The New Market Battlefield

Buckeye Bill

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The New Market Battlefield State Historical Park (Virginia Museum of the Civil War)

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Virginia Museum of the Civil War Interior

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"Virginia Military Institute Cadets at the Battle of New Market" painting by Don Prechtel

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Virginia State Markers (Shenandoah Valley Circle Tour)

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The Bushong Farm at New Market, Virginia

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The Bushong Home (Jacob Bushong built this house in 1825)

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The Bushong House Basement (Bushong family took refuge during this battle in this stone cellar)

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The Field of Lost Shoes (Confederate army looking north towards the Union army)

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The von Kleiser's 30th New York Battery

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The Virginia State Monument "The Battle of New Market"

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The New Market Battlefield (Visitor Center in Background)

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The 54th Pennsylvania Monument off US 11

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* Photos courtesy of William Bechmann (2014)
 
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Great shots. Went there a few years ago and posted my pictures on Civil War album
http://www.civilwaralbum.com/misc/newmarket1.htm

Hope you got to other sites in the area, such as Cedar Creek, Fisher's hill, etc.

Thanks!

I really enjoy Bruce's web site www.civilwaralbum.com.

Our trip.....

* Winchester
* Kernstown
* Front Royal
* Cedar Creek
* Hupp's Hill
* Fisher's Hill
* Tom's Brook
* Rude's Hill
* New Market
* Harrisonburg
* Cross Keys
* Port Royal
* Piedmont
* Fort Johnson
* McDowell
 
I was at New Market just three days ago. On the one hand, following the trail that traces the exact route of the charge of the VMI Cadets is one of the most moving things a person can experience on any Civil War battlefield. On the other hand, the way the battlefield is presented leaves one with the impression that the VMI Cadets defeated the Union army all by themselves, as if there were no other Confederate troops present. The stories of the other units, North and South, are scarcely mentioned.
 
Jeff,

The New Market Battlefield is a VMI Cadets monument.

The movie in the museum centered on these young lads.

But as a whole, I was very impressed with our visit!

Bill
 
After visiting VMI and the New Market battlefield a few years ago I thought the reverence of those teenage cadets was pracrically an unhealthy obsession. But without that local obsession would the battlefield have been saved and preserved so well? Other than I-81 it seems like one of the better preservation efforts, especially given the size of the armies involved.
 
And it's also the 151st anniversary of the battle too! I've been there several times, I need to get back down there this summer...

Rebecca

I visited this battlefield last September and walked away fully impressed!

I highly recommend a tour.....
 
In years past did a bunch of work and research there for the New Market Museum collections (and VMI), identifying, authenticating various artifacts stored in donated collections they were cataloging at the time... Also did a lot of living history programs there at the park and in the Bushong House....

One year we did a program up at VMI itself... were allowed to camp out on the parade ground itself... told was the first time since the war that has been permitted... They were rededicating the Jackson memorial that same weekend... positioned artillery on the parade ground facing the town and cemetery... on cue.. we fired the salutes... those present at the graveside ceremony reported they could clearly hear the guns... and the echo across the town...

The "Field of Lost Shoes" got its nickname in earnest... During some programs they used part of it out of necessity for parking vehicles... New Market events always has a reputation of "its gonna storm and rain"... carrying true to the original battle... Dry...the fields and soil is pretty solid... put some rain on it and it immediately turns into a soupy bottomless quagmire... The Field of Lost Shoes also became the Field of Lost Fords, Chevys, Dodge's etc... farm tractors struggled to pull (drag) the vehicles out of the muddy abyss...

The 151st New Market event is this weekend... I haven't participated there in years... Years ago it was an ok event.. but then since unfortunately it had just turned into a farby carnival... haven't bothered with it thereafter...
 
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