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Strasburg and the Civil War
by Greg Starbuck
Situated in the valley of the Shenandoah River, the picturesque town of Strasburg was a key witness to the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley.
In the first year of the war Strasburg became the destination for Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, after he captured railroad locomotives and equipment in Martinsburg, WV. Jackson had these railroad engines moved overland by horse teams to Strasburg, where they were placed on the Manassas Gap Railroad and used by the Southern war effort.
Strasburg was an important part of Jackson’s Valley Campaign of 1862. Jackson outmaneuvered the Federal army stationed there, allowing him to defeat two separate Federal armies at the battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic. These battles became some of his greatest victories.
Strasburg also played a role Federal Gen. Philip Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864. After defeating the Confederates under Gen. Jubal Early at Winchester, Sheridan continued his pursuit of Early to Strasburg. Here he established his headquarters, as his army again attacked Early two miles south at Fisher’s Hill.
Strasburg was never far away from war. Nearby battles at Winchester, Kernstown, Cedar Creek, Toms Brook, Fisher’s Hill and Hupp’s Hill determined the fate of the Shenandoah Valley. Strasburg was often the base of operations and supply for the armies of the North and the South.
Today Strasburg is a center of antiques, pottery, history, and natural mountain splendor. Its history in the war can be explored by visiting the Strasburg Train Station & Museum and the many Civil War Trails markers [Downloadable PDF, 835KB] in and around the area.
Article text ©2010, Shenandoah Specialty Publishing, LLC.
May be printed for personal use only.
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