Special NPS Programs to Commemorate 150th Anniversary of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign

Date: May 22, 2014

National Park Service News Release

For Immediate Release – May22, 2014

Contacts Name: ERIC CAMPBELL - [phone]

Special National Park Service Programs to Commemorate 150^th Anniversary of

the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign

Middletown, VA ----- Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, in partnership with the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, announces a series of special National Park Service "On This Day" anniversary programs to commemorate many of the battles of the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaigns.

Occurring during the summer and fall of1864, these engagements involved some of the largest and bloodiest battles ever waged in the Valley, and helped seal the Confederacy's fate, on both a local and national level.

"These programs will give visitors a chance to learn about the battles of these pivotal campaigns, not only on the battlefields themselves, but also on the actual anniversary of each," said Eric Campbell, the park's lead ranger. "While the power of place is significant, it can be magnified by the power of time.To be able to commemorate each battle on its 150^{This Day} anniversary is a one-in-a-life time opportunity."

These presentations, which commemorate the campaign, are offered in conjunction with the other events and activities organized by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, and its various partners. All of the National Park Service programs are free. The "On This Day" Anniversary tours last 90 minutes to two hours.

June 5"On This Day" Battle of Piedmont Anniversary Tour (4:00 pm)

Grand Caverns, 5 Grand Caverns Dr.,Grottoes, VA 24441. Free, but registration necessary due to space limitations.For information: [e-mail],   540-740-4545.

July 18"On This Day" Cool Spring Anniversary Tour (4:00 pm)

Meet at the gift shop at Our Lady of the Holy Cross Abbey , 901 Cool Spring Lane, Berryville, Virginia 22611.

July 20"On This Day" Battle of Rutherford's Anniversary Tour (4:00 pm)

Civil War Trails markers plaza, Rutherford Crossing Shopping Center, east of I-81 (Exit 317), Martinsburg Pike (VA Route 11), Winchester, VA 22602

July 24"On This Day" Battle of Second Kernstown Anniversary Tour (4:00pm)

Kernstown Battlefield Association, 610 Battle Park Drive,Winchester, VA 22601

August 16"On This Day" Battle of Guard Hill Anniversary Tour (4:00 pm)

Warren Heritage Society, 101 Chester Street, Front Royal, VA 22630. For information, 540-636-0702, www.warrenheritagesociety.org

September 3 "On This Day" Battle of Berryville Anniversary Tour (4:00 pm)

Clarke County Recreation Area, West Main Street, Berryville, VA 22611

September 19 Battle of Third Winchester 150^thAnniversary Ranger Station Programs (12:00 – 4:00 pm)A series of programs, presented by National Park Service Rangers, which will cover the battle chronologically.

Meet at the east end of Berryville Canyon, on the north side of Berryville Pike (VA Route 7), opposite the Frederick-Winchester Service Authority plant.

September 22 "On This Day" Battle of Fisher's Hill Anniversary Tour (4:00 On This)

Strasburg Heritage Society, Ramseur's Hill, Battlefield Road, Fisher's Hill, VA 22657

October 9 "On This Day" Battle of Tom's Brook Anniversary Tour (4:00 pm) Shenandoah County Park, 380 Park Lane,Maurertown, VA 22664

October 17SpecialNational Park Service Ranger Signal Knob Hike and Program (10:00 am – 4:00 pm)

Co-sponsored by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and Shenandoah County Parks and Recreation Department.For more information: [phone] or http://shenandoahcountyva.us/parks/

October 17-19Battleof Cedar Creek 150^th Anniversary Events and Programs

A series of special park ranger presentations, including Ranger Station programs, real-time programs and tours. Various locations throughout the battlefield, Middletown, VA 22645

October 20 Rededication of the Stephen Dodson Ramseur Monument (Time: TBA)

Belle Grove Road,Middletown, VA 22645

For details and updates, call [phone] or see: www.nps.gov/cebe.

For information on other related events contact the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation at [phone] or see: www.ShenandoahatWar.org

Additionally, a special overview program of the 1864 Valley Campaign will be offered throughout the anniversary:

* "1864Shenandoah Valley Campaign in a Box" – This special program provides an overview of the various1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaigns and battles. This interactive presentation uses the surrounding landscape features and various props (taken from a box) to "create" the Valley and place visitors "in the middle of the campaign."Great for kids and adults alike!

Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park offers a wide variety of ranger-conducted programs, which tell the park's many stories related to the rich cultural history of the Shenandoah Valley and the American Civil War. These programs are offered regularly. Check the park website (www.nps.gov/cebe) or call [phone] for more information.

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About Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park:Cedar Creek and Belle Grove commemorates a nationally significant Civil War landscape and antebellum plantation by sharing the story of Shenandoah Valley history from early settlement through the Civil War and beyond. The park is embedded within the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, a National Heritage Area.

Created on December 19, 2002, the park encompasses approximately 3,700 acres across three counties and includes the key partner sites of Belle Grove Plantation (owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and managed by Belle Grove, Inc.), Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation lands and Headquarters, Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation lands, and a developing Shenandoah County Park. The partner sites continue to be owned and operated independently.