Page News & Courier
Heritage and Heraldry
Page County Civil War Commission Update
Article of September 7, 2000
With the exception of the Civil War Trails marker dedication at Verbena (Shenandoah) on Memorial Day weekend, the summer has been relatively quiet. However, with the opening of September, at least four more Civil War Trails dedications in Page County loom on the horizon.
By the end of November, Page County (with the help of demonstration grants from the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District and aid from Page County Economic Development) will have more Virginia Civil War Trails markers than any other county in the state (and some folks say that nothing happened in Page County during the Civil War!).
It is the intent of the Page County Civil War Commission to remain focused on historically accurate and educational interpretive resources in Page County for increased Civil War tourism over the next 15 years, especially with the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War just 11 years from this past April (2011) and ending in 2015.
The Civil War Trails markers are a critical element of Virginia's Civil War tourism, as they do not really take away from the character of the county. Even today there are many areas within the county where tourist can visualize an event without too much interference from the modern world. This is extremely important to those who want to gain an educational perspective while touring the hallowed fields. With over $8,500 in demonstration grant money and supplemental monies to cover the difference, the upcoming schedule for marker dedications is as follows:
1) Willow Grove Mill (Luray) indicating that Page County was the northern-most portion of Union Gen. Philip Sheridan's "burnings" east of the Massanutten. Willow Grove Mill was one of several mills destroyed in October 1864. Though the mill is not now original to the war, the foundation remains original and the site is one of the few that were rebuilt and remain today. This marker is to be dedicated the first weekend in October at the same time as the Page County Heritage Festival.
2) Graves Chapel (Stanley) for the passage of "Stonewall" Jackson's troops (then the 2nd Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia) out of the Valley in November 1862. This marker concentrates on Jackson's "last glimpse" of the Valley as a glimpse upon the Page Valley from the area of Franklin Cliffs near Fishers Gap. This marker is to be dedicated in November.
3) Luray/New Market Gap (Rt. 211) also to mark Jackson's last march out of the Valley toward Fisher's Gap. It was after a night's rest in the gap on the Page County side, that Jackson emerged from a tent and surprised his staff by having donned a completely new uniform and announced that his troops were now to be known as the 2nd Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia. This marker is to be placed in conjunction with the Graves Chapel marker in November.
4) Red Bridge (Grove Hill) to mark the site of the burning of one of three bridges in Page County to slow Union Gen. Shields' advance up the Page Valley in June 1862. This episode also played a major role in the relationship between Jackson and Turner Ashby and nearly caused a major rift in Jackson's Valley army. This marker is to be dedicated this fall.
Though this will wrap-up dedications in 2000, more possibilities await next year with yet another round of demonstration grants made available by the Battlefields Commission.
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