The Battle of Front Royal: Prospect Hill Cemetery - Civil War Discovery Trail Sites on Waymarking.com

In 1862, Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson was sent to take command of the forces in Shenandoah Valley since it was an important source of supplies and a possible route for invading the north, including Washington, D.C. In February 1862, Gen. George McClellan took control of the Union army and planned an assault on Richmond, Virginia from the coast (Peninsula Campaign). Jackson was ordered the hold down the Federal troops in the Valley to prevent them from reinforcing McClellan. Even with a small army of poorly-trained troops and defeat at Kernstown in March, Jackson succeeded with brilliant strategies and maneuvers to maintain control of the Valley and prevent McClellan from receiving any help. Indeed, it would be Jackson who would reinforce Gen. Robert E. Lee in successfully defending Richmond against McClellan.

On May 23, Jackson defeated the 1st Maryland Regiment USA under Union Col. John Kenly sent to Front Royal to guard the bridge and railroad over the North and South Fork of the Shenandoah River and protect Gen. Nathaniel Banks' position in nearby Strasburg. With Jackson was the 1st Maryland CSA which dubbed the Battle of Front Royal as the Battle of Brother Against Brother.

The Battle of Front Royal Driving Tour is a site on the Civil War Discovery Trail that starts at the Front Royal Visitors Center and follows the battle through modern-day Front Royal.

The third stop on the tour is Prospect Hill Cemetery. Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson had moved his forces into Front Royal and Prospect Hill provided a good view of the town. Col. Stapleton Crutchfield, Jackson's artillery chief, posted a cannon here, although it would prove to be too far from the battle and was later moved. By this time, the battle was underway. The 1st MD CSA and Louisiana Brigade had overrun the 1st MD USA. Union Col. John Kenly and his 1000 men knew they were in trouble.

The CWDT marker stands next to the Soldier's Circle. A sidebar notes that in late 1868, the Ladies' Warren Memorial Association took on the task of collecting the Confederate dead buried in sites throughout Warren County and reburying them at Prospect Hill Cemetery. Eventually the remains of 276 soldiers representing every state of the Confederacy were found and reinterred. Ninety soldiers were identified and arranged in a circle. 186 unknown soldiers were buried in a common grave in the center. On Aug. 24, 1882, a monument was erected above them.

During the Civil War, the view from this point was not as obscured by trees as it is today.

References:

• Civil War Animated: The Valley Campaign
• "Brother Against Brother" The Battle of Front Royal Driving Tour (pamphlet)
• Battle of Front Royal - Shenandoah Valley Battlefields

Type of site: Cemetery Address: 200 West Prospect St Front Royal, VA USA 22630 Phone Number: 540-635-5788 (Front Royal Visitors Center) Admission Charged: No Charge Website: [Web Link] Driving Directions: Front Royal Visitors Center (Start of the driving tour): 414 East Main St. Front Royal VA 22630 From I-66 exit 13, follow Route 55 west to the visitors center. From I-66 exit 6, take Route 340 south and follow the signs to the visitors center

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/08/2023 Don.Morfe visited it 04/20/2015 Mychell visited it

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