Staunton - Vital Link - Staunton, VA
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Markerman62
N 38° 08.845 W 079° 04.365
17S E 668875 N 4223926
Site of where locals boarded a train to Harpers Ferry at the beginning of the War.
Waymark Code: WM14RAD
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 08/14/2021
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member iconions
Views: 3

1864 Valley Campaign

Near this site on April 17, 1861, approximately one hundred local citizens, many of whom had just enlisted in The Staunton Artillery, met to board trains for Harper's Ferry. They were led by prominent local citizen John D. Imboden, who would remain an active figure throughout the war during which he served as a Confederate General.

This neighborhood was the commercial heart of Staunton, with numerous warehouses and factories located close to the railroad station of the Virginia Central Railroad. Staunton served as an important supply center, providing a vital link between the Shenandoah Valley – “The Breadbasket of the Confederacy” – and Richmond, the Capital of the Confederate States, and other points east. In June 1864, Union Gen. David H. Hunter’s troops destroyed the station and area factories, foundries, stables, warehouses and mills as well as one of two newspaper offices. The newspaper which survived did so because the publisher had hidden the presses, which he was able to use to publish his newspaper within hours after the departure of Hunter and his troops.

While in Staunton, Hunter’s headquarters was located in the Virginia Hotel which stood nearby on New Street. The Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind, which survives in Staunton, served as a military hospital for the duration of the Civil War.

Directly across from the railroad station stands the old American Hotel, built in 1854 by the Virginia Central Railroad. A leading hostelry for many years, notable guests included the reconstruction Governor of Virginia Francis Harrison Pierpont in July 1866 and Confederate Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard in 1874. In June 1874, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife were serenaded by Staunton’s Stonewall Brigade Band from the front of the hotel when their train passed through town. The band would later perform in Grant’s funeral procession in New York City and again at the dedication ceremonies for Grant’s Tomb. This unexpected kinship began when Grant made an exception by allowing the Stonewall Brigade Band to keep their instruments at the surrender at Appomattox. It is the nation’s oldest, continuously performing band which receives municipal support.
Type of site: Transportation Route or Facility

Address:
1 Middlebrook Avenue
Staunton , VA USA
24401


Admission Charged: No Charge

Website: [Web Link]

Driving Directions:
One block south of the courthouse on Middlebrook Avenue.


Phone Number: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Post a picture of site showing the signage or other notable feature. Please tell what you saw or learned.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Civil War Discovery Trail Sites
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.