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Martinsburg in Berkeley County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
 

Civil War Martinsburg

Focus of Contention

 
 
Civil War Martinsburg Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Don Morfe, July 30, 2012
1. Civil War Martinsburg Marker
Inscription. Martinsburg, strategically located on the Valley Turnpike (present day U.S. Route 11) and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was a major transportation center and the northern gateway to the Shenandoah Valley. Both sides contested for it frequently during the war, and it changed hands many times.

In 1861, from late in May through June, Col. Thomas J. Jackson and his volunteers shut down the railroad, burning bridges and rolling stock. Jackson was here again in October 1862, and on his orders the roundhouse and other buildings were destroyed.

Here in the corner of Martinsburg, the courthouse and other buildings around the square are closely associated with the war. The Berkeley County Courthouse served as headquarters for the provost marshal after Union Gen. Robert Patterson’s army occupied the town on July 3, 1861. Pennsylvania soldiers scribbled in the court record books during the occupation. Belle Boyd, the famous Southern spy, later claimed that she was confined in the courthouse overnight after killing a Federal soldier who invaded her home on Queen Street and insulted her mother. In March 1862, Union forces again occupied Martinsburg and established headquarters in the courthouse. Charles J. Faulkner, U.S. minister to France when the war began and later a member of Jackson’s staff, described seeing the county
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records loaded on wagons to be taken to Winchester for safekeeping. Faulkner’s home, Boydville, was constructed about 1812 for his father-in-law and still stands nearby. Rear Admiral Charles Boarman, a veteran of both the War of 1812 and the Civil War, lived at 208 South Queen Street, located on the square. During Confederate Gen. Jubal A. Early’s Washington raid, part of his army occupied Martinsburg in July 1864.
 
Erected by West Virginia Civil War Trails.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the West Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1862.
 
Location. 39° 27.377′ N, 77° 57.847′ W. Marker is in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in Berkeley County. Marker is at the intersection of East King Street (U.S. 11) and South Queen Street (State Highway 45) on East King Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Martinsburg WV 25401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Welcome to the City of Martinsburg (within shouting distance of this marker); Boarman House (within shouting distance of this marker); Avenue of Flags Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); St. Joseph's Catholic Church (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line);
Civil War Martinsburg Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Don Morfe, July 30, 2012
2. Civil War Martinsburg Marker
Market House (about 500 feet away); Girlhood Home of Belle Boyd (about 600 feet away); 224 - 226 West King Street (about 600 feet away); Old Methodist Church (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Martinsburg.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 28, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 22, 2012, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,432 times since then and 41 times this year. Last updated on February 27, 2021, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos:   1. submitted on August 22, 2012, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland.   2. submitted on August 28, 2012, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 19, 2024