Near Winchester in Frederick County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Third Battle of Winchester
Hackwood House
Photographed by Craig Swain, August 26, 2007
1. The Third Battle of Winchester Marker
Prominent Virginian John Smith was charged with guarding prisoners of war held in Winchester during the Revolutionary War. He purportedly had this stately home (in front of you) built by Hessian and British prisoners around 1777.
During the fighting at the Third Battle of Winchester, Gordon's Confederate troops formed around the Hackwood House and its outbuildings. At 3 p.m. the Union Eighth, Sixth, and Nineteenth Corps attacked. Col. Thoburn of the Eighth Corps described what happened next: "A succession of stone walls gave excellent cover to the enemy, and from behind them we received a very severe musketry fire...but we steadily advanced and beat back the enemy."
When it was over, recalled James Franklin Fitts of the 12th Connecticut, "the Rebel dead lay thickly in the fields beyond, and were piled upon each other in the yard of a large stone mansion...A ghastly row of gray-clad corpses lay along a wall, behind which some Rebel brigade had evidently found shelter; and the fields and hillsides as far as Winchester were dotted with the fallen."
Erected by Civil War Preservation Trust.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1777.
Location. Marker
this page online
We have been informed that this is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
Regionally, this marker was in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Hackwood And Patton (a few steps from this marker); In Memory of Gilcin F. Meadors III (about 500 feet away); Stuck In The Mud (about 700 feet away); Ohio (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bloody Repulse (approx. 0.2 miles away); Ten Thousand Devils (approx. 0.2 miles away); Duval's Attack (approx. 0.2 miles away); Alabama (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winchester.
Other markers no longer nearby. The Third Battle of Winchester (was here, next to this marker but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named The Third Battle of Winchester (was about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been permanently
2. Help Preserve 3rd Winchester
Details of CWPT efforts to save this battlefield.
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
More about this . On the lower left is a photograph of Hackwood House, "The fighting on September 19 left the house partially demolished. Various owners have worked to restore it to its original grandeur throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries." (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Military History Institute. Period sketch (in background) by J.E. Taylor, courtesy of the Western Reserve Historical Society.)
A portrait of General
Photographed by Craig Swain, August 26, 2007
3. The Battle Map
A map of the tactical situation between 3:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on September 19, 1864 is on the right.
Also see . . .
1. Summary of the Battle of Third Winchester. The action described on the marker falls under Phase 8 of this National Parks Service summary. (Submitted on October 26, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
2. CWPT Walking Tour of The Third Battle of Winchester. This marker is one along the walking trail around a portion of the Third Winchester Battlefield, preserved by the Civil War Preservation Trust. (Submitted on October 26, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Photographed by Craig Swain, August 26, 2007
4. Hackwood Wayside
As the Federal attack gathered momentum, between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m. Thoburn's division advanced on an axis to the left side of this view. Hayes Division advanced on the right side of this view.
Photographed by Craig Swain, August 26, 2007
5. Hackwood House Today
Photographed by Craig Swain, August 26, 2007
6. Hackwood House Photo from the Marker
Note the tents placed on the grounds just beside the house.
Photographed by Craig Swain, March 15, 2008
7. Modern View of Hackwood from the South
Compare to the photo from the marker above. The angle of this photo, from the marker location, is a bit off, but clearly several of the original outbuildings remain.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 6, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 26, 2007. This page has been viewed 2,961 times since then and 45 times this year. Last updated on November 5, 2020, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1. submitted on October 26, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on March 13, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 26, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 7. submitted on March 16, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
