Camp Washington location

[Parmenter]

Does anyone know the Civil War years location of Camp Washington, Augusta County, Virginia?. I suspect it was located on the east slope of Shenandoah Mountain, It was used by outfits such as 18th, 10th, 20th, 62nd Va Cav. and many other units. And also any mention of graveyard adjacent. Thanks for any assistance

 

[JOHN42768]

Welcome, enjoy. Someone here may know. Stay tuned.

 

[Parmenter]

Does anyone know the Civil War years location of Camp Washington, Augusta County, Virginia?. I suspect it was located on the east slope of Shenandoah Mountain, It was used by outfits such as 18th, 10th, 20th, 62nd Va Cav. and many other units. And also any mention of graveyard adjacent. Thanks for any assistance

 

[Parmenter]

Original poster here. I answered my question via the help of the Augusta County Historical Association. Camp Washington was located at the Washington Bottom Farm, north of Romney WV and south of Springfield just off Route 28. See attached

Does anyone know the Civil War years location of Camp Washington, Augusta County, Virginia?. I suspect it was located on the east slope of Shenandoah Mountain, It was used by outfits such as 18th, 10th, 20th, 62nd Va Cav. and many other units. And also any mention of graveyard adjacent. Thanks for any assistance

 

[Parmenter]

Original poster here. I answered my question via the help of the Augusta County Historical Association. Camp Washington was located at the Washington Bottom Farm, north of Romney WV and south of Springfield just off Route 28. See attached

Article:

Camp Washington

Ridgedale was the scene of activity during the American Civil War. Companies of cavalry camped in the yard, which they dubbed "Camp Washington." The Washington family hid Confederate soldiers in the house. Early in Summer 1861, Confederate General Turner Ashby and his command occupied a position on the South Branch Potomac River "upon the estate of Col. George Washington." According to Washington family tradition, General Ashby had his headquarters at or near Ridgedale. As a compliment to George W. Washington, Ashby named his headquarters "Camp Washington." His brother, Captain Richard Ashby, was carried on a litter to the Washington home at Ridgedale after he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Kelley's Island on June 28, 1861. Another account places Captain Ashby's mortal wounding by a bayonet thrust at a battle with Union forces at Dans Run along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on June 26, 1861. He was placed in a room associated with Ridgedale's ballroom and died there after about a week. He was cared for until he died on July 3, 1861. At his request, he was supposedly buried under an oak tree at the Indian Mound Cemetery in Romney. After the war, he was reinterred with his brother Turner Ashby at Stonewall Cemetery in Winchester, Virginia, in 1866. Their grave is marked "The Brothers Ashby."

George W. Washington kept a journal of the happenings of this period, which has preserved valuable information concerning the period of the American Civil War in Hampshire County. Washington's sons, Edward and John, both joined the Hampshire Guards before the American Civil War began, and left for Harpers Ferry in May 1861. John was killed in the Battle of Cold Harbor the following year. His son Edward was wounded in the Battle of Antietam and acted as a courier for Generals Stonewall Jackson and Jubal Anderson Early and later took part in the capture of General George Crook and Benjamin Franklin Kelley when he acted as a guide for the McNeill's Rangers. Two of Edward's sisters, Rebecca and Etta, were sent from Hampshire County to carry a message to General Jackson, then stationed near Winchester, that the Union forces were in possession of Romney. They rode horseback for their entire journey and carried the message under the saddle.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Bottom_Farm

 

[Parmenter]

Article:

Camp Washington

Ridgedale was the scene of activity during the American Civil War. Companies of cavalry camped in the yard, which they dubbed "Camp Washington." The Washington family hid Confederate soldiers in the house. Early in Summer 1861, Confederate General Turner Ashby and his command occupied a position on the South Branch Potomac River "upon the estate of Col. George Washington." According to Washington family tradition, General Ashby had his headquarters at or near Ridgedale. As a compliment to George W. Washington, Ashby named his headquarters "Camp Washington." His brother, Captain Richard Ashby, was carried on a litter to the Washington home at Ridgedale after he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Kelley's Island on June 28, 1861. Another account places Captain Ashby's mortal wounding by a bayonet thrust at a battle with Union forces at Dans Run along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on June 26, 1861. He was placed in a room associated with Ridgedale's ballroom and died there after about a week. He was cared for until he died on July 3, 1861. At his request, he was supposedly buried under an oak tree at the Indian Mound Cemetery in Romney. After the war, he was reinterred with his brother Turner Ashby at Stonewall Cemetery in Winchester, Virginia, in 1866. Their grave is marked "The Brothers Ashby."

George W. Washington kept a journal of the happenings of this period, which has preserved valuable information concerning the period of the American Civil War in Hampshire County. Washington's sons, Edward and John, both joined the Hampshire Guards before the American Civil War began, and left for Harpers Ferry in May 1861. John was killed in the Battle of Cold Harbor the following year. His son Edward was wounded in the Battle of Antietam and acted as a courier for Generals Stonewall Jackson and Jubal Anderson Early and later took part in the capture of General George Crook and Benjamin Franklin Kelley when he acted as a guide for the McNeill's Rangers. Two of Edward's sisters, Rebecca and Etta, were sent from Hampshire County to carry a message to General Jackson, then stationed near Winchester, that the Union forces were in possession of Romney. They rode horseback for their entire journey and carried the message under the saddle.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Bottom_Farm

 

[Parmenter]

This is the original post author here- Parmenter. Following my long reply to my own question regarding the location of Camp Washington I have discovered that I was quite wrong. After much further research and consultation with the owner of Ridgedale Washington Bottom Farm, it is clear that Camp Washington was not located in Hampshire County. Rather, I am fairly sure that it was located at the eastern foot of Shenandoah Mountain just down route 250 from the Camp Edward Johnson Interpretive Center. west of West Augusta Va. in the vicinity of the 'Mountain House. Regimental records for the 18th Virginia Cavalry & the Virginia 62nd Mounted Infantry show a significant amount of activity at Camp Washington in the winter/spring of 1862/63 and the presence of a small field hospital. I will do better research next time.