Fisher's Hill Battlefield

Fisher's Hill Battlefield. Veteran's Picnic Grounds. , Soon after the end of the Civil War, veterans on both sides began holding reunions to walk the familiar battlegrounds and renew friendships with former comrades. Here at Fisher's Hill, veterans of the battle fought on September 22, 1864, started gathering in the 1880s to commemorate their war experiences. Local veterans and others purchased portions of the battlefield land to hold annual picnics. Over the years, hundreds and then thousands of Northern and Southern veterans attended with their families and friends. Participants from outside the local area took trains to nearby Strasburg, or to Staunton, 80 miles south, then journeyed here to the reunion each August. At their peak of popularity, these reunions often attracted 9,000-10,000 people. Here at Fisher's Hill there was a steam-powered merry-go-round as well as barbeque pits and picnic areas. National and state dignitaries often spoke at the reunions., Such gatherings of veterans served several purposes, including battlefield preservation as well as opportunities to reminisce. Veteran's organizations, ladies' commemoration and memorialization societies, and other such groups were active in finding and laying to rest soldiers' remains dedicating and maintaining cemeteries, purchasing battlefield land, marking key sites with monuments, and honoring the service and valor of Civil War soldiers on both sides., (caption) Photographs from period magazines depict the festive and community nature of the picnic.