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Barney’s Big Adventure II

Augusta Co / Rockingham Co, Virginia

Shenandoah Valley

June 25, 2010

Once again, Barney was ready to hit the road and go exploring. Today, we decided to head down to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and search for Historical Markers to post on the ADV Rider website forum started just a couple of months ago. I’ve had a great time with the WV Markers forum I started in Nov 2008, and decided I’d like to learn more about our neighbor.

We started early Friday morning (before 6am) and headed out through Philippi, Belington, Elkins, Huttonsville, then across Rt 250 into Virginia. After going through Monterey, we continued east to Staunton and Waynesboro, then north/northwest towards Harrisonburg. After meeting vatrader01 (online nickname for one the riders who helped photograph and document over 120 WV Markers) for lunch in Shenandoah, we headed west back over the mountains to home.

Hope you enjoy the ride with us!

It should be pretty to calculate today’s mileage – starting at 33,333 miles. (5:38am!)

For those of you new to my travelogues, I’ve invited Barney to come along on some rides. He behaved very well on the first ride, so I asked him back. I sure get some funny looks, and it drives my 20-year-old son nuts to see Dad riding off with Barney on the bike. J Isn’t that part of my job description as a Dad?

I love early morning rides. It’s 6am and the misty fog adds an ethereal effect to the countryside.

This is Rt 57 between Clarksburg and Philippi.

More early-morning fog.

The fog makes for interesting light patterns through the trees.

First stop – the Covered Bridge at Philippi. Site of the first land battle of the Civil War.

The first marker I document in VA (James E. Hanger) describes the man injured here during the battle.

6:20 am. View across the Tygart Valley River at Philippi.

After passing through Elkins and Huttonsville, it was eastbound on Rt 250. About 20 miles before the VA border is the town of Bartow, where I photographed two barns (see next photo) in the morning fog. I still haven’t decided which photo is my favorite.

The other barn photo at Bartow.

Near the VA line, we stop for this magnificent view of the mountains.

Same location, but without Barney. This will be in my computer wallpaper folder.

Welcome to Virginia. This is Rt 250 about halfway between the VA / WV border and Monterey.

For quite a while, you are riding through thick forest, when suddenly it opens up to this nice view.

Past Monterey, the riding gets really nice on Rt 250. Barney is all laughs back there!

Our first marker of the day is for a very remarkable man. Talk about “making lemonade when life serves you lemons!”

Remember the photo earlier of the Philippi Covered Bridge?

James Hanger went on to found the J.E. Hanger Prosthetics, Inc., the world’s largest maker of artificial limbs.

From Wikipedia:

Hanger was born at Mount Hope, his father's plantation near Churchville, VA. His parents were William Alexander Hanger and Eliza Hogshed Hanger.He attended local elementary schools and, in 1859, enrolled at Washington College in Lexington, VA, to study engineering. He was an 18-year-old sophomore when he decided to leave school and join the newly formed Churchville Cavalry, which was under the command of Captain Franklin Sterrett. Two of Hanger's brothers and four of his cousins were already enlisted with the company, and as he prepared to join them, his mother packed food and clothing to send along for her sons. An ambulance corps carrying supplies for the Confederacy passed through town, and Hanger joined with the group, traveling to Philippi, VA (now West Virginia). He arrived on June 2, 1861, and after enlisting, spent the night in a nearby stable with a small group of untrained and badly equipped Confederates. While on guard duty the next morning, Hanger heard gunfire, and ran into the stable to get his horse. At that moment, a Union cannonball ricocheted inside the stable, striking his left leg below the knee.

Hanger's shattered leg was amputated about seven inches below the hip bone. This loss of limb is said to have been the first such occurrence of a war that saw more than 50,000 additional amputations performed. Hanger remained in Philippi for several weeks and then was sent to Camp Chase in Ohio. In August 1861, he was returned to his family home in Virginia in a prisoner of war exchange.

Dissatisfied with both the fit and the function of his above-knee prosthesis, Hanger designed a new prosthesis constructed of whittled barrel staves and metal. His design used rubber bumpers rather than standard catgut tendons and featured hinges at both the knee and foot. Hanger patented his limb in 1871and it has received numerous additional patents for improvements and special devices which have brought international reputation to the product. The Virginia state government commissioned Hanger to manufacture the above-knee prosthesis for other wounded soldiers. Manufacturing operations for J.E. Hanger, Inc., were established in the cities of Staunton and Richmond. The company eventually moved to Washington, D.C.

A brief history on the company’s website: http://www.hanger.com/aboutus/orthopedicgroup/Pages/History.aspx

View of the James Edward Hanger marker in Churchville, looking west on Rt 250.

Just east of Churchville on Rt 250 is the next marker.

From: http://people.virginia.edu/~mgf2j/natives.html

Hysteria was rampant. In Staunton—which had never been attacked before—jittery citizens "hired 13 or 14 men to watch them as well waking or sleeping ... and some walk around the Court house no doubt to holoo out when they see the Indians enter the town." West of town Reverend Brown's mother and sister were "not a little afraid and I think no wonder of it for there were none beyond her but John Trimble and Finley ... I fear there is Danger on that quarter."

Indeed there was danger. In September, at Trimble's on Middle River, beyond the home of Reverend Brown's mother and sister, a mile east of Buffalo Branch, and seven west of Staunton, a renegade white man or "half-blood" named Captain Dickson "with a party of 12 or 13 warriors" captured fifteen-year-old James Trimble and "a colored boy named Adam." The boys were trying to catch a horse to plow, and perhaps the Indians decoyed them with a horse bell. Old John Trimble, worried because the horses suddenly ran toward the house, took his gun into the woods to have a look. The sound of the shots that killed him sent his wife Mary scurrying for the woods where she watched as Indians hauled out her pregnant daughter Kitty Estill and hoisted her and the household plunder on horses before heading west.

Even Barney is enjoying the educational field trip.

Just a few miles east on Rt 250 (and just west of Staunton), we turned north/northwest onto County Road 732 to look for the next marker. After several miles of “discovering” new roads that didn’t lead to where I was going, we finally discovered not just the marker, but TWO markers.

Beautiful country road! Suddenly these two markers appear.

The Col Moffett marker is listed at this location, so the Mt Pleasant marker is an unexpected bonus.

Barney’s pretty excited!

Col. George Moffett was born in 1735 in Augusta Co., VA. He died in 1811 in Augusta Co., VA. He was buried in Old Augusta Stone Church Cemetery. He married Sarah Martha McDowell in 1761.Commanded Regiment at battle of Guilford Court House. Capt. March 1776, Major Feb. 17, 1778, Col. May 19, 1778.Colonel Moffett was born in Virginia in 1735 and died at his home, Mount Pleasant, in Augusta County, Virginia. He served in the Indian wars and fought at Kerr's Creek. During the Revolution he participated in the battles of the Cowpens, Kings Mountain, and at Guilford Court House. He was a Justice of the Peace, a member of the military court and a firm believer in religious freedom.
Name on an Oct. 1776 document defending religious liberty. Elder of Presbyterian Church. One of the 1st Trustees of Washington & Lee College.

And this is where he lived (just behind me, over my left shoulder as I take this photo)

View of the Mt. Pleasant House from the road.

Several “No Trespassing” signs on the fence, so this is as close as you can get.

The next stop was near downtown Staunton, VA.

From Wikipedia:

He was born in County Armagh, Ireland, in 1757, the son of John Humphreys and Margaret Carlisle. He initially studied medicine under his uncle, Dr. Carlisle. After that, he attended the University of Edinburgh, where he received his M.D. degree in 1782. At the time, the University of Edinburgh had the most famous medical school in the world.
In 1783 he emigrated to Augusta County, Virginia, and settled at Greenville near his brother, David Carlisle Humphreys. In 1787 he moved to Staunton and established a practice there. He became a Justice of Augusta County and a Trustee of the newly created Staunton Academy in 1792. In 1793 he became the President of the Board of Trustees of Staunton Academy. Dr. Humphreys had a large and busy medical practice and attracted many medical students who studied under him as a preceptor. His known students include William Wardlaw, James McPheeters, Andrew Kean, Williamk Henry Harrison, Samuel Brown, and Ephraim McDowell. William Henry Harrison later became President of the United States. Ephraim McDowell was the most famous student of Dr. Humphreys who became a practicing physician. On April 8, 1788, Dr. Humphreys married Mary Brown, a daughter of Rev. John Brown of New Providence Church. They had seven children including Elizabeth L. Humphreys (1800–1874) who married Robert Smith Todd and became the stepmother of Mary Todd Lincoln.
Dr. Humphreys died May 23, 1802, at Staunton, Virginia, and was buried in the churchyard of Trinity Episcopal Church at Staunton. His widow, Mary, then moved to Frankfort, Kentucky, to be near her brother John Brown. She died January 28, 1836, at Frankfort, Kentucky, and is buried at Frankfort Cemetery.

This is the courtyard of the Trinity Episcopal Church where Dr. Humphreys is buried.

It is about 2 blocks west of the marker.

Dr. Humphreys’ gravesite.

Plaque on his headstone.

This was a surprise marker – not on my list. I spotted it as I was heading south on Rt 11 out of Staunton.

Historical Marker is located on Rt 11 about 2 miles south of downtown Staunton VA.

Woodrow Wilson was our 28th President, and led the US into and through WWI. Prior to becoming President, he served as president of Princeton University from 1902 - 1910, and as Governor of New Jersey from 1911-1912.

Under his Presidency:

1) The US entered WWI even though his first election was based on keeping the US neutral. However, this changed when Germany began sinking US ships in the Atlantic.

2) Womens' suffrage (right to vote) passed under his watch.

3) He re-instated the first military draft since the Civil War

4) He started the first progressive Federal Income Tax

5) He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in forming the League of Nations in 1919 after WWI.

6) He suffered a stroke in 1919 that almost totally incapacitated him, yet he did not pass on the duties of Presidency to the Vice-President Thomas R. Marshall. Few people saw him after the stroke, and the full extent was not disclosed until after his death in 1924. This led to the passage of the 25th Amendment.


To read the official White House Biography: http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/pres.../woodrowwilson


To read his biography on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodrow_Wilson

His birthplace is located about a mile north of the marker, on the east side of Staunton.

Plaque on his childhood home.

The next stop was the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center on Rt 250, about 4 – 5 miles east of Staunton.

The Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center is located east of Staunton and I-81.

This is the view westbound on Rt 250. The Center is to the right at this light and north about 1 mile.

Historical Marker located along Rt 250 east of I-81.

Located about 5 miles east of Staunton just north of Rt 250. Named for President Woodrow Wilson, who suffered a severe stroke in the last 2 years of his 2nd term as President.

From their website: http://wwrc.virginia.gov/

The Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center is the first state-owned and operated comprehensive rehabilitation center in the country. Staff at WWRC provide training and therapy to people with disabilities to enable them to re-enter the work force and live more independently. The Center is named for President Woodrow Wilson, born in nearby Staunton, Virginia and who signed into law the first federal Vocational Rehabilitation Act in 1920, providing services for people with disabilities in industry.

Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, national origin, religion, or political affiliation.

This Center has a 50-year history of assisting persons with disabilities, and has been a constant resource for research and innovation in the field of rehabilitation. It was the first to offer computer programmer training in the nation; it was the site of the first residential Center for Independent Living in Virginia; it established the first head trauma program in Virginia; it was among the first four original Spinal Cord Injury Systems in the nation; and it offered the first computer-assisted drafting training anywhere in Virginia.

View of the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center from the front driveway.

Located on Rt 340 about 12-15 miles north of Waynesboro.

For more on Rockingham County: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocking...unty,_Virginia

For more on Augusta County: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusta_County,_Virginia

Southbound on Rt 340 entering Augusta County.

Northbound entering Rockingham County. Barney’s enjoying the ride!

Next, we headed north on Rt 340 about 5 miles to the area of Port Republic.

Located on Rt 340 about 5 miles north of the Rockingham Co / Augusta Co line.

Together, the battles of Cross Keys (the previous day) and Port Republic were the decisive victories in Maj. Gen. Thomsas "Stonewall" Jackson's Valley Campaign, forcing the Union armies to retreat and leaving Jackson free to reinforce Gen. Robert E. Lee for the Seven Days Battle outside Richmond VA.

Maj. Gen. T.J. Jackson concentrated his forces east of the South Fork of the Shenandoah against the isolated brigades of Tyler and Carroll of Shields’s division, Brig. Gen. Erastus Tyler commanding. Confederate assaults across the bottomland were repulsed with heavy casualties, but a flanking column turned the Union left flank at the Coaling. Union counterattacks failed to reestablish the line, and Tyler was forced to retreat. Confederate forces at Cross Keys marched to join Jackson at Port Republic burning the North River Bridge behind them. Frémont’s army arrived too late to assist Tyler and Carroll and watched helplessly from across the rain-swollen river. After these dual defeats at Cross Keys and Port Republic, the Union armies retreated, leaving Jackson in control of the upper and middle Shenandoah Valley and freeing his army to reinforce Lee before Richmond.

Here are two accounts of the battle -

Short version: http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/va106.htm

More detailed version: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Port_Republic

View southbound on Rt 340. Marker is hidden in the shade to the left. (See arrow for help)

The crossroads mentioned in the marker is visible here. (CR 708)

About 2 miles south of the marker is this roadside informational sign about the Battle of Port Republic.

Some more interesting history on the roadside sign.

After this historical area, we backtracked a few miles south, then headed west on Rt 256 along

the Rockingham Co / Augusta Co line.

This is another marker that was not on my list. Barney happened to catch a glimpse of it as I passed it westbound on Rt 256 about 2 - 3 miles east of I-81. He shouted for me to stop, so I quickly turned around and found the marker in what appears to be someone's front yard, hidden from "west-bounders" by several trees.

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Caleb_Bingham

George Caleb Bingham (March 20, 1811 – July 7, 1879) was an American artist, whose work depicted his view of American life in the frontier lands along the Missouri River. Left to languish in obscurity, Bingham's work was rediscovered in the 1930s and he is now widely considered one of the greatest American painters of the 19th century.

This is one of Bingham's most famous paintings, now owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Painted around 1845 in the style called luminism by some historians of American art, it was originally entitled, "French-Trader, Half-breed Son." The American Art Union thought the title potentially controversial and renamed it. The painting is haunting for its evocation of a bygone era in American history — note, in particular, the liberty cap worn by the old man. The animal in the boat is widely accepted as a bear cub and not a cat.

Another interesting site with photos of his work: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WWbirdking.htm

View eastbound on Rt 256. Here, you can see the trees that block the view for travelers from the other direction.

Thanks for spotting this one, Barney!

Located on Rt 256 just east of I-81.

(Turns out this is not an “Official VA Marker, but one the FFA organization erected)

Excerpts from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_FFA_Organization

The National FFA Organization is an American youth organization known as a Career and Technical Career Organization, based on middle and high school classes that promote and support agricultural education. The organization, founded in 1928 as Future Farmers of America, now states it has over 507,763 members in 7,439 chapters throughout all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. In 1988 the name of the organization was changed to the National FFA Organization to reflect the expanding career field of Agricultural Education.

The National FFA Organization, formerly Future Farmers of America, is a dynamic youth leadership organization that strives to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. High school students compete in various events called Career Development Events (CDEs). Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs, and Leadership Development Events (LDEs) are programs designed to broaden the students abilities and experience in different fields of agriculture. Students are supervised by agricultural education teachers in cooperation with parents, employers and other adults who assist individuals in the development and achievement of educational and career goals. Today FFA has over 500,000 members across the nation. These students strive for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.

View westbound on Rt 256

View north of the Marker towards some of the farming area probably used by the FFA students.

Barney was just yelling “Soooper-dee-Doooper” at the scenery! He needs to get out more.

After crossing I-81, we briefly turned south on Rt 11.

About 3 miles south, we came across our next site, the old Augusta Military Academy.

We’re now about 15 miles south of Harrisonburg VA.

Located on Rt 11 about 15 miles south of Harrisonburg.

From Wikipedia:

The Augusta Military Academy was a secondary education military academy in Fort Defiance, Augusta County, VA The school was established in 1865 by Confederate Veteran Charles S. Roller as the Augusta Male Academy and formally became a military academy in 1880. It combined classical studies with a military curriculum and was officially named Augusta Military Academy in 1890. At the time, it was one of the first military preparatory schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was among one of the first such schools in the United States to adopt the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program in 1919. Until its closure in 1984, the Academy had attracted over 7,000 students from the United States and abroad. Today it is owned and operated by a local church. It is located on Rt 11, also known as the Lee Highway.

An episode of MTV's Fear was shot at The Augusta Military Academy. It was featured on Season 1, Episode 4 and was renamed "Hopkins Military Academy." This was mainly to protect the academy from local teenagers, ghost hunters and urban explorers.Every year, the Augusta Military Academy Museum hosts an alumni gathering. One of it's more famous alumni includes William H. Armstrong, the author of Sounder.

More detailed history on the school's website: http://www.amaalumni.org/history_1.htm

Historical Marker located on Rt 11 about 15 miles south of Harrisonburg,

and about 4 - 5 miles south of the Augusta County / Rockingham County line.

View of the main building on campus.

Next, we started north towards Harrisonburg. Just north of the junction with Rt 256 (where we had come out earlier)

was the Rockingham County / Augusta County line.

Located about 10 miles south of Harrisonburg, just west of I-81.

For more on Rockingham County: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocking...unty,_Virginia

For more on Augusta County: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusta_County,_Virginia

North on Rt 11 just a couple of miles found us at the next marker.

Historical Marker located on Rt 11 about 6 - 8 miles south of Harrisonburg.

From Wikipedia (excerpts): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Sheridan

Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, who transferred Sheridan from command of an infantry division in the Western Theater to lead the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac in the East. In 1864, he defeated Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley and his destruction of the economic infrastructure of the Valley, called "The Burning" by residents, was one of the first uses of scorched earth tactics in the war. In 1865, his cavalry pursued Gen. Robert E. Lee and was instrumental in forcing his surrender at Appomattox.
Sheridan prosecuted the later years of the Indian Wars of the Great Plains, tainting his reputation with some historians, who accuse him of racism and genocide. Both as a soldier and private citizen, he was instrumental in the development and protection of Yellowstone National Park. In 1883 Sheridan was appointed general-in-chief of the U.S. Army, and in 1888 he was promoted to the rank of four-star general by President Grover Cleveland.

Notes:
Sheridan claimed he was born in Albany, New York, the third child of six by John and Mary Meenagh Sheridan, immigrants from the parish of Killinkere, County Cavan, Ireland. He grew up in Somerset, Ohio.

Sheridan's men did their work relentlessly and thoroughly, rendering over 400 square miles uninhabitable. The destruction presaged the scorched earth tactics of Sherman's March to the Sea through Georgia—deny an army a base from which to operate and bring the effects of war home to the population supporting it. The residents referred to this widespread destruction as "The Burning." The Confederates were not idle during this period and Sheridan's men were plagued by guerrilla raids by partisan ranger Col. John S. Mosby. (Note: A friend of mine who is interested in all things related to the Civil War told me that often the burning was started by the Confederates, who would gather all of the cotton bales – a very valuable commodity – and burn them so they would not fall into the hands of the enemy. These fires often spread and burned the surrounding farms and villages.)

At Appomattox Court House, April 9, 1865, Sheridan blocked Lee's escape, forcing the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia later that day. Grant summed up Little Phil's performance in these final days: "I believe General Sheridan has no superior as a general, either living or dead, and perhaps not an equal."

If Sheridan was unpopular in Texas, neither did he have much appreciation for the Lone Star State. In 1866 newspapers quoted him as saying, "If I owned Texas and Hell, I would rent Texas and live in Hell", a statement which he repeated in later years in various forms.

The protection of the Yellowstone area was Sheridan's personal crusade. He authorized Lieutenant Gustavus Doane to escort the Washburn Expedition in 1870 and for Captain John W. Barlow to escort the Hayden Expedition in 1871. Barlow named Mount Sheridan, a peak overlooking Heart Lake in Yellowstone, for the general in 1871. As early as 1875, Sheridan promoted military control of the area to prevent the destruction of natural formations and wildlife. Sheridan is mentioned favorably in The National Parks: America's Best Idea, Episode I, for his work saving Yellowstone National Park.


In memoriam
Fort Sheridan in Illinois was named to honor General Sheridan's many services to Chicago.

The M551 Sheridan tank is named after General Sheridan.

Mount Sheridan in Yellowstone National Park was named for Sheridan by Captain John W. Barlow in 1871.

The only equestrian Civil War statue in Ohio honors Sheridan. It is in the center traffic circle on US Route 22 in Somerset, Ohio, not far from the house where Sheridan grew up.

Sheridan Glacier, located 15 miles outside of Cordova, Alaska was named in his honor.

John Philip Sousa wrote a descriptive piece for band memorializing Sheridan. Describing "Sheridan's Ride" of 1891 as a "Scenes Historical", Sousa musically characterized Sheridan's famous ride back to his army in the Battle of Cedar Creek. The composition has six sections: Waiting for the Bugle, The Attack, The Death of Thoburn, The Coming of Sheridan, and The Apotheosis.

As we approach the southern edge of Harrisonburg, this is the first of several Historical Markers we find.

Located on Rt 11 about 5 miles south of Harrisonburg, just south of James Madison University. (Southbound lane)

Gen Stonewall Jackson is my hometown hero. There is a big statue of him on the courthouse square a mile from my home. (Clarksburg, WV)

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson...alley_Campaign

Jackson's Valley Campaign was Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's famous spring 1862 campaign through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia during the American Civil War. Employing audacity and rapid, unpredictable movements on interior lines, Jackson's 17,000 men marched 646 miles (1,040 km) in 48 days and won several minor battles as they successfully engaged three Union armies (52,000 men), preventing them from reinforcing the Union offensive against Richmond.

Jackson suffered a defeat (his sole defeat of the war) at the First Battle of Kernstown (March 23, 1862) against Col. Nathan Kimball (part of Union Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks's army), but it proved to be a strategic Confederate victory because President Abraham Lincoln reinforced his Valley forces with troops that had originally been designated for the Peninsula Campaign against Richmond. On May 8, after more than a month of skirmishing with Banks, Jackson moved deceptively to the west of the Valley and defeated elements of Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont's army in the Battle of McDowell, preventing a potential combination of the two Union armies against him. Jackson then headed down the Valley once again to confront Banks. Concealing his movement in the Luray Valley, Jackson joined forces with Maj. Gen. Richard S. Ewell and captured the Federal garrison at Front Royal on May 23, causing Banks to retreat to the north. On May 25, in the First Battle of Winchester, Jackson defeated Banks and pursued him until the Union Army crossed the Potomac River into Maryland.

Bringing in Union reinforcements from eastern Virginia, Brig. Gen. James Shields recaptured Front Royal and planned to link up with Frémont in Strasburg. Jackson was now threatened by three small Union armies. Withdrawing up the Valley from Winchester, Jackson was pursued by Frémont and Shields. On June 8, Ewell defeated Frémont in the minor Battle of Cross Keys and on the following day, crossed the North River to join forces with Jackson to defeat Shields in the Battle of Port Republic. Jackson immediately followed up his successful campaign by forced marches to join Gen. Robert E. Lee for the Seven Days Battles outside Richmond. His audacious campaign elevated him to the position of the most famous general in the Confederacy (until this reputation was later supplanted by Lee) and has been studied ever since by military organizations around the world.

Next stop northbound on Rt 11 – Where Ashby Fell. Just a few miles south of Harrisonburg VA

Located on Rt 11 about 5 miles south of Harrisonburg, just south of James Madison University. (Southbound lane)

Excerpts from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turner_Ashby

Turner Ashby, Junior (October 23, 1828 – June 6, 1862) was a Confederate cavalry brigadier general in the American Civil War. He had achieved prominence as Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's cavalry commander in the Shenandoah Valley when he was killed in battle in 1862.

Valley Campaign and death
Ashby's vigorous reconnaissance and screening were factors in the success of Jackson's legendary Valley Campaign in the Shenandoah Valley in 1862. However, there were instances in which Ashby failed Jackson. At the First Battle of Kernstown , Jackson attacked a retreating Union column that Ashby had estimated to be four regiments of infantry, about the size of Jackson's force. It turned out to be an entire division of 9,000 men, and Jackson was forced to retreat. At the First Battle of Winchester, as Union forces under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks were retreating, Ashby failed to cut off their retreat because his troopers were plundering captured wagons. It is possible that the Union forces could have been substantially destroyed if it were not for this lack of discipline.
As Jackson's army withdrew from the pressure of Maj. Gen. John C. Fremonts’s superior forces, moving from Harrisonburg toward Port Republic, Ashby commanded the rear guard. On June 6, 1862, near Harrisonburg, the 1st New Jersey Cavalry attacked Ashby's position at Good's Farm. Although Ashby defeated the cavalry attack, a subsequent infantry engagement resulted in his horse being shot and Ashby charging ahead on foot. Within a few steps, he was shot through the heart, killing him instantly. (The origin of the fatal shot has been lost to history. Soldiers of the 13th Pennsylvania Reserve Infantry, the "Bucktails", claimed credit, but some accounts blame friendly fire.) His last words were "Forward my brave men!" He had been promoted to brigadier general just ten days before his death.

The Adventure Continues – James Madison University, Harrisonburg VA

Historical Marker located along Rt 11 south of Harrisonburg at the JMU Campus.

The official JMU Website: http://www.jmu.edu/

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Madison_University

Founded in 1908 as a women's college, university was established by the Virginia General Assembly. It was originally called The State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg. In 1914, the name of the university was changed to the State Normal School for Women at Harrisonburg. At first, academic offerings included only today's equivalent of technical training or junior college courses, however authorization to award bachelor's degrees was granted in 1916. During this initial period of development, the campus plan was established and six buildings were constructed.

The university became the State Teachers College at Harrisonburg in 1924 and continued under that name until 1938, when it was named Madison College in honor of the fourth president of the United States. In 1976 the university's name was changed to James Madison University.

View of the main campus from the overpass of Rt 11.

Next stop – Downtown Harrisonburg and the Rockingham County Court House

Historical Marker located on the Rockingham County Courthouse Square in downtown Harrisonburg,

at the intersection of Rt 33 and Rt 11.

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrisonburg,_Virginia

Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County. Its population was 40,468 at the 2000 census and 44,015 according to 2008 estimates.

Harrisonburg, previously known as Rocktown, was named for Thomas Harrison, a son of English settlers. In 1737, Harrison settled in the Shenandoah Valley, eventually laying claim to over 12,000 acres. This was situated at the intersection of the Spotswood Trail and the main Native American road through the Valley.

In 1779, Harrison deeded two and a half acres of his land to the "public good" for the construction of a courthouse. In 1780, Harrison deeded an additional 50 acres. This is the area now known as "Historic Downtown Harrisonburg."

Harrisonburg Tourism & Visitors site: http://www.harrisonburgtourism.com/

View north along the east side of the courthouse - looking north on Rt 11. I remember coming around the streets circling the courthouse as a kid when we were on our way to the beach at North Carolina. About 150 miles from home, and only 350 miles from here to Nags Head, NC! "Dad, are we there yet? Huh? Are we there yet? How much longer?"

Nice town to walk around in, although I see Wetzel (sp?) Seed Company has closed it's doors.

After looking around downtown, it was time to take a brief detour east on Rt 33.

Battle of Cross Keys

Historical Marker located on Rt 33 east of Harrisonburg.

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cross_Keys

The Battle of Cross Keys was fought on June 8, 1862, in Rockingham County, Virginia, as part of Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War. Together, the battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic the following day were the decisive victories in Jackson's Valley Campaign, forcing the Union armies to retreat and leaving Jackson free to reinforce Gen. Robert E. Lee for the Seven Days Battles outside Richmond, Virginia.

Just a short ride east on Rt 33, then it was north on Rt 340 towards the town of Shenandoah.

Historical Marker Located on Rt 340 north of Rt 33, about 3 - 4 miles south of Shenandoah.

From The Virginia magazine of history and biography, Volume 10
By Virginia Historical Society, William Glover Stanard

Click here for the entire article (Pgs 84-85)

The Adam Muller (Miller) mentioned in Mr. Wayland's essay as one of the Elkton pioneers, was born in Germany about the year 1700. He was naturalized March 13, 1741-42, by Governor Gooch, and the original certificate of his naturalization is to-day in the possession of Miss Elizabeth B. Miller, his "Treat-great-granddaughter, who resides near Elkton, and it was printed in the October number, 1900, of William and Mary College Quarterly. The statement is made in this paper that Adam Miller was born in Schresoin, Germany, "and had settled and inhabited for fifteen years past on Shenandoa in this colony." This declaration proves beyond question that he had settled on the Shenandoah river either in 1726 or 1727, as time is now reckoned.

The story of his coming to America, first to Pennsylvania, and then to Virginia and the Valley, has been preserved by the oral testimony of one who knew him personally. Jacob Miller, grandson of Adam, was born in the year 1769 and died in 1861, aged 92 years. His grandfather survived until about the close of the revolution, and Jacob Miller remembered him well. Upon his authority it is stated that Adam Miller came as a young man, with his wife and an unmarried sister, to Pennsylvania from Germany, and first located in Lancaster county, and after residing there several years determined to try his fortunes in Virginia. He embarked at the head of Chesapeake Bay and landed in the vicinity of Williamsburg, where he fell in with some members of the Spotswood expedition, and, learning of the wonderful country beyond the mountams, determined to see it for himself. He followed closely the line of Spotswood's march, crossed the mountains at Swift Run Gap, and was so well pleased with the country that he immediately returned to Pennsylvania for his family and brought them to Virginia. It is also related that the pioneer first located on the Hawksbill, a tributary of the Shenandoah now in the county of Page ; but the location proved unhealthful, and, after losing several children, he removed to the place on the Shenandoah, which became his permanent residence and is to this day in the possession of Miss Elizabeth B. Miller, his descendant. The Hawksbill enters the Shenandoah a few miles northeast of Swift Run Gap, while the permanent home of Adam Miller is a few miles southwest of that point, at which Governor Spotswood entered the Valley.

Barney kept mumbling something about... "WE were the first settlers in this area." Hmmm......

View to the west of the sign. Yes, I can see why they called this "Green Meadows". (Of course, Oliver Wendell Douglas and

Lisa Douglas would have named it "Green Acres" if they had gotten here first )

Just a mile north of the “First Settlers” Marker is the Rockingham County / Page county line.

Located on Rt 340 just south of Shenandoah.

For more information on Page County:

http://www.pagecounty.virginia.gov/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Page_County,_Virginia


For more information on Rockingham County:

http://www.rockinghamcountyva.gov/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocking...unty,_Virginia

Northbound on Rt 340 entering Page County

Southbound on Rt 340 entering Rockingham County

Final Destination: Shenandoah VA (Lunchtime!!)

Entering the town of Shenandoah VA northbound on Rt 340.

I was planning to meet a friend and fellow rider, Pat, at a restaurant here for lunch.

He lives about an hour north in Front Royal.

Barney’s first trip to this area. He’s having a great time.

I arrived a little early to meet Pat for lunch, so I ventured into town to photograph the one Historical Marker here.

Historical Marker located at the junction of Rt 340 and Maryland Ave (Rt 602) in the middle of the town of Shenadoah.

It's a hard one to photograph since it's up on a hill above a wall, and there is nowhere to park nearby.

From the Luray / Page County Chamber of Commerce: http://luraypage.com/historic.htm

Stevens Cottage (Shenandoah VA) The original office of Shenandoah Land and Improvement Company during the railroad boom in the late 1800's, later used as a printing office and private school, the cottage was purchased by Misses Mary and Edna Stevens, sisters, as a private residence in 1902. After their death, the cottage was purchased by the Shenandoah Heritage Center in 1974 and is listed on the Virginia Historic and National Historic Landmarks Registry. The cottage serves a satellite office for the Chamber of Commerce during the summer and fall months.

View of the cottage, located on Rt 602 (Maryland Ave) about 1/4 mile west of the marker.

Sign in front of the cottage.

After photographing the marker and cottage, I was ready for lunch.

Cousin Boogy’s – here I come!!

Pat (vatrader01) arrived about the same time as me.

Read all about the restaurant: http://www.cousinboogysgrill.com/

Barney is trying to decide what to eat, while the ladies flirt with him. He’s blushing!

Tony (left) and Michelle (far right) are the owners. Very friendly service!!!

Read about them here: http://www.cousinboogysgrill.com/history.html

Mmmmmmm….. Steak Hoagie with REAL (fresh!) veggies!

Really generous servings, the food tasted great, and was reasonably priced.

Pat got an order of fries, and they brought out a POUND of real, cut fries (with the skins on the ends) Yummy!

Barney was checking out the BBQ sauce.

With a (very!) full stomach and memories of newfound friends, it was time to head west, back home to West Virginia.

First, it was south on Rt 340, then west on Rt 33 straight through Harrisonburg and on to West Virginia.

One last Historical Marker as I was leaving VA and entering WV.

Located midway between Harrisonburg VA and Franklin WV on Rt 33.

Westbound on Rt 33 entering West Virginia.

I don't know what this building is, but it's been there since we came through

here on the way to the beach in the 60's. No trespassing, so I couldn't sleuth around.

View eastbound on Rt 33 entering VA.

Better view of Rt 33 entering VA. Very nice ride up and down the mountain.

(unless you get stuck behind a truck going 20MPH!)

Next stop would be to fill up with gas in Franklin WV, then over the mountains to Clarksburg.

It was a great day of riding – 480 miles!

Hope you enjoyed riding with us! See you next time!

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