The Road to the Stickley Farm

The Stickley farm house dates to around 1775. For years the Valley Pike (US 11) ran past it, but you could take a picture of it from a pull-off that had historical markers.

At one time there were picnic tables at the wayside here, as I recall. Eventually they were removed but Civil War Trails signs and a state historical marker for Fort Bowman remained. Not long ago they were all moved. The road that served the wayside remains and can be reached from the Valley Pike just west of Cedar Creek.

Wayside location Pinned at HMDB using Google Maps. (2018 Configuration.)

After the new bridge across Cedar Creek was opened to two-way traffic (June 2018), the old bridge that carried the westbound lanes was removed. A newly-widened road carried traffic in both directions and the old west-bound lanes were actually dug up and hauled off. I drove over those lanes many times and now they are covered with grass. How strange it felt to look at the road that is no longer there!

Heading toward Strasburg and Interstate 81.

Facing Cedar Creek (not visible through the tall grass).

Fences.

The wayside road is now a lane that just leads to the Stickley farm. The farm is privately owned but sometimes it is open to Civil War tour groups.

After the Battle of Cedar Creek (1864), the farm house served as a field hospital.

The now missing Civil War Trails signs were "Cedar Creek — Strategic Crossing — 1864 Valley Campaign" and "Cedar Creek — Strategic Crossing— 1862 Valley Campaign." My understanding is that they will be installed at another location. I would not be surprised if it were at the old campground across the creek, recently acquired as part of Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park.

See my 2014 Post on the Stickley Farm.

Civil War Field Trip Noyalas-Style

The most exciting parts of Saturday's field trip were visiting places I've never seen before because they were not open to the public. Professor Noyalas had obtained permission for our group to tour there: Thoburn's redoubt position (now pasture-land along Bowman's Mill Road). The 8th Vermont Monument (on a hill behind a private home) The Stickley Farm (Residence and farm along US 11 southbound at Cedar Creek)

We also went to Belle Grove, Meadow Brook, the end point of Sheridan's ride, Ramseur's position at Miller's Mill, Cemetery Hill, and we followed the trail at the 128th New York monument.

Above: Jonathan Noyalas lectures at Thoburn's Final Position

I enjoyed the field trip. Noyalas is very knowledgeable about Cedar Creek Battlefield and just had a book published called The Battle of Cedar Creek: Victory from the Jaws of Defeat.

Other Posts about this Cedar Creek Tour:

• Monument 8th Vermont and Fellow Students
• View from Thoburn's Camp and Earthworks
• Trouble at the Trenches
• Belle Grove and 128th New York Monument
• Meadow Brook
• Cemetery Overlooking Middletown
• Sheridan's Ride
• Lone Confederate Grave
• Stickley House and Old Mills

Related Links:

• Self-Guided Tour, Cedar Creek by J. Whitehorne
• Press Release: SVBF Protects Additional Land on the Cedar Creek Battlefield, 2007
• Cedar Creek (on Johns Military History

The Stickley Farm on Cedar Creek

The final program of the 150th Anniversary of the battle that I attended at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park dealt with the aftermath of the battle.  We started at Belle Grove and then went to the Stickley Farm and St. Thomas Chapel in Middletown.

Like the church and Belle Grove, this farm was turned into a hospital site, as there were thousands of wounded soldiers needing emergency care.

The farm is privately owned but the park service had permission to bring the tour there. I've been there on tour before (see Lone Confederate Grave and the Stickley mills).

The Confederate grave in the yard is a bit mysterious. Long ago a marker was placed there inscribed "John Helms of Atlanta, GA [who] was killed Oct. 19, 1864 in the battle of Cedar Creek", but Ranger Driscoll said he has been unable to find a John Helms in Confederate records of the battle. (A clear picture of the marker is in the Handley Library collection.)

Since Cedar Creek Battlefield is not far from our home, I've done many posts about it over the years. In contrast to it's dramatic history, it's now a lovely and serene place, unless you happen to arrive during a reenactment. 

Sharing with: The Barn Collective

Local Park, Cedar Creek Battlefield

Here it is September already! August passed quickly, and without the scorching hot days that I associate with that month.

It's also Friday and time to join some blog hops. This time I'm not doing random topics but will concentrate on nearby Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. I've posted about it many times before, but they keep offering new programs so I go back. I'm a history buff and the staff there are great presenters.

My Town Shoot Out has challenged us to post about Parks today, and I had some great parks to choose from. I've listed Front Royal's great parks in the past so I thought I'd go in the opposite direction this time. 

A week ago I attended a "History at Sunset" program at Cedar Creek. Ranger James Horn told the story of the battle through letters written by soldiers who were there.

This black and white portrait shows the ranger in a quiet moment as he listens to a question from someone in the audience. Most of the time he's quite animated.

The program began at the Monument to the 8th Vermont and progressed to the Morning Attack Trail.

Here Union soldiers were awakened by an unexpected pre-dawn attack. Casualties were high. 

This part of the park has only been open for a few years. In fact, the park itself was not authorized until 2002. When I first came to this Civil War battlefield on a tour, very little of the area was open to the public. It's been gratifying to see this beautiful place become available to visit.

The park is unusual because it is not all owned by one entity, but is a combined effort of several organizations.

If you are not familiar with the 1864 Battle of Cedar Creek, it basically ended the Confederate Army's use of the Shenandoah Valley. Their surprise attack in the morning was only a temporary victory. General Phil Sheridan led Federal troops in a counter-attack and forced the Confederates to retreat in disarray.

Thanks to all the bloggers who are hosting linkups today! Floral Friday, Fences, Skywatch,  Signs, Orange You Glad It's Friday, Weekend Green, Black and White Weekend, and My Town Shoot Out.

U.S. 11 over Cedar Creek is being rebuilt. 

Commemorating the Battle of Cedar Creek

It is the 155th anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Creek, so this post is related to that event. I'm using the Willy Nilly Friday format of showing a variety of images with numbered commentary.

1. Cavalry Re-enactors.

Black and White Weekend.

2. The Dinges Farm is at the point where Sheridan's famous ride ended and he rallied the Federal troops. It is just north of Middletown. There is a state historical marker along the Valley Pike near here.

3. Park Ranger Jeff Driscoll was the tour guide at the Driscoll Farm. Normally the farm is not open to the public so I was glad to get a chance to join this "History at Sunset" tour.

4. The farm is now owned by the Battlefield Trust and leased to a farmer. The Park Service had made arrangements to bring our group on the farm that evening. Ranger Jeff assured us that the farm animals were friendly.

Skywatch Friday.

5. There was a slight disadvantage to having a lecture around friendly animals. They were distracting! But after discussing Sheridan's ride, we left the pasture and walked up a hill to see where the battle resumed once the troops got reorganized.

6. If you don't know the story of this battle, the short version is that Jubal Early's Confederate Army made a surprise attack on a large Union camp near Middletown on October 19, 1864. The Federal soldiers were forced to retreat in disarray, and some were trying to reorganize while others were simply fleeing. General Phil Sheridan came galloping in and rallied the troops! His army retook their lost ground and chased the Confederates through Strasburg.

7. We hiked up to an overgrown stone wall on the battlefield. It may well be the wall that is mentioned in records of this part of the battle.

8. Today the area is pretty and peaceful. 

There are special events scheduled for this weekend to mark the anniversary of the battle.

The Running Fight, 155 Years Ago

On Saturday I went to a history program in nearby Middletown. My friend Ranger Shannon was presenting "The Running Fight," a tour on the battle that took place along the Valley Pike on May 24, 1862 following the Battle of Front Royal. (I've done a couple versions of the Battle of Front Royal Tour in previous years but have never covered this lesser known battle of Jackson's Valley Campaign.) 

The tour started at the Wayside Inn in Middletown and then went south to the Belle Grove area.

Related Map: Front Royal to Winchester

I thought this fence beside the road was scenic. (If you want to see more fences, check out the linkup at Looking for Identity.)

We turned around at Cedar Creek and headed back north. This marker barely mentions this struggle because it deals with an earlier battle, but it does say:

"... on May 24, as the Federals retreated to Winchester, Collis' Zouaves (Union) were cut off and nearly captured by Jackson when they were left at the bridge as a rear guard."

We turned around at Cedar Creek and finished north of Middletown at the outskirts of Stephens City, which was called Newtown in 1862.

A marker there also deals with another battle but an illustration on it looks like what I imagine this "running fight" would have looked, as Federals struggled to get their wagons to safety.

Sharing with Signs, Signs

One of the men on the tour mentioned that he is raising funds for a marker that relates to the Battle of Front Royal. It will deal with Turner Ashby's attack on Buckton Station, where he cut the telegraph lines, destroying communications between Front Royal and Bank's Fort in Strasburg. (See related post.)

The train no longer stops in Buckton but the station probably stood at the far right of this scene, where a later building now stands abandoned. 

Previous Posts about Cedar Creek

I've been posting photos of last month's reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek. I've written about Cedar Creek Battlefield before. It's less than an hour from my home and it's in a lovely area. Last year I shared photos of a class and field trip taught by Jonathan Noyalas of Lord Fairfax Community College (see list of posts below) and several years ago I posted pictures of another field trip to Cedar Creek, that one organized and led by Professor Poland of NVCC.

• Overview of 2009 Trip: Tour with Jonathan Noyalas
• Monument 8th Vermont and Fellow Students
• View from Thoburn's Camp and Earthworks
• Trouble at the Trenches
• Belle Grove and 128th New York Monument
• Meadow Brook
• Cemetery Overlooking Middletown
• Sheridan's Ride
• Lone Confederate Grave
• Stickley House and Old Mills

After the Battle is Over...

It's the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Creek in Middletown, Virginia. Today and tomorrow are big days here for living history events including staged battles.

So where do Civil War soldiers go after a battle? Well, these folks went to nearby Strasburg to find some fast food.

See more Battle of Cedar Creek posts

Link: Events at Cedar Creek Battlefield

Redbud, Bluebells, and a Bit of History.

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historic Park.

Sharing with Fences and Willy Nilly Friday,

1. In Virginia we are currently advised to stay home except for essential work, shopping, and exercise. I like to combine my shopping trips and exercise. Few places are open right now but I watch the notices online for closures. 

2. Cedar Creek and Belle Grove have closed their museums but so far the trails off Claven Lane are still open. I've never seen that area busy except for special events, so I went there to walk. No one else was there so social distancing was easy.

3. The grass is bright green now and the redbud trees are in bloom. When I entered the woods by the Eighth Vermont Monument I found large patches of bluebells!

Friday Bliss and Flowers.

4. I've posted pictures of the 8th Vermont Monument before. It commemorates the Vermont soldiers who fought at the 1864 Battle of Cedar Creek and suffered heavy casualties in this area.

It was on private property in 2009 when I visited it on a tour. Since then it has become part of the National Historic Park and is open to the public.

Occasionally a living history event is held here.

5. Let us step out of the woods and onto the field. Now we're on one of the "Morning Attack Trails." These are basically mowed trails in the fields that were farmed until the Park Service acquired them a few years ago. There are interpretive signs to guide you.

You can see Interstate 81 but you can also see the north end of the Massanutten Range.

Skywatch Friday.

6. Signal Knob is a high point that was used as a signal station during the war.

On October 17, General Jubal Early sent John Gordon, Jed Hotchkiss, and others to Signal Knob in order to survey the Union positions along Cedar. Upon reaching the top, they met an “inspiring panorama” including a perfect view of the Union army below. Early knew that his smaller force had to know exactly where the Union weak points were, if they were to have any hope of success.