Second Battle of Winchester Historical

Second Battle of Winchester Historical (HM1WL5)

Location: Winchester, VA 22603 Frederick County
Buy Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 39° 12.36', W 78° 9.798'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 539 views
Inscription

“A scene ... I shall never forget”

—Gettysburg Campaign —

While Union artillery from Star Fort dueled with Confederate gunners in West Fort on June 14, 1863, Winchester's civilians fretted for their safety. Some wondered if Union Gen. Robert H. Milroy would destroy Winchester by either burning or bombarding it. The threat seemed credible. The Federal gunners who manned the fortifications, including this one, used the town for target practice, firing wooden rounds with no regard for civilian safety. Staunch Confederate supported Mary Greenhow Lee, whose house shook "from the concussion" of the Union artillery firing from Star Fort, wondered if Milroy would make good on this threat "to burn us up."



Although concerned for her safety and that of the town, Lee and other civilians could not resist climbing onto rooftops to view the exchange of fire between Star Fort and West Fort. Lee wrote, "It was a magnificent sight ... [and] presented a scene and aroused feelings I shall never forget." Another civilian resident, Cornelia McDonald, noted, "All the while the batteries thundered, the booming of the cannon, the screaming of the shells (who that has ever heard that scream can ever forget it?)." Fortunately for the civilians, the town survived the battle. Winchester's pro-Confederate population reveled in Gen. Richard S. Ewell's success and the scene of corralled Union prisoners of war, including some held here at Star Fort, after the Second Battle of Winchester. The euphoria, however, was short lived. Several weeks later the Army of Northern Virginia suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg.



(captions)
(left photo) Mary Greenhow Lee



(middle photo) Cornelia McDonald



(right photo) Star Fort with captured Union cannons All images courtesy Handley Regional Library
Details
HM NumberHM1WL5
Series This marker is part of the Virginia Civil War Trails series
Tags
Placed ByVirginia Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Sunday, January 22nd, 2017 at 9:02am PST -08:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 744941 N 4343471
Decimal Degrees39.20600000, -78.16330000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 12.36', W 78° 9.798'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 12' 21.6" N, 78° 9' 47.88" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)540, 703
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling North
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 206 Sentinel Dr, Winchester VA 22603, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. Does the marker have a number?
  7. What year was the marker erected?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?