Confederate Breastworks Interpretive Trail

Confederate Breastworks Interpretive Trail (HMAY2)

Location: Savannah, VA 22843 Augusta County
Buy Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 38° 18.693', W 79° 23.058'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 833 views
Inscription
You are standing in the middle of what was once Fort Edward Johnson. Confederate soldiers built this fort in 1862 under the command of Brigadier general Edward Johnson, a career officer from Virginia.

Look to your right, and then left across the highway for what remains of the mile of trench and breastworks. They were built by Confederate soldiers to defend the Shenandoah Valley from an invasion by Union Troops marching from the west.

In the early spring of 1862, this fort was garrisoned by 3,000 troops, primarily from the 12th Georgia Regiment. Most of these troops were stationed four miles to the east at Camp Shenandoah, where there was good drinking water and pasture for their horses.

By May of 1862, General John C. Fremont's Union Army, under General Robert Milroy, was moving toward the fort from the west. "Stonewall" Jackson's Confederate Army retreated out of the Shenandoah Valley leaving a chance that the fort would be cut off from the rear by Union forces. General Johnson's troops evacuated the fort. They moved toward Staunton only to find Jackson's army had returned to Staunton in a lightening move that surprised both the Union generals, and Jackson's own staff. General Johnson's men joined Jackson's Army and marched back through the fort, which had been occupied by advance Union troops. The combined Confederate Army continued its march through these mountains on the Parkersburg Turnpike until it reached the small village of McDowell, Virginia, where the main Union Army was encamped. On May 8th "Stonewall" Jackson's Army, after suffering heavy losses, sent the Union forces into full retreat and relieved the threat to Staunton.
Details
HM NumberHMAY2
Tags
Placed ByU.S. Forest Service
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, September 5th, 2014 at 6:17am PDT -07:00
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 641256 N 4241617
Decimal Degrees38.31155000, -79.38430000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 18.693', W 79° 23.058'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 18' 41.58" N, 79° 23' 3.48" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)540
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 2775 Shenandoah Mountain Rd, Savannah VA 22843, 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. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?