STOP 5
Battlefield Park

 

Drive north from the picnic area .5 mile to the gate to New Market Battlefield Park. En route, at .2 mile, notice the unpainted outbuilding and the nearby green mileage marker on the east side of the interstate. These are on a line with von Kleiser's first position, which you visited earlier. The 18th Connecticut and 123d Ohio briefly formed a line along this area and delayed the Confederate advance. First Lieutenant Charles M. Keyes recorded,

. . . slowly we began to retire-taking our cannon back through a cedar thicket, our pathway marked with the blood of our braves. As they appeared over the eminence we had lately occupied, they poured in upon us such a storm of shot and shell, so thick that the very air seemed alive with bullets. On passing through here on our way up the valley a month later, we examined this spot, and found scarce a tree or bush unmarked, showing that the fire at this point must have been severe indeed.

On the crest of the hill beyond another stand was made, which checked their advance for a short time, but soon we were again compelled to fall back, this time pretty badly shattered. Major Kellogg, commanding the regiment, had his horse shot from under him and received quite a severe wound himself. He, however, was supplied with another horse by the officer commanding a battery near at hand, and again rallying his command, which fell back in good order.

Continue .3 mile to the museum gate. You can turn west .2 mile to the museum and visit that now, or continue .15 mile straight ahead to the white Bushong House and visit the museum at the end of your tour. Park in the space available adjacent to the Bushong House.

The next part of the tour will consist of a 1.2-mile walk around the final battle area. Before starting this, a tour of the Bushong House and its grounds would be of interest.

Bushong House. The Bushong family migrated in 1731 from Switzerland to Pennsylvania and were established in the New Market area by about 1810. The main house, open to visitors today, was built about 1825. The family endured the engagement in the house, taking refuge in the ground floor kitchen, and after the battle both house and barn were temporary hospitals. The family's kindness toward Federal wounded led to their outbuildings' being spared during the later Federal "burning." Acquired by VMI alumnus George R. Collins in 1944, the property was bequeathed to the Virginia Military Institute in 1964 to become the nucleus of the battlefield park.

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page created 20 December 1999

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