Cross Keys in Rockingham County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Battle of Cross Keys
"It was not in men to stand such fire."
| | 1862 Valley Campaign | |
Photographed by Bradley Owen, July 21, 2025
1. Battle of Cross Keys Marker
"A cannon-ball came bursting through the graveyard fence."
- New York Times correspondent Charles H. Webb
Gunfire crackled out in the cemetery to your left as Confederate skirmishers from the 15th Alabama retreated through the graveyard, "frequently taking shelter behind a tomb-stone long enough to fire and load," when the Battle of Cross Keys began on June 8, 1862.
In early June 1862, during his famed Valley Campaign, Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson was chased south by two Union armies on either side of Massanutten Mountain, one led by Gen. John Fremont on the west, the other under Gen. James Shields on the east. When Jackson reached the southern end of Massanutten, he marched to nearby Port Republic to face Shields and left Gen. Richard Ewell to block Fremont here.
Ewell posted his force on Mill Creek Ridge, while Fremont deployed his men to your left, roughly parallel to Keezletown Road. Just before noon, Fremont sent a brigade to attack the Confederate right, but only one regiment, the 8th New York, made the actual assault - and they walked straight into an ambush. Confederate Gen. Isaac Trimble had moved his brigade forward and was lying in wait "ready to spring upon the unsuspecting prey." Trimble's men, including the 15th Alabama, unleashed a "sheet of fire" that decimated the
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As Trimble advanced and pressured the northerners, additional Union attacks across the ground in front of you made little progress. Fremont pulled back, bringing the battle to a close. Jackson would fight and win the final battle of the campaign at Port Republic the next day.
(Caption):
Fremont deploying to attack. Courtesy Library of Congress
Erected 2025 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 Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 8, 1862.
Location. 38° 21.473′ N, 78° 50.484′ W. Marker is in Cross Keys, Virginia, in Rockingham County. It is on Battlefield Road (Virginia Route 679) 0.1 miles south of Cross Keys Road ( Route 276), on the right when traveling south. Marker is located on the south side of the Cross Keys Mill Creek Ruritan National building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5094 Battlefield Road, Mount Crawford VA 22841, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds 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 marker: Milroy Moves Forward (a few steps from this marker); Fighting in the Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker
Photographed by Bradley Owen, July 21, 2025
2. Battle of Cross Keys Marker
Other markers no longer nearby. The Battle of Cross Keys (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Armies Brace for Battle (was approx. 0.8 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Photographed by Bradley Owen, July 21, 2025
3. Battle of Cross Keys Marker
The marker is on the left with the cemetery mentioned on the marker at the far left.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 29, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 133 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 29, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.
