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.