Miller's Mill

The brick house at Miller's Mill marks the farthest advance of the Confederate army

NPS/A. Mazzucco

Quick Facts

Location:

Middletown, Virginia

Significance:

Part of Cedar Creek Battlefield

OPEN TO PUBLIC:

No

MANAGED BY:

Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation

Amenities

2 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto

The property on the Meadow Brook was an active and important merchant's grist mill through the 19th century. The millers' brick house marks the farthest advance of the Confederate army. Gen. Early formed his line along Miller Lane, modern Cougill Road. Early believed by this time that the Confederates had won the battle. His "fatal halt" would haunt him— and military historians— for years to come. 

The mill no longer stands but the miller's residence does. Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation is working to preserve the brick house and surrounding property. It is not open to the public.

• Stop 7: Miller's Mill

  Video Player is loading.

  Play Video

  Play

  Mute

  Current Time 0:00

  /

  Duration -:-

  Loaded: 0%

  0:00

  Stream Type LIVE

  Seek to live, currently behind liveLIVE

  Remaining Time --:-

   

  1x

  Playback Rate

  Chapters

  • Chapters

  Descriptions

  • descriptions off, selected

  Captions

  • captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
  • captions off, selected

  Audio Track

  Picture-in-PictureDownload Original (0)Audio File Info

  This is a modal window.

  The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.

  Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

  Text

  ColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-Transparent

  Background

  ColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparent

  Window

  ColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaque

  Font Size

  50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%

  Text Edge Style

  NoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadow

  Font Family

  Proportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall Caps

  Reset restore all settings to the default valuesDone

  Close Modal Dialog

  End of dialog window.

  
  

  The millers' brick house marks the farthest advance of the Confederate army. Gen. Early formed his line along Miller Lane, modern Cougill Road.

  Credit / Author:

  NPS

  Date created:

  01/01/2021

  Audio Transcript

  We are now located at stop #7 on the auto tour, this is called Miller’s Lane. Named after the Miller house, a battle witness structure located just behind me, and the Miller Mill, all owned by Mr. Miller. The mill was located across the road over here to your left and no longer exists. The house which still exists in the woods and bushes behind me is privately owned. You are looking west right now, and we are standing along what is today called Cougill Lane or Cougill Road. Back then it was known as the Miller Lane named after the Miller’s. And this marks the final Confederate line, or at least part of the final Confederate line on the morning of the battle. Around 10:30 after the Confederates pushed out to this area. Around that same time as the Confederate advance finally halted, and the Confederates were beginning to reorganize their lines, discovering as we discussed at stop #6, that up to a third of the men were back looting the Union camps, another controversy occurred in the Confederate army. And that would go down as the Fatal Halt. General Gordon, second in command of the Confederate army, was arguing with Jubal Early, the top commander, that they should be pushing forward, moving north to your right because that is where the Union army is rallying, about a mile to our north. And they should push the Union army off the battlefield. Gordon is arguing that the battle is not over, the Union army is not defeated, and that they should push on. Early, however, is saying we have done enough for one day, the Confederates are too disorganized, remember all those Confederates are looting and as far as he was concerned the Union army was done. At this point, the Confederacy captured over 1,000 Union prisoners and 24 cannon. Early figured the best the Union army could do, since they were so badly defeated was retreat to Winchester their main base of operations about 15 miles to the north. As far as Early was concerned this battle was over. So he would gather in his captured spoils, wait till nightfall. He had won the great victory that Lee had hoped for in the Valley and would retreat under the cover of darkness. This controversy would go down again as the Fatal Halt. While they were arguing they suddenly hear cheering off in the distance off in along the Union lines. And this would involve one of the most famous incidents in the entire battle. And that incident we will discuss at our next stop, stop 8.