Near Dayton in Rockingham County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Daniel Bowman Mill at Silver Lake
Shenandoah Valley Mills
Sheridan ordered his men to burn only barns and mills that contained grain or forage. Those that were empty were to be left alone, and those belonging to widows, single women, or orphans were to be spared. Between September 26 and October 8, Union soldiers destroyed barns, mills, and crops in the fields. Thousands of head of livestock were either slaughtered or driven away. Tanneries, woolen factories, sawmills, furnaces , and foundries were leveled. In Rockingham County, one of the ten most prosperous agricultural counties in America before the war, 35 mills were destroyed during this dark period including the Daniel Bowman Mill.
Erected by Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation & Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is September 26, 1864.
Location. 38° 25.294′ N, 78° 56.457′ W. Marker is near Dayton, Virginia, in Rockingham County. Marker is at the intersection of Silver Lake Road (County Route 701) and Linhoss Road, on the left when traveling north on Silver Lake Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2328 Silver Lake Road, Dayton VA 22821, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. First Church in Rockingham County (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Silver Lake Historic District (about 600 feet away); Shenandoah College and Shenandoah Conservatory of Music (approx. 0.3 miles away); Fort Harrison (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lt. Col. Thomas F. Wildes (approx. 0.4 miles away); Dayton (approx. 0.6 miles away); Origins of Shenandoah University (approx. 0.9 miles away); Death of Lt. Meigs (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dayton.
More about this marker. On the left is a portrait of Gen. Sheridan. In the center is a sketch of the Samuel Cline mill burning, northern Rockingham County, courtesy Western Reserve Library. On the right is a photo of a mill, captioned: A few decades after the first 18th-century settlers cleared the Shenandoah Valley fields for corn, wheat, and other grains, wheat became the dominant cash crop here. Mills were constructed on almost every stream to harness water power for grinding wheat and corn for local trade as well as for shipment around the world. The mills were also community gathering centers where news was exchanged and other business conducted. Photo courtesy Western Reserve Library.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2019. It was originally submitted on February 26, 2009, by Robert H. Moore, II of Winchester, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,794 times since then and 61 times this year. Last updated on January 31, 2019, by Stanley H. Farthing of Dayton, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 26, 2009, by Robert H. Moore, II of Winchester, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.