Strasburg is the great location for a tour of the many Civil War battlefields in the area. The battlefields at Cedar Creek, Toms Brook, Fisher's Hill and Hupp's Hill are all near Strasburg. Both Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862 and Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaigns of 1864 are easily retraceable using Strasburg as a base of operations.

Spangler's Mill

Located along Cedar Spring Run on Route 11 South of Strasburg, Built 1797 according to Calvin Sonner. It was water powered. This mill, it is written, survived the Civil War because the Union Troop used it to mill grain for their own use. It was near here that General Custer captured much of the Confederate wagon train shortly after the Battle of Cedar Creek in October of 1864.

Across the street from Spengler's Mill and sitting high on a hill is Matin Hall or the Spenger Home.

Matin Hall

General Jubal Early had his headquarters in the yard of this fine home for a period of time.

Strasburg in the 1860's Looking South toward Fisher's Hill.
Image derived from a period image, artist unknown.

Strasburg was an important part of Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862. Here a Federal fort became Jackson's objective in the spring of 1862. His famous flanking march maneuvered the Federals from this fort and finally brought them to bay at Winchester. As a result of this action, Strasburg became the destination for the pursuing Federals as the place where they could cut off Jackson's retreat. Jackson barely escaped the Federal "pincer movement" at Strasburg and separately defeated two Federal columns at the battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic respectively.

A year earlier, Jackson had used Strasburg as the place where captured railroad equipment was placed on the rails of the Manassas Gap Railroad and sent south. Jackson captured many B & O Railroad engines, rolling stock, and equipment at Martinsburg, West Virginia and hauled it over land on the Valley Pike to Strasburg using teams of as many as 40 horses.

Strasburg also figured heavily in Federal General Philip Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864. After defeating the Confederates under General Jubal Early at Winchester, Sheridan continued the pursuit to Strasburg. Here he established headquarters as his army probed the Confederate position two miles south of town at Fisher's Hill. On September 22, 1864, Sheridan's forces again defeated Early's Confederates at the Battle of Fisher's Hill.

Nearly one month following its success at Fisher's Hill, Sheridan's army lay in camp at Cedar Creek, three miles north of Strasburg. Early's Confederates surprised the Federals there at dawn on October 19, 1864 and nearly won a stunning victory only to have their fortunes dashed by a Federal counterattack in the afternoon. The Federals finally ended the pursuit of the beleaguered Confederates at Strasburg.

Strasburg Train Station / Museum, King Street – The museum, a great cooperative effort among the town’s citizens, has a wide variety of items including man related to the War Between the States. (See photo below)Very near to this location is the place where T.J. Jackson re-employed locomotives in the service of the Confederacy after hijacking them in Harper's Ferry in April 1861. Open May-October, 10 am-4 pm daily. $2 adults. 540-465-9197.

Strasburg Museum

Strasburg Museum

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History of the War in the Valley	Historic Places	Tour	Valley Museums	Soldiers and Civilians	Site Map	Valley Historical Links

 

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