A Vintage Images Tour

History at Sunset: Biscoe Brothers and Beyond -
Historic Images of the Cedar Creek Battlefield.

I am intrigued by historic places, and I've been coming to the Cedar Creek Battlefield since before it was a national historical park. (See my 1997 Field Trip.) When I saw the the park service was offering a History at Sunset tour featuring 19th century photos, I marked my calendar.

Ranger Kyle took us to see places on the battlefield that were photographed two decades after the battle. No 1864 photos of the battlefield are known to exist, although there are eyewitness drawings. The photographs taken by T. D. and Walter Biscoe show us the area as it probably looked in 1864. It hasn't even changed much since then, although the Valley Pike has been widened and old rock walls taken down.

Where Sheridan's famous ride ended.

Cedar Creek at the low water bridge.

Along the Valley Pike looking toward the cemetery hill.

Fences linkup.

Site of the covered bridge where the Pike crossed Cedar Creek.

I was excited to see the site of the old bridge. It is on the former Cedar Creek Campground, which recently became part of the park but is not open to the public yet.

You can see some of the historic photos in the West Virginia University collection and read about the Biscoe brothers.