Monterey in Highland County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Monterey
Headquarters Town
Monterey, the seat of Highland County government, also served as the headquarters for Confederate and Union forces at different times during the Civil War. Confederate Gen. Henry R. Jackson, who led a brigade under Gen. Robert E. Lee during the First Campaign (or Mountain Campaign) of 1861, established his headquarters here. In the winter of 1861-1862, skirmishes occurred across the county as the no-man's-land between the armies shifted from the Allegheny Mountains on today's state line to West View in Augusta County.
On April 6, 1862, Union Gen. Robert H. Milroy and his forces occupied Monterey, and Milroy used the Osborne Wilson-Fenn House on Main Street as his headquarters. The town remained in Federal hands until after the Battle of McDowell on May 8, 1862, near the beginning of Confederate Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's Shenandoah Valley Campaign.
Many western Virginians were ambivalent about choosing sides. Highland County's government waited until June 1862, after Jackson's success in driving the Federals from the Shenandoah Valley, to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.
Erected by Virginia
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Political Subdivisions • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 6, 1862.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 38° 24.769′ N, 79° 34.938′ W. Marker was in Monterey, Virginia, in Highland County. It was on West Main Street (U.S. 250) just east of Spruce Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 165 W Main St, Monterey VA 24465, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, in the Alleghany Highlands, and specifically in the Potomac Highlands. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. 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
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Monterey (here, next to this marker); Walk of Honor (a few steps from this marker); Highland County Confederate Monument (a few steps from this marker); The Charles Pinckney Jones Law Office (within shouting distance of this marker); The Charles Pinckney Jones House (within shouting distance of this marker); Highland Inn (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Camp Allegheny (approx. 7.1 miles away); The Mansion House (approx. 7.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Monterey.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Town of Monterey (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. CWT Markers At This Location" original titled "Town of Monterey" and new replacement titled "Monterey".
Credits. This page was last revised on September 17, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 9, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 433 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 9, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
