Other Sites

Martinsburg

Visitor information at 115 N. Queen St., or call 800-498-2386.

Belle Boyd House
229-A E Martin St
304-267-4713
Restored home of the famous Confederate spy and several area museums, including the Boyd Mason Civil War Museum with much on Lower Valley sites. Gift shop and Civil War information here. Open five days a week beginning in mid-April, 10 am–4 pm (closed Sunday and Wednesday). Call for winter hours. Free.

Martinsburg Roundhouse
100 E. Liberty St.
304-260-4141, www.martinsburgroundhouse.com
This site, an important repair facility on the B&O Railroad, was an attractive target for the Confederate military throughout the war. The current roundhouse dates from 1866 (it was burned during the war) but retains some of its Civil War features. It’s currently undergoing restoration. A Civil War Trails sign is located “above” the site at the end of Race Street near the Belle Boyd House.
    Visitors are welcome 9 am–4 pm Tuesday–Thursday (call first). $5. For specific directions and more information, visit the website.

Shepherdstown and Area

A popular Potomac River crossing during the war, the fords near here were used often, especially by Confederates on their forays into Maryland. Lee's army crossed back into Virginia just east of here at Boteler's Ford following the battle of Antietam in September 1862. Fighting broke out Sept. 19–20 as Union forces struck Lee's rear guard. (Stop at the Antietam National Battlefield visitor center for driving tour information about that event.)

The old town section appears little changed since the 19th century and is a real treat. Elmwood Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 250 Confederate soldiers including Henry Kyd Douglas, a member of Stonewall Jackson's staff. It's located on Duke Street just south of downtown. Visitor Center located at 102 E. German St.

The following are marked with Civil War Trails signs and are included on the Maryland Antietam Campaign Trail map:

Shepherdstown in the Civil War
Trails signs in front of the college administration building on German Street
    Following the battles at South Mountain (Sept. 14, 1862) and Antietam (Sept. 17, 1862), nearly the entire town was turned into a hospital. Private homes, public buildings and even barns were used to house thousands of the hurt, straining the resources of the town.

Molar's Crossroads
Trails signs at intersection of Bakerton and Knott Roads south of Shepherdstown
    Confederate Gen. A.P. Hill's 3,000-man division passed by here en route from Harpers Ferry to the battlefield at Antietam. Hill ended his 17-mile march just in time, coming out at the critical part of the battlefield late Sept. 17, 1862, probably saving the day for Lee's army.

More sites

Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park
Near Summersville, entrance 6 miles from U.S. Route 19
The Patterson House Museum is open seasonally. 304-872-0825.
    Federal troops pushed Confederates from their fortifications here Sept. 10, 1861. This battle, coupled with lack of success at Cheat Mountain to the east, ended Confederate efforts to regain control of the western part of Virginia. A number of interpreted trails, some overlooking the Gauley River, are available for hikers.

Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park
15 miles south of Marlinton, entrance off Route 219
304-653-4254
    Site of the last significant Civil War battle in West Virginia, Nov. 6, 1863, as Federal troops moved to disrupt the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad to the south. The Confederate defenders here eventually were overwhelmed and retreated into Virginia. A museum and trails interpret the action.

Battle of Lewisburg
800-833-2068
    Fighting raged in this 18th-century town May 23, 1862, as Union troops moved to cut communications between Virginia and Tennessee. Annual reenactment and living history weekend held near the historic date of the battle.
    Three walking tour brochures cover the town's Civil War history and are available free at the visitor center open 9 am-5 pm Monday-Friday and 10 am-4 pm Saturday. Also open Sundays May-December noon-4 pm.

Fort Hill Ridge
2 miles west of Romney on US 50
    Interpreted trail winds through this well-preserved fort commanding the Northwestern Turnpike (now Route 50). Confederates earlier used this position to defend the approaches to Romney, Union soldiers built the existing fort in 1863.

Fort Mulligan
Off Route 28 in Petersburg behind the Fort Hill Motel
    Both sides occupied this hill, a strong point for the defense of or raids on the B&O Railroad and the area's coal resources. A quarter-mile interpreted trail takes visitors through the well-preserved fort, built by Union troops in 1863.