Cross Keys in Rockingham County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Cross Keys Battlefield
Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 29, 2026
1. Cross Keys Battlefield Marker
"The musketry was heard in volleys, telling of fearful havoc, slaughter and bloodshed."
- Charles H. Webb
New York Times correspondent at the Battle of Cross Keys
The 1862 Valley Campaign
In the spring of 1862, in the second year of the Civil War, a massive Union army was advancing on the Confederate capital of Richmond. By unleashing a vigorous offensive in the Shenandoah Valley, Confederate high command sought to draw Federal troops away from Richmond.
After a tactical setback at First Kernstown (March 23), Jackson defeated Union forces at McDowell (May 8), Front Royal (May 23) and First Winchester (May 25). With his army narrowly escaping a trap near Strasburg, Confederate Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson withdrew south, followed by two Union forces, one under Gen. John Fremont on the west side of Massanutten Mountain, the other under Gen. James Shields on the east. Reaching Harrisonburg - where Jackson's cavalry commander, Gen. Turner Ashby, was killed in a small action on June 6 - Jackson marched towards Port Republic and its strategic river crossings, leaving Gen. Richard Ewell's division to block Fremont
this page online
The Battle of Cross Keys (June 8, 1862)
When Fremont's Federals arrived at Cross Keys on the morning of June 8, Ewell placed the Confederate defenders on the high ground of Mill Creek Ridge. The fighting began with skirmishing at Union Church and a thunderous two-hour artillery duel.
Fremont then ordered an assault on the Confederate right, but only a single regiment - the 8th New York Infantry - made the attack. The ill-fated Federals walked into a point-blank ambush by Gen. Isaac Trimble's Confederate brigade, where volleys of fire decimated the attackers in what became known as "The Slaughter of the 8th New York." Trimble followed up with aggressive counterattacks that threatened the Union flank. Although Union Gen. Robert Milroy made promising progress in an attack on Mill Creek Ridge, the unnerved Fremont ordered a general withdrawal. Darkness soon ended the fighting, with the Confederates holding the field and the two Union armies still separated.
Jackson was now free to focus his attention on Shields' Union force at Port Republic the next day, where a hard-fought Confederate victory would bring a triumphant
Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 29, 2026
2. Cross Keys Battlefield Marker
The Slaughter of the 8th New York marker is on the right.
June 8, 1862
Union Commander - Gen. John Fremont
Confederate Commander - Gen. Richard Ewell
Forces Engaged
11,500 Union - 5,800 Confederate
Estimated Casualties
664 Union - 287 Confederate
Result
Confederate Victory
(Captions):
Watercolor illustration of the attack of the 8th New York by eyewitness Pvt. Henry Berckhoff of the 8th New York.
Gilder Lehman Collection.
Gen. John Fremont
Gen. Richard Ewell
Erected 2026 by Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1862.
Location. 38° 20.88′ N, 78° 49.562′ W. Marker is in Cross Keys, Virginia, in Rockingham County. It is on Port Republic Road (Virginia Route 253) 0.1 miles north of Battlefield Road ( Route 679), on the right when traveling north. Marker is located at the trailhead for "The Attack of the 8th New York Trail" which begins at a small parking area along Port Republic Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Port Republic VA 24471, 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 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: The Battlefields Today (here, next to this marker); Visiting the Battlefields (here, next to this marker); The Slaughter of the 8th New York (a few steps from this marker); Lying in Wait (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Cross Keys Battlefield (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Confederate Barrage (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Attack's Aftermath (approx. 0.2 miles away); Death in the Clover (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cross Keys.
Other markers no longer nearby. Battle of Cross Keys (was about 700 feet away but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named Battle of Cross Keys (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing); a different marker also named Battle of Cross Keys (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing); a different marker also named Battle of Cross Keys (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on September 5, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2026, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 5, 2026, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.
