2023 marks the 159th anniversary of the Battle of Cool Spring.
On Saturday, July 15, 2023, Shenandoah University’s McCormick Civil War Institute will commemorate the 159th anniversary of the Battle of Cool Spring at the University’s River Campus at Cool Spring Battlefield located at 1400 Parker Lane, Bluemont, Virginia. This event is free and open to the public, although monetary donations are much appreciated to assist in defraying expenses associated with this event. No pre-registration is required for this event.
Schedule of Day’s Activities
9:00 a.m.: Site opens
9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m.: Walking tour–“Never to be Forgotten”: Reflections on the Battle of Cool Spring with Jonathan Noyalas, director of Shenandoah University’s McCormick Civil War Institute. This walking tour will explore personal stories of Union and Confederate soldiers engaged at Cool Spring and how what happened along the banks of the Shenandoah River on July 18, 1864, forever transformed their lives.
In addition to all of the scheduled activities, battlefield trails will be open throughout the day for self-guided tours (tour guides are available for free at the site) and the exhibition about Cool Spring and its aftermath available for viewing.
Contact Us
For questions, please contact the McCormick Civil War Institute Director, Jonathan Noyalas, at jnoyalas01@su.edu or 540-665-4501.
View Cool Spring Orientation Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69ZyK5M56uc&feature=emb_title
This orientation video was created by students in Prof. Jonathan A. Noyalas’ HIST 309 (Interpreting Civil War Sites) class during the spring 2020 semester. The following students, Ryan Endress, Caitlyn Graulau, Bobby Harvey, Gavin Horning, Kimberley Oliveto, Jay Richardson, Nicole Roland, David Skinner, Steven Stabler, and Corey Williams, assisted with this project. All images used in this production are courtesy of the following: the Library of Congress, Shenandoah University’s McCormick Civil War Institute, Jonathan Noyalas, and Nicholas Picerno.