“The Most Trying Time”: The Civil War’s Final Months in Winchester & Frederick County, Virginia
Saturday, November 7, 2020
Please note that registration for this event will open on April 1, 2020
“The Road to Winchester” (Library of Congress)
Although Union victory at the Battle of Cedar Creek effectively ended major military operations in the Shenandoah Valley, Union triumph on October 19, 1864, did not end the conflict in the Shenandoah Valley as elements of Union and Confederate forces engaged at various points during the conflict’s final months. From the autumn of 1864 until Confederate surrender in the spring of 1865 uncertainty still loomed for soldiers and civilians in the oft-contested lower Shenandoah Valley. MCWI’s fall semester seminar and tour will examine some of the lesser-known military actions in Winchester & Frederick County which occurred after the Battle of Cedar Creek, issues of Union occupation, caring for wounded, and the conflict’s end.
“The 19th Corps (the last of Sheridan’s army) moved below town this morning. There are only Cavalry between us and Dixie… They say they are only changing camp, but I know it is the final move towards the evacuation of Winchester… Sheridan has not announced his movements.” Winchester resident Mary Greenhow Lee, December 30, 1864
Schedule
- 10-10:30 a.m. Check-in at Shenandoah University, Winchester, Virginia
- 10:30-11:30 a.m. Welcome and lecture by Prof. Jonathan A. Noyalas “That This War May Soon Come to an End”: Perspectives on the Meaning of Union Victory in the Shenandoah Valley, Autumn 1864
- 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Lunch at Shenandoah University’s Allen Dining Hall (lunch included with registration)
- 12:30-4:30 p.m.: Caravan tour of sites including York Hospital, Conrad House, sites connected with Camp Russell, Springdale, Vaucluse, Montague’s Provost Marshall Office, and others
Registration fee of $25 covers the cost of morning lecture, handouts, lunch, and afternoon guided caravan tour. Carpooling is required for the afternoon tour as mass transportation will not permit access to certain sites. For Shenandoah University students registration is FREE, simply email jnoyalas01@su.edu to register. Please use the registration form or the link at the top of this page to register. Space is limited so register early!
Questions about registration can be directed to Prof. Noyalas at jnoyalas01@su.edu or phone 540-665-4501.
