Belle Grove served as headquarters during Battle of Cedar Creek
“Owing to its convenience to the Valley highway and its adaptability for a headquarters, Belle Grove House was seldom without a military tenant nor its grounds without an army. Dead to sentiment, ruthless war had already made a waste of these ornate grounds in which its warrior lord had once taken such pride.” (Quote by James E. Taylor, An Artist with Sheridan Up the Shenandoah in 1864)
Middletown, Virginia – A Civil War Commemoration and Living History Weekend will be celebrated on Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18 in Middletown, VA. Back in 1864, October 19th was a pivotal moment in the history of Belle Grove, and our nation. The Living History weekend coincides with the 145th anniversary re-enactment of the Battle of Belle Grove and Cedar Creek. There are already 6,000 reenactors registered to participate in the battle!
Belle Grove, one of the outstanding mansions of the Valley of Virginia, shows evidence of the cultures that came to the Valley with the early settlers. It also identifies with ideas that were shaping architecture at the time. Like other period houses built in the Valley, the design shows Thomas Jefferson’s influence from the Tidewater and Piedmont areas, and also Classical Revival elements, an architectural innovation of the day.
Don’t miss out on the Cedar Creek – Belle Grove re-enactment weekend activities:
- Tour Belle Grove’s Manor House, interpreted this weekend to the 1860’s by the Frederick Ladies Relief Society in period civilian dress.
- Witness an encampment of Confederate and Union soldier re-enactors on the lawn who demonstrate camp life and tell stories of the 1864 Civil War battle that swirled around Belle Grove.
- Meet national, state and regional historic preservation professionals and learn more about battlefield protection.
The laying of a commemorative wreath will occur on Sunday at 1 p.m. to honor the brave men who fought and died during the October 19, 1864 battle, and those who sustained them on the home front. Some call this battle the single bloodiest day in American history.
Spectator Schedule of Events (***At Activities Tent)
Saturday, October 17
9:30 - Battlefield gates open to public; Victorian Ladies Aside – Field Demonstration
10:00 – Belle Grove Plantation opens; Military and civilian living historians – Battlalion drills (Camps) – Civilian life at the Heater House
10:15 – Civil War nurses from the Union and Confederacy – Linda Estupinan-Snook***
11:00 – CS and US Calvary Demonstration
11:15 – Boys of Hope – Adams’ Battery G, 6th Rhode Island Artillery – Robert Grandchamp***
12 noon – CS Artillery Demonstration
1:00 – CS Signal Corp Demonstration
1:15 – Spectators must leave camps and return to spectator viewing area
1:30 – Loyal Hearts – Histories of American Civil War Canines – Mike Zucchero***
2:00 – Formation
3:00 – Battle of Cedar Creek – Confederate Attack
4:00 – Belle Grove Plantation closes
4:30 – Confederate Troops Pass & Review; 46th Pennsylvania Band Concert***
5:30 – Battlefield closes
Sunday, October 18
9:30 - Battlefield gates open to Public
10:00 – Church Services – Catholic Mass in Event Tent/Period Mass in U>S> Headquarters (Non-denominational in Camps). Belle Grove Plantation opens – Military and Civilian Living Historians
11:00 – US Artillery Demonstration
11:15 – Loyal Hearts – Histories of American Civil Wat=r Canines – Mike Zucchero***
12 noon – Victorian Ladies Aside – Field Demonstration
12:15 – The Legacy of Sheridan’s Ride – Jonathan Noyales***
12:45 – Formation
1:00 – Belle Grove Plantation – Memorial Wreath Laying Ceremony; spectators must leave camps and return to spectator viewing area
1:30 – Battle of Cedar Creek – Federal Counter-attack
3:00 - Union Troops Pass & Review
4:00 – Belle Grove Plantation closes
5:00 – Battlefield closes
(Schedule subject to change.)
Admissionprices to Belle Grove and Cedar Creek Battlefield Reenactment: Adult 2 Day Pass $25; Adult 1 Day Pass $20; Belle Grove, NTHP, Cedar Creek Battlefield Members and Students 2 Day Pass $15; Belle Grove, NTHP Members, Cedar Creek Battlefield Members and Students 1 Day Pass $11
Admission to Belle Grove only: $10 for adults; tickets half-price for Belle Grove, NTHP, Cedar Creek Battlefield Members, and students. Children 5 and under are free.
Belle Grove Plantation is located at 336 Belle Grove Road, in Middletown, VA 22645
Phone: (540) 869-2028
Visit the Belle Grove web site.
