Bolivar in Jefferson County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
Protecting the Supply Lines
"…make all the valleys south of the Baltimore and Ohio [rail]road a desert as high up as possible…so that crows flying over it [Virginia] for the balance of the season will have to carry their provisions with them."
Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, USA
July 17, 1864
Securing Harpers Ferry as a supply base was essential during Union Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign in the Fall of 1864. In front of you are the weathered remains of Battery #1 overlooking the mouth of the Shenandoah Valley. These fortifications built by Sheridan were never attacked by the Confederates.
Union wagons became favorite targets of Confederate cavalry once beyond the safety of Bolivar Heights. Despite harassment from Lt. Col. John S. Mosby's Rebel raiders, Sheridan successfully defeated Lt. Gen. Jubal Early's Confederate army in the Shenandoah Valley in four major battles from September 19 through October 19, 1864.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1765.
Location. 39° 19.163′ N, 77°
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fortifying Bolivar Heights (approx. 0.2 miles away); Jackson at Harpers Ferry (approx. 0.2 miles away); Confederate Victory (approx. ¼ mile away); A Union Predicament (approx. ¼ mile away); Casualties of War (approx. ¼ mile away); The First Line of Defense: The Union Skirmish Line (approx. ¼ mile away); A Position Strong by Nature (approx. 0.3 miles away); Rats in a Cage (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bolivar.
More about this marker. On the left side is a map showing the operations in the Shenandoah Valley in 1864. "Harpers Ferry's strategic location made it an important Union supply depot in 1864." In the lower center a drawing shows "A United States Armory building used for quartermaster's stores for Sheridan's army, as sketched by Civil War illustrator A.R. Waud." On the upper right is a painting of an "Attack on Sheridan's supply train at Berryville, Virginia."
Credits. This page was last revised on May 21, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 13, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,233 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 21, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
