Sterling in Loudoun County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Guilford Signal Station
Tracking the Confederates
— Gettysburg Campaign —
During the Civil War, signal stations served as early warning posts, observation points, and communication centers. On June 19, 1863, 10,000—15,000 Union troops commanded by Gen. John Fullerton Reynolds, I Corps, Army of the Potomac, marched along the Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad from Herndon here to Guilford Station. Reynolds made his headquarters at the Lanesville house, erected a signal station on the northwestern portion of the property—at 442 feet, one of the highest points between Washington, D.C. and Leesburg—and ran a telegraph wire to Fairfax Court House. The signal officer here constantly communicated with nearby signal stations attempting to locate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Gunfire echoed from the west as Confederate cavalry chief Gen. J.E.B. Stuart screened Lee’s infantry from probing Federal cavalry at Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville. Lee slipped through the Blue Ridge Mountain gaps to the safety of the Shenandoah Valley, but the U.S. Signal Corps nonetheless detected him as he began his second invasion of the North. On June 24, Reynolds’ corps decamped in pursuit. The two armies met on July
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To reach the Guilford Signal Station site, follow the Little Stoney Mountain Trail (the White-Blazed Trail) behind the Visitor Center. Reynolds’ headquarters still stands to the east just off the old Vestal’s Gap Road.
Erected by 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 Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 19, 1863.
Location. 39° 1.146′ N, 77° 24.231′ W. Marker is in Sterling, Virginia, in Loudoun County. Marker can be reached from Old Vestal's Gap Road. The marker is in the Claude Moore Park, of the Loudoun County Parks System. From VA 7, go South on Cascades Parkway, VA 637. Turn left onto Old Vestal's Gap Road, the park entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 21544 Old Vestal's Gap Road, Sterling VA 20164, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Braddock Campaign (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Vestal's Gap Road (about 400 feet away); Lanesville Historic Area (about 500 feet away); Lanesville House and Vestal's Gap Road (about 500 feet away); Lanesville Architecture
Photographed By Craig Swain, April 6, 2007
2. Guilford Signal Station Marker
This is a previous iteration of the marker. While the formatting is different, the information is identical.
More about this marker. The marker displays photographs of Gen. Reynolds and a typical signal station of the Civil War. One large map details Civil War Trails marker locations associated with the early phases of the Gettysburg campaign. A smaller map displays the trail up to the signal station site.
Regarding Guilford Signal Station. The view from the signal station site mentioned on the marker is worth the short walk. From there on a clear day Sugarloaf Mountain, MD and Point of Rocks are clearly visible, along with the Catoctin Mountains, Leesburg, and the Potomac River crossings. The signal platform afforded the operators a view to the South also, with the Bull Run Mountains and Manassas Junction in view.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown.
Photographed By Craig Swain, June 6, 2007
4. Claude Moore Park Visitor's Center
Photographed By Craig Swain, June 6, 2007
5. View from the site of Guilford Signal Station
The tall mountain in the distance is Sugarloaf Mountain in Maryland. There another set of signal stations observed movement on the Maryland side, and provided Union commanders a communications network during the early stages of the Gettysburg campaign.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 15, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 6, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 5,112 times since then and 183 times this year. Last updated on August 15, 2022, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1. submitted on December 30, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on June 6, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 3. submitted on December 30, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4, 5. submitted on June 6, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
