Stories

In spring of 1862, Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson unleashed a vigorous offensive that diverted thousands of Federal troops from their massive advance against the Confederate capital at Richmond.

In 1864, with US Gen. Ulysses Grant's army bogged down in front of Petersburg, Virginia, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee sought to take advantage. He ordered Gen. Jubal Early, in command of 14,000 soldiers, to launch a bold raid on the north.

After Jubal Early's raid into Maryland in 1864, President Lincoln appointed young Philip Sheridan to command the US Army in the Shenandoah Valley. Sheridan understood that Lincoln's reelection in November depended on winning battles.

The U.S. Army's dramatic burning of the countryside in the autumn of 1864, brought Valley residents the harshest realities of war.

"From Backcountry to Breadbasket to Battlefield and Beyond" introduces the varied historical themes that make up Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, and offers a look at the exhibit of the same name on display at the park's visitor center.

On October 19th General Jubal Early’s Confederates launched a predawn attack here at Cedar Creek and drove Union troops out of their lines and through Middletown in disarray. Union General Philip Sheridan, however, rallied his troops and turned the Confederate victory into a total defeat.

After Hunter's loss and retreat from Lynchburg, Early’s instructions from Lee were to invade Maryland, destroy the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, and threaten or even take Washington, D.C.

The Shenandoah Valley was a natural "avenue of advance" for Gen. Robert E. Lee's 1863 invasion of the Northern states, and the Battle of Gettysburg.

Belle Grove Plantation relied on the labor of over 100 enslaved people during its peak as one of the largest farms in Frederick County, Virginia. They worked in the main house, extensive grain fields, and as skilled craftsmen. On several occasions, African Americans enslaved at Belle Grove took steps to attain their own freedom. Whether through escape, purchase by loved ones, or manumission, their stories are important to understanding the history of the plantation.

In 1799, Isaac Hite, Jr. commissioned seven portraits of members of his family. These portraits preserved the family's likenesses before photography was common. They also showed the family's values and concerns. The portraits made strong political statements.

Solomon Heater was from Loudoun County, Virginia, and supported his native state. Caroline was born and raised in Pennsylvania and supported the Union.

During 2024 scouting for a large eastern grassland restoration project funded by IRA and BIL, several old growth remnant grasslands were identified in National Capital and Northeast Region parks that were previously unknown. These remnants preserve the genetic integrity of the original grassland flora of the eastern US and are true unexpected treasures that in some cases, were hidden in plain sight.

The National Park Service will restore up to 4,000 acres of agricultural fields and degraded lands across 37 parks in 15 states. This landscape-scale restoration project will expand the range and connectivity of native grasslands across the eastern US, restore biodiversity and critical ecosystem functions, reduce pesticide use, benefit people and wildlife, and create employment opportunities for diverse early career youth.

View recipients of the National Park Service Freeman Tilden Awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to the practice of interpretation and education by NPS employees.

Born enslaved, James Foster did additional work as a shoemaker to earn wages and support his free family. When his property was taken by Federal soldiers before the 1864 Battle of Cedar Creek, he filed paperwork for repayment. This paperwork tells the story of a Unionist family caught between freedom and slavery in the Shenandoah Valley.

Sheridan marched his Army of the Shenandoah south, reaching Berryville on September 3, 1864. Confederates found them pitching camp and attacked with limited results. During the night, Early brought up his entire army but by daylight found the Federal position too strongly entrenched to attack. Early withdrew after dark on September 4 to Winchester.