Cedar Creek Battlefield

[LCYingling3rd]

Although most of our members that will be participating in the 160th Cedar Creek event as living historians are probably already there, or at least on their way, I will be attending as a spectator and hope to see some of our members.

I plan to attend tomorrow, Saturday October 19th - the actual 160th Anniversary date - which is awesome! I will be with my 26 year old grandson and my fiancée. We plan to set up our chairs on the show line across from the little white Heater family house. I plan to wear my Union Kepi with the number 87 on it for the 87th PA Infantry my great grandfather, George E Yingling, was in. It also has a blue, third Division, Greek Cross, because the 87th was in Emerson's First Brigade of Rickett's (Keifer's) Third Division of the VI Corps.

Not only was George at the battle of Cedar Creek, my great, great grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Bishop, and his brother Charles M Bishop, were also at the battle fighting in the 7th VA Cavalry of Tom Rosser's Laurel Brigade. Cedar Creek is the only battle that my direct ancestors fought each other at. I am hoping to pick up some Confederate gear at the suttlers this year to honor them...possibly a slouch hat I can put a Laurel Brigade patch on?

If you do attend tomorrow as a spectator or reenactor and happen to see me wandering the field in my Kepi and shout out "hey Lew," we can meet! LOL
I will be looking for members that I do know.

Enjoy..it looks to be spectacular!

Going to try to load some pictures I took at Cedar Creek this week in honor of the 160th Anniversary. (But my modem has been acting up?)

 

[gjpratt]

Great photos, @LCYingling3rd

 

[JOHN42768]

Love the long road thru the trees.

 

[LCYingling3rd]

From top to bottom:

1) The director of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation (SVBF) and staff look on as the Mayor of Middletown, VA announces the preservation of 23 acres of land through a partnership between the town and SVBF. The land is a wood lot that runs from behind the Wayside Inn up to the Miller farm property. It will become a park with trails.

2) The Miller Farmhouse. Improvements have certainly been made since we were some of the first people to see it during our muster last October!

3) The fields around the Belle Grove plantation where some of the hardest fighting was. The Army of West Virginia would be camped behind the camera, the 19th Corps would have been camped in the fields to the left in this image, and the 6th Corps would have been on the hill behind Belle Grove which can be seen in the distance. Gordon and Kershaw's Confederate forces would have driven from behind the camera position right through this area.

4) The 8th Vermont Monument which is in the woods across the Valley Pike from the Belle Grove house. The 8th VT lost nearly it's entire regiment attempting to slow the Southern onslaught!

5) The view south from what is known as Thoburn's Redoubt, which is where Joseph Thoburn's Division of the Army of West Virginia (aka the 8th Corps) was posted. Confederate general Joseph Kershaw's Division charged up this hill at 5:00 AM to begin the battle.

6) Rarely seen because it is several miles west of the main battlefield, this 1797 home was present near Cupp's Mill when Tom Rosser and the Laurel Brigade splashed across Cedar Creek at 5:00 AM to begin the battle on the western end of the battlefield. Wesley Merritt's Union Cavalry would have been camped to the left in this image and the Confederates crossed the creek is just to the right.

7) Rosser's Confederate Cavalry would have fought their way up this road toward Hite's Chapel during the early morning of October 19, 1864.

8) This is Cedar Creek where Rosser's Division attacked. The remains of Cupp's Mill are right behind the camera position and the log home would be just to the left in this image with the road leading away to the left.

9) Back near Middletown looking south, this is the position north of town where the 4:00 PM Union counterattack began. The Miller farm is straight ahead through the woods. This is where the 6th Corps would have begun their attack to end the battle.

 

[LCYingling3rd]

On October 19, 2024, the actual 160th anniversary of the battle, I was able to attend the reenactment and Living History event put on by the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation in Middletown, VA. I attended with my grandson and fiancée. I cannot speak for the Living Historians, however, as a spectator that had ancestors that fought against one another there, it was a spectacular and extremely moving experience. Especially since the reenactments occurred on the actual anniversary date of the battle on actual hallowed battlefield ground!

The weather cooperated; it was as close to perfect as I have ever seen! Clear, crisp and cool in the morning with just a light breeze and cloudless and mild in the afternoon. We were set up on the front row of the spectator line across from the historic, little, white Heater family house that was present at the time of the battle 160 years ago. There were three reenactments this year. They depicted the October 13th action at Hupp's Hill in the morning and in the afternoon, they reenacted the morning phase of the Cedar Creek battle up to the so-called, "fatal pause," showing the Confederate surprise attack and seeming rout of the Union force. That event was followed by a reenactment of the Cavalry battle at Hite's Chapel on the far-right flank of the Union army between Thomas Rosser and George Custer.

I would like to thank the reenactors for all the time, money and effort they put into these events. They were a wonderful tribute to my great grandfather, George E Yingling who fought at Cedar Creek in the 87th PA Infantry of Emerson's Brigade of the Third Division, 6th Corps and my great, great grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Bishop, who fought at Cedar Creek with his brother Charles, in the 7th VA Cavalry of Rosser's Laurel Brigade. I could see the fields of "Red Hill," across Meadowbrook and up behind the Belle Grove Plantation, as the reenactment was ongoing. That was where the 6th Corps camped and fought. So, the reenactment of the morning phase of the battle was so meaningful to me because I could literally see where my great grandfather was fighting and retreating just as the Union troops were depicting, on that exact day 160 years ago! It was also poignant because Confederate troops under Generals Ramseur and Pegram did actually drive Union forces of George Getty's Second Division of the 6th Corps across the very fields around the little Heater family house just as was occurring this day 160 years later. Finally, the Hite's Chapel Cavalry reenactment that occurred right in front of us was a splendid depiction of the fight Tom and Charles Bishop were engaged in on that day 160 years ago. At that actual battle Tom was severely wounded in the leg. He did survive to fight again and live until 1925.

It was an awe-inspiring day for me.

 

[LCYingling3rd]

Here are a few images of the October 19. 2024 Cedar Creek reenactment:

 

[Motor7]

Excellent photography!

 

[bankerpapaw]

Here are a few images of the October 19. 2024 Cedar Creek reenactment:

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Very nice!! Thanks!!!

 

[LCYingling3rd]

If anyone else has photos from Cedar Creek 160th events, feel free to add them here.

Here are a few more from Saturday's event...

 

[Doc_Ralph]

Although most of our members that will be participating in the 160th Cedar Creek event as living historians are probably already there, or at least on their way, I will be attending as a spectator and hope to see some of our members.

I plan to attend tomorrow, Saturday October 19th - the actual 160th Anniversary date - which is awesome! I will be with my 26 year old grandson and my fiancée. We plan to set up our chairs on the show line across from the little white Heater family house. I plan to wear my Union Kepi with the number 87 on it for the 87th PA Infantry my great grandfather, George E Yingling, was in. It also has a blue, third Division, Greek Cross, because the 87th was in Emerson's First Brigade of Rickett's (Keifer's) Third Division of the VI Corps.

Not only was George at the battle of Cedar Creek, my great, great grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Bishop, and his brother Charles M Bishop, were also at the battle fighting in the 7th VA Cavalry of Tom Rosser's Laurel Brigade. Cedar Creek is the only battle that my direct ancestors fought each other at. I am hoping to pick up some Confederate gear at the suttlers this year to honor them...possibly a slouch hat I can put a Laurel Brigade patch on?

If you do attend tomorrow as a spectator or reenactor and happen to see me wandering the field in my Kepi and shout out "hey Lew," we can meet! LOL
I will be looking for members that I do know.

Enjoy..it looks to be spectacular!

Going to try to load some pictures I took at Cedar Creek this week in honor of the 160th Anniversary. (But my modem has been acting up?)

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Then you were further down where my battery was. First gun by the EMS ambulances & information tent. We died on Sunday by a combined long range Union barrage on our gun alone. I died as the box monkey and lay in the warmth of the sun under the caisson. The Captain was the only survivor.

After the resurrection we were expecting to do a two round ceremonial salute for the 160.
Instead nothing. Typical Longstreet FUBAR!
Bueller?

 

[Doc_Ralph]

No arttlkeyb

If anyone else has photos from Cedar Creek 160th events, feel free to add them here.

Here are a few more from Saturday's event...View attachment 525851View attachment 525852View attachment 525859View attachment 525861View attachment 525862View attachment 525863View attachment 525958View attachment 525959View attachment 525960View attachment 525961

No artillery pics …Grrr. I got a pre Saturday battle video but don't think I can upload it. Once we get started we can't snap many. I don't even think a water break was called. Just wild ideas. See my Cedar Creek post in Reenactors forum. (IMHO Some of Y'all need to man and woman up! Show some respect and proper deportment! Karma swings both ways!)

Why do infantry seem to drift or die gracefully and lie there in front of our guns? Our gunner had to mother hen them out of the way many times on both days.

YHS,
Doc Ralph

 

[LCYingling3rd]

No arttlkeyb

No artillery pics …Grrr. I got a pre Saturday battle video but don't think I can upload it. Once we get started we can't snap many. I don't even think a water break was called. Just wild ideas. See my Cedar Creek post in Reenactors forum. (IMHO Some of Y'all need to man and woman up! Show some respect and proper deportment! Karma swings both ways!)

Why do infantry seem to drift or die gracefully and lie there in front of our guns? Our gunner had to mother hen them out of the way many times on both days.

YHS,
Doc Ralph

I am sure I saw your battery while touring around. I don't know if I got any pictures of your gun??? Thank you for showing up and participating! Wow! The artillery duel to begin the 2PM battle was awesome! Thank you! There must have been something like 40 guns combined! I will see what pictures of Confederate artillery I have?

 

[LCYingling3rd]

Confederate Artillery shots on Saturday 10/19/24...

 

[captaindrew]

On October 19, 2024, the actual 160th anniversary of the battle, I was able to attend the reenactment and Living History event put on by the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation in Middletown, VA. I attended with my grandson and fiancée. I cannot speak for the Living Historians, however, as a spectator that had ancestors that fought against one another there, it was a spectacular and extremely moving experience. Especially since the reenactments occurred on the actual anniversary date of the battle on actual hallowed battlefield ground!

The weather cooperated; it was as close to perfect as I have ever seen! Clear, crisp and cool in the morning with just a light breeze and cloudless and mild in the afternoon. We were set up on the front row of the spectator line across from the historic, little, white Heater family house that was present at the time of the battle 160 years ago. There were three reenactments this year. They depicted the October 13th action at Hupp's Hill in the morning and in the afternoon, they reenacted the morning phase of the Cedar Creek battle up to the so-called, "fatal pause," showing the Confederate surprise attack and seeming rout of the Union force. That event was followed by a reenactment of the Cavalry battle at Hite's Chapel on the far-right flank of the Union army between Thomas Rosser and George Custer.

I would like to thank the reenactors for all the time, money and effort they put into these events. They were a wonderful tribute to my great grandfather, George E Yingling who fought at Cedar Creek in the 87th PA Infantry of Emerson's Brigade of the Third Division, 6th Corps and my great, great grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Bishop, who fought at Cedar Creek with his brother Charles, in the 7th VA Cavalry of Rosser's Laurel Brigade. I could see the fields of "Red Hill," across Meadowbrook and up behind the Belle Grove Plantation, as the reenactment was ongoing. That was where the 6th Corps camped and fought. So, the reenactment of the morning phase of the battle was so meaningful to me because I could literally see where my great grandfather was fighting and retreating just as the Union troops were depicting, on that exact day 160 years ago! It was also poignant because Confederate troops under Generals Ramseur and Pegram did actually drive Union forces of George Getty's Second Division of the 6th Corps across the very fields around the little Heater family house just as was occurring this day 160 years later. Finally, the Hite's Chapel Cavalry reenactment that occurred right in front of us was a splendid depiction of the fight Tom and Charles Bishop were engaged in on that day 160 years ago. At that actual battle Tom was severely wounded in the leg. He did survive to fight again and live until 1925.

It was an awe-inspiring day for me.

Great report and thanks for sharing some great pics. Right on about the weather, a little chilly at night but near perfect. Me and my crew had a great time as always at the Creek. We also participated in the food drive in town Friday afternoon which is always fun and much appreciated by the Mayor and the folks in town. Only regret I didn't find you and Viper, didn't have time to look till after the second battle, Hopefully next time.

 

[LCYingling3rd]

Great report and thanks for sharing some great pics. Right on about the weather, a little chilly at night but near perfect. Me and my crew had a great time as always at the Creek. We also participated in the food drive in town Friday afternoon which is always fun and much appreciated by the Mayor and the folks in town. Only regret I didn't find you and Viper, didn't have time to look till after the second battle, Hopefully next time.

I was upset that I didn't get to see you this year as well. I was busy with my grandson and, with two infantry battles, it was difficult to time our tours of the camps. So yes, I hope to see you next year or maybe another event? I do still want to get to the Olustee event in Florida sometime? Maybe I will make the 161st in Feb. With the three hurricanes, I don't know. There is still a lot of clean-up going on.
I am just glad you made the Cedar Creek event and again, I thank you for what you do! I had ancestors in the 2nd VA Infantry, the 7th VA Cavalry, the 3rd WV Cavalry and the 87th PA Infantry. What you do does truly help me better understand and visualize what my ancestors experience was like.

 

[captaindrew]

I was upset that I didn't get to see you this year as well. I was busy with my grandson and, with two infantry battles, it was difficult to time our tours of the camps. So yes, I hope to see you next year or maybe another event? I do still want to get to the Olustee event in Florida sometime? Maybe I will make the 161st in Feb. With the three hurricanes, I don't know. There is still a lot of clean-up going on.
I am just glad you made the Cedar Creek event and again, I thank you for what you do! I had ancestors in the 2nd VA Infantry, the 7th VA Cavalry, the 3rd WV Cavalry and the 87th PA Infantry. What you do does truly help me better understand and visualize what my ancestors experience was like.

I had very little free time myself on Saturday. I think I'm going to pass on Olustee this year for the first time in a long time. I'd like to go to Bentonville and planning on Fort Blakely, don't think I have the time or $$ for 3 long road trips next winter/spring.

 

[Doc_Ralph]

I am sorry I didn't touch base with my Forum buds during the CC 160. It was a very busy weekend with helping to set up Alexander Battalion camp on Friday. Getting firewood and lugging water. Gun drill and inspection by Longstreet. Gun salute in the am to get started. We weren't in the first battle & it was great to watch for once instead of having to concentrate on our positions. Battle in the pm. Sunday morning marching drill during church service led by our "heathen" Colonel. Grrrr! Afternoon battle. Camp breakdown. It is not a long drive home to Spotsy and so I stopped to visit our daughter and son in law on Apple Mountain in the Blue Ridge.

Next year for the 161 I will be leading my Aid & Triage station with lectures, demos and challenging folks to horse shoes & hope to beat the Yankees in an old fashioned pickup game of baseball. I am thinking that they will try to cheat!

The highlight at CC was finding the CSA horses on Saturday night and issuing baby carrots. If only I had the money for a horse!

YHS,
Doc Ralph

 

[LCYingling3rd]

I do want to thank you for all you do. It really does matter to us spectators, especially those of us that had ancestors at the battle. You are also responsible for helping ignite a passion for history in my children and grandchildren. I have been bringing them to Cedar Creek since they were little and the seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and even tasting the experience of battle that you all provide has taught them so much more than any classroom can provide!

I don't know if it was your gun or not, but one of the Confederate cannons let out such a thump during the second battle that my grandson looked at me wide eyed and said, "I felt that one, wow" pointing to his chest. You just can't get that in a classroom no matter how good a teacher you are!

 

[LCYingling3rd]

I had very little free time myself on Saturday. I think I'm going to pass on Olustee this year for the first time in a long time. I'd like to go to Bentonville and planning on Fort Blakely, don't think I have the time or $$ for 3 long road trips next winter/spring.

I certainly understand. I don't know if I will make Olustee either and I don't have all the extra expenses and logistics you have. I am sure the Bentonville, NC event is a good one and it must be interesting to reenact the fight at Fort Blakely. AL. I am sure everyone that attended the Muster at Mobile this year would appreciate that one.

Take care and thanks again! Hum? Maybe a trip to Mobile in April would be interesting! LOL I doubt it, that is a long way from Venice, FL

 

[Doc_Ralph]

I do want to thank you for all you do. It really does matter to us spectators, especially those of us that had ancestors at the battle. You are also responsible for helping ignite a passion for history in my children and grandchildren. I have been bringing them to Cedar Creek since they were little and the seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and even tasting the experience of battle that you all provide has taught them so much more than any classroom can provide!

I don't know if it was your gun or not, but one of the Confederate cannons let out such a thump during the second battle that my grandson looked at me wide eyed and said, "I felt that one, wow" pointing to his chest. You just can't get that in a classroom no matter how good a teacher you are!

You are more than welcome! This is what it's all about for me. Sure it's great to dress up and order people about. Raiding other camps in the dark in the 150s was fun also. Night firing etc. Getting fried to a crisp or frozen.

But the real joy is the interaction with folks at the camp or before/after the battle. To let the people look at the gun and touch the implements. Last year in November we let the Battlefield Service Day kiddos "crew" the gun at Slaughter Pen Farm F'birg. We were okay until the pizza ran out and it cleared out faster than a Yankee retreat.

That could be Ruby ya'll heard as she does have a healthy bark and thump for a Parrot rifled piece of ordinance. I can't do a number 2 (worm) position on her anymore because she rocks me to the core! My wonder moment is for smoke rings and I saw a few.

I have "done" my time piece reenacting - four years total just like in the real war. I am slipping into CSA artillery reserve with Longstreet. Fighting season for 2025 will see my field hospital subunit at Pochantas, G'burg, CC. Maybe more… I am going out in a moment to gander at tent heaters and AC for the wall tent (operating table & mini medical museum.)

I was interested in Bentonville NC 160 but cannot attend as I am not associated with any CSA organizations on the list. I am Longstreeted out with their FUBAR. Too bad, so sad. At least I won't be freezing my *** off too early in the year.

I am thinking about doing one more School of the Piece in Jackson Mill (Almost Heaven - yes it is!) West Virginia. I have an interest in round rolling and it is something that Alexander does not teach. Just all that marching Grrrr! Why do you think I went with artillery? To get out of marching and drill!

I will be lecturing twice a day and my orderly will be leading on the TRIAGE! Interactive mini lecture and audience participation. He is coming up with something called "What can kill you in camp" Wonderful.

I have a cockeymania idea of doing a Peach Cobbler (Dutch Oven) cooking demo. Don't get sick if you try some. And a touch table (canteen, tin cup, fake Minnie ball and leeches etc) Don't ya just hate it when they say you can't handle that? But no sharps and mine are wicked razor sharp!

Thanks for coming on out! Without the public it is a poorer experience. The people and the HORSES are what it's all about. The rest is gravy!

YHS,
Doc Ralph