The Second Battle of Kernstown: 150th Anniversary Commemoration

“In July 1864 the main focus of the war in Virginia had shifted to the Richmond area where the Union army had hopes of swiftly ending the war. Only secondary attention was being paid to the Shenandoah Valley with the only Union presence being Gen. George Crook in Winchester with a force of less than 12,000. With the tragic loss in 1863 of Gen. “Stonewall” Jackson who died at Chancellorsville from friendly fire from his own pickets, the Confederate forces in the Valley were now led by Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early” (Kernstown Battle).

The Second Battle of Kernstown was the last Confederate victory in the Shenandoah Valley, the beginning of Sheridan’s 1864 Valley Campaign, and preceding the end of the war by only nine months.

This year is the 150^th Anniversary Commemoration of the Second Battle of Kernstown, and you have the opportunity to take a step back in time at the 1864 Pritchard House on the Kernstown Battlefield. Enjoy living history demonstrations, artillery displays, guided tours, motor coach tours, period fashion shows, and an appearance by the Civil War 150 HistoryMobile.

Quick Facts:

Where: The Pritchard-Grim Farm, Winchester, VA
When: July 19-20, 2014, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Admission: Free
Lodging: A BBHSV Bed and Breakfast, of course!