Winchester and elsewhere.

Passing Through the Old Stomping Grounds, July 1864

Following Jubal Early's defeat at the gates of Washington in July 1864, the Army of the Potomac's VI Corps pursued the Confederates westward to the Shenandoah Valley. Among the Union ranks were men who had spent the first winter of the war at Camp Griffin near Lewinsville, Virginia. They belonged to various units, including the 5th Wisconsin, 7th Maine, 43rd New York, 49th New York, 49th Pennsylvania, and 77th New York, as well as the famed First Vermont Brigade. My ancestor, Pvt. William Baumgarten of Co. K, 102nd Pennsylvania also marched with them. He had only joined the army in March 1864, but had already seen his share of horrific combat during the Overland Campaign.

A stereoscopic view of the 43rd N.Y. at Camp Griffin (courtesy of Wikipedia).

July 20-21, 1864: The Valley to Goose Creek

After suffering defeat at Rutherford's Farm on July 20, Early withdrew up the Valley to Fisher's Hill. The Federal commander, Gen. Horatio Wright, considered the Confederate threat eliminated and ordered the VI Corps and the rest of his force to return to Washington. There the Union soldiers could rest, resupply, and await further orders. (OR, 1:37:2, 419-20.)

Gen. Horatio Wright took command of the VI Corps following Gen. John Sedgwick's death at Spotsylvania (courtesy of Wikipedia). He led his men to the defense of Washington and battled Early at Ft. Stevens.

The VI Corps, along with elements of the XIX Corps, set out during the evening of July 20 from their position near Berryville. The Second Division, including William and the 102nd Pennsylvania, took the lead position in the VI Corps' line of march. [1] Headquarters directed that "[t]he troops will be made to understand that their rations must last them until they reach Washington." (OR, 1:37:2, 406.) After wading across the Shenandoah River, the men pressed on through Snicker's Gap and marched the entire night in wet clothes, taking "brief halts for coffee." (Benedict 492.)

As the sun rose over the Northern Virginia countryside, the columns continued to snake along the turnpike. The tired men of the the 49th Pennsylvania decided to stop in Hamilton for breakfast. According to one diarist from the regiment, "the citizens waved the stars and stripes as we passed through the little village; our bands played and our colors were unfurled." (in Westbrook 213.)

In the afternoon the VI Corps marched through Leesburg and halted near Goose Creek. Here the soldiers rested their sore feet and camped for the night. Those lagging behind on the march were not so fortunate. As the diarist from the 49th Pennsylvania wrote that day, "[John] Mosby is reported in the rear, gobbling up stragglers." (in Westbrook 213.)

July 22, 1864: Goose Creek to Difficult Run & Environs

The wagon train got underway at 4 a.m. on July 22, followed by the VI Corps and the XIX Corps. The day's route took the troops along the Leesburg-Alexandria Turnpike (today's VA-7). Seeking to protect his columns, Wright ordered that "[t]he cavalry under Colonel [Charles Russell] Lowell. . . be kept well out to the front, flanks, and rear, and endeavor to break up the guerrilla parties in the line of march." (OR, 1:37:2, 412.)

The divisions filed past Dranesville, where the Lees burg-Alexandria Turnpike intersected the Leesburg-Georgetown Turnpike (today's VA-193). Both roads led towards Washington. To avoid any confusion among his commanders, Wright made clear in his orders that the two corps were to continue on the Leesburg-Alexandria Turnpike.  

After another long march through heat and dust, the Federal force halted for the night in the vicinity of Difficult Creek. Some of the troops progressed as far as Freedom Hill and Peach Grove Post-Office (today's Tysons Corner) before setting up camp.

July 23-26, 1864: Lewinsville, Langley, and Beyond

The next day, July 23, followed a similar pattern. The two corps began their march around 4 a.m. Before long, they would enter the tiny hamlet of Lewinsville (part of today's McLean). Their route took them past the battlefields where some of the men had fought J.E.B. Stuart in September 1861. They also moved over the very ground once occupied by Camp Griffin. Some of these soldiers had lived here during winter 1861-62 as part of Gen. William F. "Baldy" Smith's division. The diarist from the 49th Pennsylvania observed a few differences from those early days:

 [O]ld Camp Griffin has been changed into contraband farms, and our old parade ground is growing a crop of corn. . . . (in Westbrook 213.) [2]

Union Army map showing Lewinsville and vicinity (courtesy of Library of Congress). Wright's men took the road from Peach Grove P.O. (far left), through Lewinsville (center), to Langley (far right). There the VI and XIX Corps picked up the Leesburg-Georgetown Turnpike to Chain Bridge. Camp Griffin sat on the Mackall, Johnston, and Smoot properties and the surrounding land. Living in this area, I am moved to think that 150 years ago, my ancestor was marching past my very neighborhood on his way to Chain Bridge. How the world is small, even across time!

Wilbur Fisk of the 2nd Vermont even located his former campsite. As he wrote in a letter on August 8, 1864:

There was the same excavation that we had made for the floor of our tent, the same fire-place and chimney and the same log basement. There was my old bedstead made of barrel staves nailed to two poles, and there was my old stool, which I remember used always to be in the other boys' way and which was always a reproach upon my woeful lack of ingenuity. I found too, the identical cup which has served me with coffee many times -- a good one once, but now rusty and half filled with dirt; and there were many other things that I saw around that little spot, uninteresting to others though quite interesting to me. . . . .  An eventful  season of war and strife has passed since we left that ground, and many that were with us then have been laid low by rebel hands; but peace comes not yet. Our regiment was full and strong when it left Camp Griffin, but not one-tenth of those men are with us now. (in Rosenblatt 243-44.)

Continuing along the pike beyond Langley, the VI Corps headed in the direction of Chain Bridge. Some of the men entered familiar territory once again -- on the high ground near the bridge was where soldiers under Gen. Smith had established Camp Advance and started construction of defensive works in September 1861.

Proceeding down a steep hill, Wright's corps reached Chain Bridge, crossed the Potomac, and halted in a rough line stretching from from Battery Vermont to Fort Gaines and Tennallytown. The general immediately took steps to ensure that his corps received adequate supplies. He urged his commanders to "have the wants of their men supplied as rapidly as practicable." (OR, 1:37:2, 425.)

In the end, Wright spent very little time around Tennallytown. Instead of returning to the front before Petersburg, he was dispatched to deal with a new threat from Early. By the morning of July 26, the men were once again on the move. They broke camp and marched that day to Rockville. The campaign against Early was entering a new and prolonged phase.

Postscript

The march of the VI Corps through Lewinsville and Langley was a bittersweet homecoming for some. By summer of 1864, the war had taken a terrible toll, and many soldiers never lived to see the old campgrounds for a second time. Others had left the ranks due to wounds, disease, or the end of enlistment. The survivors also looked upon a landscape that had undergone a revolutionary transformation. In place of picket lines, drills, and military parades were contrabands, marking the transition from slavery to freedom. A return to the "stomping grounds" of 1861-62 symbolized just how far the war had progressed since those early days of relative calm and innocence, before the massive bloodletting and the fight for emancipation.

Notes

[1] Incidentally, William received a head wound in skirmishing around Snicker's Gap a few days before and may possibly have made the trip by ambulance. The exact timing and circumstances of William's wounding is somewhat uncertain based on available sources.

[2] By summer 1864, the contraband farm, Camp Wadsworth, sat on land where Camp Griffin was once located. (See my post here for more information.) Camp Beckwith, another contraband farm, sat north of the village of Lewinsville.


Sources

George Grenville Benedict, Vermont in the Civil War, Vol. 1 (1886); Butler County PAGenWeb, "Genealogical Inquiries" (contains excerpt on Wm. Baumgarten from 1889 book, Presidents, Soldiers and Statesmen, Vol. 1); John H. Niebaum, History of the Pittsburgh Washington Infantry: 102nd (Old 13th) Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers and Its Forebears, 1792 to 1930 (1931); Official Records, 1:37:1, 406-457 & 1:37:2, 272 et seq.; Emil & Ruth Rosenblatt, Hard Marching Every Day: The Civil War Letters of Private Wilbur Fisk (1992 ed.); Robert Westbrook, History of the 49th Pennsylvania Volunteers (1897).

A Civil War Ancestor!

Readers occasionally contact me about their own research interests, usually related to genealogy and the Civil War. Imagine my surprise when I received an email last week from Katie Baumgarten. Katie's second great grand uncle is Reinhard (Reinhart) Baumgarten, who also happens to be one of my ancestors. As I wrote in 2011, Reinhard was born in Pennsylvania in 1839 and eventually settled in Ashland, Kentucky. He was somehow related to my Great Great Grandfather John Baumgarten. At the time of the 1870 Census, Reinhard and John were living together in Birmingham, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. I also stumbled upon a William Baumgarten, who was born in Allegheny County in 1845 and later served in Co. K of the 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry. I speculated based on some of my findings that Reinhard and William may have been brothers, but I wasn't certain.

Flash ahead to this March, and in steps Katie. She emailed me that William was indeed Reinhard's brother and even sent me a photograph of the two. Her grandfather, Richard, had given the picture to her. We both agreed that William and Reinhard were possibly half-brothers, given that their mothers apparently had different names. In any event, the picture simply labels them as "brothers."

Photograph of Reinhard (l) and William (r) Baumgarten, courtesy of Katie Baumgarten. A wartime wound blinded William in the right eye.  The injury to the eye seems visible here. Katie dates the picture to around 1900.

Reinhard is in my bloodline, meaning that William is an ancestor as well. I don't know John's relationship to the brothers yet, and am still trying to determine the exact family tie. Regardless, I am excited to learn that I count a Civil War solider among my ancestors. Only a few years ago, I had no idea that any of my family was even here during the War Between the States!

Second state color of the 102nd Pa. Infantry, received in April 1864 (courtesy of Pa. Capitol Preservation Committee). William served under this flag. 

William enlisted as a private with Company K, 102nd Pa. in Pittsburgh on March 31, 1864. He and the rest of the recruits joined the fight against General Robert E. Lee's Confederates as part of the First Brigade, Second Division, Sixth Corps of the Army of the Potomac. William participated in the Overland and Petersburg Campaigns before being transferred to Washington, where the 102nd Pa. helped to repulse Jubal Early's movement against the capital at the Battle of Ft. Stevens (July 11-12, 1864). William and the 102nd Pa. next headed to the Shenandoah Valley. William was injured in the right side of the head near Snicker's Gap in July 1864, and lost sight in one eye. He later was wounded in the left leg at Third Winchester (Sept. 19, 1864) and the left hand at Fisher's Hill (Sept. 22, 1864). Even after suffering so many injuries, William soldiered onward, and apparently fought at Cedar Creek on October 19, 1864. He was finally sent to recover from his wounds for six months at Satterlee General Hospital in Philadelphia. William was discharged from the service on June 9, 1865.

Following the war, William married Elizabeth Martin, a native of Germany, in 1868. The two had five children together. William and Reinhard ran a grocery store in Birmingham, Allegheny Co. after the war called Baumgarten & Brothers. William moved to Butler County, Pennsylvania in 1889 and started farming. At some point the family relocated to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and Cullman, Alabama, where William died on October 29, 1921.

I plan to continue researching Reinhard, William, and John Baumgarten. For now, I am proud to know that I have an ancestor who fought in the war for the Union cause. This discovery has added meaning given that this year we observe the 150th of those battles where William sacrificed so much. Stay tuned for more on William and Company K. And a special thanks to Katie for sending me the information and picture.

Sources

Butler County PAGenWeb, "Genealogical Inquiries" (contains excerpt on William from 1889 book, Presidents, Soldiers and Statesmen, Vol. 1); Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Cities, 1867-68; N.A.R.A., Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 (available on fold3.com); National Park Service, "102nd Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry," Soldiers & Sailors Database.

A Detour to Delaplane, Virginia: The First Bull Run Campaign and the Manassas Gap Railroad

This past weekend I decided to take the family for an outing in the countryside.  On Saturday morning we put the boys in their car seats, jumped into the SUV, and headed to Sky Meadows State Park in Fauquier County.  My wife and I first visited the park back in 2010.  The historic home of Mt. Bleak, located on the grounds of Sky Meadows, has several connections to Mosby's Rangers and the Civil War.  (I wrote a post about my previous visit here.)  Of course, I couldn't resist taking a little detour to another Civil War site on the way to Sky Meadows. 

Near the confluence of Goose Creek and Crooked Run we pulled off Rt. 17 and stopped at Delaplane.  This tiny hamlet, known as Piedmont Station during the Civil War, appears much as it did in the mid-nineteenth century.  The Manassas Gap Railroad reached the area in 1852.  The company decided to place a new station near the point where the railroad crossed the vital transportation link of the Dumfries-Winchester Road (now Rt. 17).  The town grew up around the station, and by the start of the Civil War, had become an important rail center in Fauquier County.  Piedmont Station was renamed Delaplane in 1874 and today is designated as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

Civil War Trails marker on Delaplane Grade Rd., just to the south of the old Manassas Gap Railroad line.  Today the tracks are part of the Norfolk Southern system. 

Piedmont Station played a key role in the First Bull Run Campaign.  Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, commander of the Confederate Army of the Shenandoah, received an urgent order on July 18, 1861 to join forces with Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard at Manassas Junction.  The general, worried that his volunteer army would take too long to march to Beauregard's assistance, opted instead to send his army by rail.  Johnston proceeded to Piedmont Station and oversaw preparations for the transportation of his men to Manassas Junction.

Close-up of the Civil War Trails marker.  (More information can be found here on the Historical Marker Database.)  The marker makes the claim that "[h]ere. . . trains were used for the first time in history to move troops to impending battle." 

Meanwhile, Johnston's army was on the move out of the Shenandoah Valley.  Gen. Thomas J. Jackson's brigade left the Winchester area around noon on July 18.  After marching all day and night, they passed through Ashby's Gap and stopped in Paris at two in the morning of July 19.  (Incidentally, I wrote about Paris and Jackson-related sites a few years ago.)  Jackson allowed his men a few hours of rest before they set out to complete the remaining six miles to Piedmont Station. They arrived at six in the morning.  Patriotic civilians greeted Jackson's troops at the station and offered them food and drink.  Jackson's men, likely basking in the glow of admirers, ate their breakfast and then boarded the train of freight and cattle cars for Manassas.  Progress was slow.  The 34-mile trip took an incredible eight hours.  Jackson, of course, would go on to earn the nickname "Stonewall" on the battlefield of Manassas on July 21. 

Two original railroad buildings dating to 1852.  These structures have been used as depots, warehouses, and stores.  The National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for Delaplane notes that "[t]he survival of these two large antebellum brick structures associated with the railroad is a rare occurrence in Virginia since few antebellum brick buildings of this scale can be documented anywhere else in Virginia."  (p. 16.)

Despite logistical difficulties, regiments from the brigades of Col. Francis Bartow and Gen. Barnard Bee followed Jackson over the course of the next day or so.  The brigade of Col. Arnold Elzey, under the temporary command of Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, did not leave Piedmont Station until the early morning hours of July 21.  The men arrived at Manassas mid-day and marched quickly to the sounds of battle.  Elzey's troops smashed into the Federal right on Chinn Ridge and helped to secure the Confederate victory.

Another view of the antebellum railroad buildings, taken from Rokeby Rd.  The railroad line runs in front of the buildings.



Looking west down the old Manassas Gap Railroad tracks from Rokeby Rd. in Delaplane.  A Virginia State Historical Marker on Piedmont Station and First Manassas sits to the right.  (See here for text.)  The white SUV is traveling south on Rt. 17, the old Dumfries-Winchester Rd. 

Today Delaplane sits almost untouched by time.  You'll find no Starbucks, McDonald's, or strip malls there.  It isn't hard to imagine Jackson's troops mounting the rail cars and starting their journey towards Manassas and fame.  Walking next to the tracks, I was reminded of the contribution that this village made to modern military history.  Railroads played an important part in the Civil War, and Johnston's operation at Piedmont Station stood near the very start of it all.  Although the means of transportation proved a little slower than Johnston may have liked, his actions at Piedmont Station demonstrated the value of harnessing railroad technology to military advantage.  That's big stuff for such a small place, and well worth a stop to look around and ponder.

Sources

William C. Davis, Battle at Bull Run (1985 ed.); Bradley M. Gottfried, The Maps of First Bull Run (2009); Joseph E. Johnston, Narrative of Military Operations (1874); National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Delaplane Historic District (2003); Ethan Rafuse, A Single Grand Victory: The First Campaign and Battle of Manassas (2002).

Trip to Winchester, Day 2: Cemeteries and Battlefields

A couple weeks ago I wrote about the first half of my weekend escape to Winchester.  Back in May, I spent the greater part of a Saturday afternoon walking the streets of Old Town and visiting a few historic sites, including the famed headquarters of Stonewall Jackson.  I even threw in a little French & Indian War history for good measure.  After a few drinks and an evening stroll through the streets with a fine cigar, I returned to my hotel to recharge and prepare for another full day. 

The Final Resting Places of Winchester

On Sunday my friend Ken, and I started with Winchester's Civil War cemeteries.  We first drove to the Mt. Hebron Cemetery on E. Boscawen Street.  Mt. Hebron was established in 1844 on land adjacent to 18th century Reformed and Lutheran graveyards.  The Stonewall Confederate Cemetery is located within Mt. Hebron on ground that saw action during the Third Battle of Winchester (Sept. 19, 1864).  The cemetery, which was dedicated in 1866, contains the graves of over 2,500 Confederate dead.  Eleven former Confederate states, plus Kentucky and Maryland, have dedicated sections in the cemetery, and several states have erected monuments to their fallen soldiers.   As I walked past the endless rows of headstones, I felt overcome by a sense of sadness and loss. Cemeteries such as this one force us to confront the tragic human cost of the Civil War in a way that just reading about battles cannot do.

A view of Stonewall Confederate Cemetery looking towards the Unknown Soldiers Monument (1879).  Over 800 unknown Confederate soldiers lay buried beneath the monument.

The grave of the Patton Brothers at Stonewall Cemetery.  Col. George S. Patton, grandfather of the famous World War II general of the same name, was mortally wounded at the Third Battle of Winchester on September 19, 1864.  His brother, Col. Waller Tazewell Patton, was mortally wounded at Gettysburg during Pickett's Charge on July 3, 1863.  Other notable burials at the Stonewall Cemetery include Confederate cavalry commander Turner Ashby and Gen. Robert Daniel Johnston of North Carolina.

Ken and I next drove right around the corner to the Winchester National Cemetery, located on National Avenue.  The cemetery sits on land that was used for burials during the Civil War.  It was officially dedicated in 1866, the same year as the Stonewall Cemetery, and was transferred to the U.S. Government in 1870.  The National Cemetery contains the graves of Union soldiers who died in battles and campaigns throughout the region, including Winchester, Front Royal, New Market, Harpers Ferry, and Romney.   Fifteen monuments rise above the plain white headstones.  Most are dedicated to Union regiments who fought in the Shenandoah Valley, including the 12th Connecticut, 38th Massachusetts, 123rd Ohio, and 8th Vermont.  Two monuments, however, commemorate the sacrifices of soldiers from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and a third was erected to honor the Sixth Army Corps. 

Looking over Winchester National Cemetery towards the 114th New York Monument.  When I visited, each headstone was decorated with a flag in preparation for Memorial Day.

Bronze soldier atop the Massachusetts Monument at the National Cemetery. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts erected the monument in 1907.

Touring the Battlefields of 1862

Following our visit to the cemeteries, my friend and I turned our attention to the scene of the fighting.  The Winchester area witnessed several key battles between 1862-64.  The focus of my Sesquicentennial-themed trip was the 150th anniversary of Jackson's Valley Campaign, so we stuck to the battlefields from 1862.   At the Visitor Center we picked up a driving tour of the 1862 Winchester battlefields published by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation.  (Incidentally, I could not find a copy of the brochure on the web prior to my trip.) 

We first visited a few sites associated with the First Battle of Winchester, one of Jackson's key victories in the Valley Campaign.  After defeating the small Federal garrison at Front Royal on May 23,1862, Jackson moved down the Valley (north) in pursuit of the main Union force under Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks.  On May 25, Jackson pounced on Banks' men, who were positioned on the ground south of Winchester. Following a devastating attack against Banks' right flank on Bowers Hill, the Union line collapsed, and the retreating soldiers fled through the streets of Winchester.  Jackson's tired men tried to catch up with Banks, but the Union army managed to cross the Potomac and escape into Maryland.  Jackson soon moved back up the Valley to avoid being caught in a trap by two separate Union commands converging on him from the east and west.  He soundly defeated these armies at the start of June and left the Valley to join Robert E. Lee before Richmond.

Sadly, little remains of the First Winchester battlefield.  Much of the land is blanketed with commercial and residential development.  In fact, the general area where the battle began is now marked by a Sheetz station!  The driving tour is useful for getting a sense of the scope of the engagement and the terrain on which the men fought, but don't expect to see much aside from a historical marker commemorating the battle.

View of Camp Hill along Kent St.  Following an initial morning attack by Confederates under Gen. Isaac Trimble, Union soldiers from Gen. Dudley Donnelly's brigade fell back to Camp Hill.  The 46th Pennsylvania, 5th Connecticut, and 28th New York made a stand here, but ultimately were forced to withdraw.

View towards the crest of Bowers Hill from a residential subdivision along Ramseur Lane (note the manicured lawn).  Gen. Richard Taylor's Louisiana Brigade moved from the southwest and across this area to attack the Union right flank positioned atop the hill.   

Lucky for current and future generations, the Kernstown battlefield is an entirely different story.  The First Battle of Kernstown, fought on March 23, 1862, was the opening shot of Jackson's Valley Campaign and marked Jackson's only defeat as an independent commander.  Erroneously believing that he outnumbered his opponent, Jackson launched an attack on the Union line around Kernstown.  After a failed attempt to flank the Federal artillery on Pritchard's Hill, the action shifted westward to Sandy Ridge.  Jackson's men were no match for the large Union force under Col. Nathan Kimball.   The Confederates began to run out of ammunition, and before long, Kimball forced Jackson from the field.  Although a tactical loss, Jackson's attack at Kernstown spooked the Federal authorities in Washington, who redirected troops to the Valley and retained Gen. Irvin McDowell's corps around the capital.  This shift of resources deprived Gen. George McClellan of men for his move on Richmond by way of the Peninsula.

Our first stop was the Rose Hill farm, which is run by the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.  The property was the scene of the fight along Sandy Ridge.  Unfortunately, the site was closed, and we were unable to do the walking tour.  Instead, we took a look at the the farm from the road and read the Civil War Trails marker at the entrance.  I will need to get back to Rose Hill someday to do the site justice.  (Perhaps as a detour during my battlefields of 1864 tour?)

View of the William W. Glass farm, or Rose Hill, from the entrance to the Museum of the Shenandoah site.  The engagement along Sandy Ridge took place to the east of the house.  After a desperate two-hour fight, the Confederate line faltered.  The Stonewall Brigade under Gen. Richard Garnett left the field first, followed by Col. Samuel Fulkerson's brigade.  Jackson, furious that Garnett had withdrawn without explicit permission, relieved Garnett of command and pressed charges against him.  Garnett was later killed at Gettysburg. 

Our next stop is a true gem and well worth a visit if you do nothing else in the Winchester area.  The Kernstown Battlefield encompasses Pritchard's Hill and the surrounding property, including the 1854 Pritchard House.  The site is a true preservation success story.  Through efforts led by the Kernstown Battlefield Association (KBA), the property was spared from developers' bulldozers in the early 2000s.  Aside from the First Battle of Kernstown, the site was also the scene of fighting during the Second Battle of Winchester (June 13-15, 1863) and the Second Battle of Kernstown (July 24, 1864).

Ken and I stopped at the Visitor Center.  Although a bit outdated in style, the small collection of exhibits does a thorough job of helping visitors make sense of the various engagements that took place on the Pritchard farmland.   We also had the good fortune of dropping by on a day when the KBA was offering docent-led tours of the Pritchard House.  The outside of the Pritchard House is largely restored, but the inside is still a work in progress. Our guide, Sue Golden, took us through the rooms of the home and provided valuable insights into the sad history of the Pritchard family during and after the war. 

The Pritchard House, built in 1854.  Samuel Pritchard and his family took shelter in the house's basement each time the armies fought on their property.  The house also served as a hospital following the battles.  Union Gen. Philip Sheridan's cavalry chief, Alfred Torbert, used the Pritchard House as headquarters in 1864.  Like many families in the Valley, the war devastated the Pritchard's business and property.  After the war, Mr. Pritchard filed a claim with the Southern Claims Commission for over $5,000 in damages, but the Commission rejected his claim on the grounds that Pritchard had been disloyal to the Union.

Looking up to the top of Pritchard's Hill from the walking path.  Federal guns occupied this high ground during the First and Second Battles of Kernstown and the Second Battle of Winchester.

Ken and I next hiked across the battlefield in the mid-day sun.  The Walking Trail Guide (available in the Visitor Center) and informative historical markers helped to make the tour a true learning experience.  And of course, nothing beats walking over the very terrain where the fighting occurred.  Standing atop Pritchard's Hill, I could surely see why Jackson's men fared so badly against the Federal artillery placed there.

Looking out towards the site of the Confederate advance towards Pritchard's Hill during the First Battle of Kernstown. Fulkerson led the 37th and 23rd Virginia in a movement to flank the Federal batteries atop the hill. The 33rd Virginia, part of Garnett's brigade, followed. The artillery fire became so hot that the regiments turned to the west and took refuge in woods on Sandy Ridge.  The historical marker explains the action that took place here.

Stone fence along Pritchard's Lane.  Union Col. James Mulligan's troops made a last-ditch stand against Jubal Early's Confederates at this spot during the Second Battle of Kernstown.  Mulligan was mortally wounded and later died in the Pritchard House.

Ken and I spent about two hours exploring the battlefield.  When all was said and done, the trip to the Kernstown Battlefield was a highlight of the Winchester weekend and was the perfect end to a perfect Civil War weekend.  My friend and I returned to McLean, comparing impressions from the last couple days. Winchester is well worth a trip, whether you live in the DC area or elsewhere.  And because I concentrated on 1862 this time around, I couldn't be happier that I have every reason to get back to the Winchester area within the next couple of years.

Information and Sources
Aside from the links provided above, the following sites are useful for planning a trip to Winchester's 1862 battlefields:

1) Shenandoah at War by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation.

2)  The Kernstown Battlefield site by the KBA.

The Visitor Center at Kernstown Battlefield also sells First and Second Battles of Kernstown: Pritchard-Grim Farm.  This booklet provides a good overview of the two engagements and features pieces by well-known historians Gary Ecelbarger and Scott Patchen.

Trip to Winchester, Day 1: The Sites in Old Town

A couple weekends ago I headed out to Winchester, Virginia with one of my best friends.  My wife gave me a free pass for a "guy's weekend," and being the ever faithful Civil War enthusiast, I decided to go somewhere associated with the battles and campaigns of 1862.  (Lucky for me, my friend Ken also enjoys military history.)  I've made it a goal to visit a few major sites associated with each year of the Civil War over the course of the Sesquicentennial.  For 1862/2012, I toured the Second Manassas Battlefield in April and plan on getting back to Antietam and Fredericksburg later this year.  I had never visited any sites related to Stonewall Jackson's 1862 Valley Campaign and decided to add one to my list for this year.  Winchester seemed like a logical place to start.  The recent feature on Winchester in the Civil War Monitor also peaked my interest.  If that wasn't enough, the town is only about a 90-minute drive from where I live in Northern Virginia, making it an easy destination for a quick overnight trip.

Winchester has a long and remarkable history dating to colonial times.  Names like Stonewall Jackson and George Washington loom large.  During the Civil War, Winchester occupied a strategic location at the northern end of the agriculturally rich Shenandoah Valley.  Both Union and Confederate armies viewed Winchester as a gateway for invasion and attack.  Not surprisingly, the war had a dramatic impact on the town and its citizens.  The Winchester area witnessed six major battles between 1862-64, and the town allegedly changed hands over seventy times throughout the war.

My friend and I arrived in Winchester about noon on a Saturday.  After the requisite stop at the Visitor Center, we headed to the Old Court House Civil War Museum, which is located in the former Frederick County Courthouse.   The building was constructed in 1840 and served as a courthouse until 1984.  During the Civil War, the courthouse was used by both Union and Confederate forces as a hospital and prison.  Some of the graffiti left behind by prisoners is still visible on the courthouse walls. 

The "old school" museum upstairs contains a truly dizzying array of Civil War artifacts.  The entire second floor is filled with display cases of buttons, belt buckles, weapons, corps badges, bayonets, artillery shells, and other objects.  The museum has interpreted each artifact in minute detail.  I'd recommend a stop at the museum, but if you are really into this sort of thing, be forewarned that you could spend hours looking at the displays.

The old Frederick County Courthouse at 20 N. Loudoun St., now the site of a Civil War museum housing an extensive collection of artifacts from the conflict.

Example of graffiti on the courthouse wall.  Private John F. Richards enlisted with the 16th Massachusetts in Westford, Massachusetts (my wife's hometown) in April 1861.  He was captured in Loudoun County, Virginia in July 1863 and held at the courthouse briefly before being transferred to Belle Isle Prison in Richmond, where he later died.  The graffiti in the courthouse is now preserved behind glass, and the museum has placed interpretative information on the wall next to the inscriptions.

Following the trip to the courthouse, my friend and I continued our walk through the streets of Old Town Winchester.  Years ago, Ken picked up a copy of a self-guided walking tour of Civil War Winchester published by Preservation of Historic Winchester.  He brought the brochure along, and we followed the tour as we explored Old Town.  A few of the notable homes included Philip Sheridan's Headquarters and the house where Jackson and his wife stayed during the first winter of the war.   The walking tour is a must-do for those seeking to understand fully Winchester's role in the Civil War.

Lloyd Logan Home (1850), 135 N. Braddock St. This house served as headquarters for Union Gen. Robert Milroy in 1863 and Gen. Philip Sheridan in 1864.  Milroy angered the citizens of Winchester when he expelled the Logans from the house and moved in with his own family.

Kent Street Presbyterian Manse (c. 1845), home of Dr. and Mrs. James R. Graham, 319 N. Braddock St.  Dr. Graham was pastor of the Kent Street Presbyterian Church, where Stonewall Jackson attended services during his time in Winchester.  Jackson and his wife lived here as guests during the first three months of 1862.

We proceeded up N. Braddock Street to our next destination--Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters.  At the time of the war, the house belonged to Lt. Col. Lewis T. Moore of the 4th Virginia.  Moore, who was convalescing in Richmond, invited Jackson to use his home as headquarters while Jackson was serving as head of the Valley District.  Jackson worked there from November 1861 to March 1862.  He also resided in the Moore home for part of the time, until moving into the Graham home picture above.

The museum tour guide provided an overview of Jackson's life and explained many of the historic objects on display in the rooms of the house.  I was pleasantly surprised that the tour steered clear of overblown, Lost Cause-style rhetoric about Jackson.  The house contains a multitude of Jackson's personal belongings, including his prayer book, camp chest, quilt, and desk.  The museum touts the display as "the largest collection of Jackson memorabilia."   And I suppose they are right.  Where else can you see the sculptor's model of that Stonewall-on-steroids statue located on the Manassas Battlefield?  The museum also displays artifacts from others who served with Jackson.  I particularly enjoyed seeing Turner Ashby's saddle and William Pendleton's camp chest.

Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters at 415 N. Braddock St. The Gothic Revival-style house was built in 1854 by William Fuller.  Lt. Col. Moore purchased the home in 1856.  Jackson wrote to his wife in November 1861:  "The situation is beautiful.  The building is of cottage style and contains six rooms, on above the other.  My lower room, or office, has matting on the floor, a large fine table, six chairs, and a piano.  The walls are papered with elegant gilt paper.  I don't remember to have seen a more beautiful papering."

After spending time at the Jackson headquarters, Ken and I stopped at George Washington's Office, which dates to the time of the French & Indian War.  Perhaps unknown to many readers, I am also an enthusiast of this early American conflict, which has a strong connection to my hometown of Pittsburgh.  For anyone interested in colonial history, I can't say enough about this site.  Part of the structure served as Washington's office in Winchester while he supervised the construction of Fort Loudoun on the north side of the town between September 1755 and December 1756.  At the time, Washington was serving as the colonel of the Virginia Regiment.  The museum contains a number of fascinating exhibits about the early history of Winchester and Washington's time there.  Visitors are bound to pick some interesting tidbits about the area during the French & Indian War.  Even if you've come to Winchester mainly for the Civil War history, don't miss this place.

George Washington's Office at 32 West Cork & Braddock Streets.  The  log cabin where Washington had his office is now at the center of this building. 

That evening Ken and I dined at the Union Jack Restaurant and Pub, which has an extraordinary beer list.  Hat tip to Robert Moore and the Civil War Monitor for pointing this place out!  It was a perfect spot to end the day and enjoy an adult beverage or two.

Up Next
In the next installment, I'll examine Winchester's Civil War cemeteries and take readers on a tour of First Winchester (what's left of it) and Kernstown.

Information and Sources
Aside from the links provided above, the following websites are useful for planning a trip to Winchester:
1) Winchester-Frederick County Visitor Center
2) Old Town Winchester

I picked up a copy of Civil War Winchester by Jerry W. Holsworth to learn more about the war in this pivotal Shenandoah Valley town.