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Battle Of New Market Fought May 15, 1864
The 160th anniversary of the Battle of New Market will be commemorated this weekend by both the Virginia Museum of the Civil War and the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation.
The battle took place on May 15, 1864, as Union troops under Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel were stopped in their advance up the Shenandoah Valley by Confederate troops led by Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge. Among those Confederate troops were young cadets from Virginia Military Institute who were rushed into the fighting at a crucial point in the battle. On the Union side, one soldier saved the national colors and a comrade, later receiving a Medal of Honor.
The Museum of the Civil War at New Market will offer two full days of activities this Saturday and Sunday, May 18-19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Numerous historians will tell the story of the battle through programs and presentations designed to educate and entertain. Attendees can visit with the Society of Civil War Surgeons and delve into the aftermath of battle and the people responsible for caring for the wounded. Visitors can also handle period firearms courtesy of The American Long Arms Civil War Collectors group and visit the military camps to learn about the daily life of Civil War sol- diers. They can also explore the home built by Jacob and Sarah Bushong where they sheltered with their family as the heaviest fighting raged outside their door.
There will also be guided tours of the battlefield, demonstrations of Civil War-era dancing and the Civil War-era rounders game (baseball). Author Sarah B. Bierle will speak on New Market prisoners in Andersonville, while author Terry Barkley will speak on his book, “Twilight of the Confederacy: the Alabama Corps of Cadets and the Burning of the University of Alabama.” There will also be ceremonies at the 54th Pennsylvania monument, Woodson’s monument and a cadet ceremony at the Orchard Fence.
A schedule of events is posted on the Virginia Museum of the Civil War’s website and social media pages.
Daily rates are $10 for adults (ages 13-plus); and $6 for youth (ages 5-12). Call (866) 5151864 or e-mail nmbshp@vmi. edu for more information.
The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, which has preserved a number of battlefield locations around New Market in recent years, is also planning a variety of programs and tours Friday evening and Saturday. The events will be hosted at the New Market Battlefield Museum at 9500 George R. Collins Parkway.
The tours will include the newly restored portion of the battlefield between Manor’s Hill and the Bushong Farm, as well as where fighting took place in the town itself.
For more information, visit shenandoahatwar.org.
