Sunday, April 9, 2023

Day 6 - Lexington to Winchester

2023 DC Trip Day 6 – Sunday, April 9th – Lexington to Winchester, VA

This was to be my day to visit the battlefields of the Shenandoah Valley. Did a few, but poor directional marking and just feeling icky limited what I saw. Left Lexington at 0745 on the clock and 30 on the thermometer, headed up US-11 toward Staunton. Got off the main roads to find Port Republic & Cross Keys (both June 1862). En route, I found the site of the Battle of Piedmont (June 1864).



Port Republic has very little interpretation, or at least not on the roads I took. However, I did find information on the Battle of Cross Keys and a good view of the terrain.




I spent some time at New Market, famed for participation by VMI cadets. As a matter of fact, VMI owns a substantial part of the well-preserved field and the museum. 

 


Another notable unit was a company of Missouri cavalrymen, dismounted) – Capt, Woodson's unit was made up of POWs from a Mississippi action, exchanged in the east.


                                                    Here's a view of the field.


The farmstead includes a large bank barn. Since Cedarcroft has two of them, I wanted to see how the interior was configured – a flash photo through a hole in the door told me.



About this time, I discovered I had a fever, so I skipped Cedar Creek and the various Battles of Winchester and checked into my hotel. I found a nearby Walgreen, bought a covid test that turned out negative. So I will persevere – tomorrow it's Wilderness, Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania, and Fredericksburg and another test.

P.S. - My trusty '17 Subaru isn't being so trusty!

159.4 miles for the day, 1480.1 for the trip.

 


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