Ashland in Hanover County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Ashland
The War Years
| | Lee vs. Grant The 1864 Campaign | |
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 4, 2008
1. Ashland Marker
In the summer of 1861, hundreds of volunteers from across Virginia camped at the racecourse where they received their first military instruction During 1862, homes and churches filled with battle casualties; more than 400 soldiers died in these makeshift hospitals. Union raiders frequently ripped up railroad track and burned nearby bridges.
In May 1863, the funeral train carrying Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jacksons body stopped here on its way to Richmond. A year later, part of Lees weary army marched southward along these tracks. One veteran recalled that they “marched in such deep silence that a man with his eyes shut would only have known that anyone was on the road by the occasional rattle of a canteen.” Places like the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and North Anna lay behind them. Totopotomoy Creek, Cold Harbor, Petersburg and ten more months of war lay ahead.
Erected by Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars
this page online
Location. 37° 45.585′ N, 77° 28.868′ W. Marker is in Ashland, Virginia, in Hanover County. It is on North Center Street north of England Street (Virginia Route 54), on the right when traveling south. It is at the Ashland Amtrak Station / Visitors Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ashland VA 23005, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont, in Central Virginia, and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area. 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: Railroad Company Sees Potential For A Town Among The Slash Pines (within shouting distance of this marker); Porters: the Unsung Heroes of Rail Travel (within shouting distance of this marker); Secretariat: America's Super Horse and Virginia's Pride (within shouting distance of this marker); Randolph-Macon College (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Blanton House (about 500 feet away); Bringing up the Rear (about 500 feet away); Downtown Business Growth Fuels Ashland Expansion (about 600 feet away); Railroad Lays Track from Richmond to Washington (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ashland.
More about this marker. On the upper left is “a prewar
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 4, 2008
2. Detail of Marker
“The situation May 27-30, 1864. On May 26, 1864, Grant decided bypass the formidable Confederate position on the North Anna by sliding to his left, trying to get between Lees army and Richmond. Lees army marching hard in response, passed through Ashland and met Grant on the Totopotomoy Creek, twelve miles from here.”
Additional keywords. Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad (RF&P)
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 4, 2008
3. Ashland Marker
Even if the Visitors center is closed, this is a great spot to take a break and watch the trains roll by. There are benches and a picnic table under these two trees shading the north side of the Amtrak station.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 4, 2008
4. Ashland Station and Marker
The Henry Clay Inn Bed & Breakfast can be glimpsed on the far right of this photograph across Center Street from the station.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on June 7, 2008, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,233 times since then and 70 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 7, 2008, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
