Book/Stop Recommendations for Cedar Creek

[JohnnyReb421745]

I certainly appreciate all of this info. I will definitely work this into my itinerary and reading list.

Ted Mahr's book on Cedar Creek is hands down the most definitive on that battle IMHO. I finally managed to procure a mint edition of this book a few years back, although it cost me a bit for sure.
He was supposed to completely update the book with more maps and even more text from sources that he had uncovered since the 1st edition. That was a couple of years ago, but no new news since then.
Hopefully Scott Patchan will take up the mantle and complete his Shenandoah trilogy once he is done with his Jonesboro manuscript.

 

[DugGapRob]

That's awesome. When are you going? I have a friend who lives up there and knows all about Cedar Creek - we spent a week there a few years ago and he took us all over the battlefield and the Valley. He and his brother grew up in a house that is now part of the SVBF preserved land.

Anyway, I agree with all the book recommendations so far and would add that the letters/memoirs of Bryan Grimes shed some light on Confederate positions at Cedar Creek. Extracts of Letters of Major-Gen'l Bryan Grimes, to His Wife: Written While in Active Service in the Army of Northern Virginia. Together with some Personal Recollections of the War, Written by Him after its Close, etc. can be found here: https://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/grimes/grimes.html

You might also enjoy reading Scott Patchan's work on Thoburn in preparation for your visit.
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We visited Cedar Creek as part of the 2023 CWT Muster event as mentioned in some of the posts above. The content showing some of the stops is located in this thread.

We're Going Live from Winchester: the official 2023 CWT Muster | Traveler's Companion - Visit Historic Sites

It was a great day. Thanks for all your work to plan this to the team 😉

civilwartalk.com

Thank you! I'm touring Antietam the first weekend in May--which will be my focus--the I plan to hit Cedar Creek, Lee Chapel, and the grave of a great uncle who was with the 20th Georgia. I look forward to diving into this Cedar Creek stuff as I've only given it the most cursory glances before.

 

[AA484]

Ted Mahr's book on Cedar Creek is hands down the most definitive on that battle IMHO. I finally managed to procure a mint edition of this book a few years back, although it cost me a bit for sure.
He was supposed to completely update the book with more maps and even more text from sources that he had uncovered since the 1st edition. That was a couple of years ago, but no new news since then.
Hopefully Scott Patchan will take up the mantle and complete his Shenandoah trilogy once he is done with his Jonesboro manuscript.

Yeah, it's a shame Mahr's book hasn't been reprinted. I remember Drew on CWBA mentioning the update several years ago, but that seems to have fallen through. You can still get Mahr's book via Inter-Library Loan (if your local branch offers it). I don't know how many times I've read out of print books via ILL.

 

[Kearny The Magnificent]

The National Park Service has an excellent free driving tour that is worth doing.

Download the NPS app for either iPhone or Android. Then search for the Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historic Park page. Look at the self guided tour options - they have the driving tour which takes 2-4 hours and one for the morning attack trails.

Stop by one of the Shenandoah Valley National Historic District stores and try to find one of their in-house thin book on Cedar Creek. I also liked Jonathan Noyalas book and the works mentioned of Wert + Patchan. I ended up printing out a bunch of maps, photos, paintings and quotes I put in a binder that I used in conjunction with the NPS driving tour.

 

[DugGapRob]

Yeah, it's a shame Mahr's book hasn't been reprinted. I remember Drew on CWBA mentioning the update several years ago, but that seems to have fallen through. You can still get Mahr's book via Inter-Library Loan (if your local branch offers it). I don't know how many times I've read out of print books via ILL.

Thanks.

The National Park Service has an excellent free driving tour that is worth doing.

Download the NPS app for either iPhone or Android. Then search for the Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historic Park page. Look at the self guided tour options - they have the driving tour which takes 2-4 hours and one for the morning attack trails.

Stop by one of the Shenandoah Valley National Historic District stores and try to find one of their in-house thin book on Cedar Creek. I also liked Jonathan Noyalas book and the works mentioned of Wert + Patchan. I ended up printing out a bunch of maps, photos, paintings and quotes I put in a binder that I used in conjunction with the NPS driving tour.

Thanks!