Historical Markers and War Memorials in Bolivar, West Virginia
Charles Town is the county seat for Jefferson County
Bolivar is in Jefferson County
Jefferson County(349) ► ADJACENT TO JEFFERSON COUNTY Berkeley County(107) ► Washington County, Maryland(875) ► Clarke County, Virginia(75) ► Frederick County, Virginia(231) ► Loudoun County, Virginia(345) ►
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After an exhausting night of dragging 20 cannon along the river and up the ravines to this site on Chambers (Murphy) Farm, General A.P. Hill and his 3,500 men sprang their trap on the unsuspecting Union army. Before dawn on the last day of the . . . — — Map (db m5894) HM
On Bakerton Road (County Route 27), on the right when traveling north.
On the dark, moonless night of September 14, 1862, 100 men from the 126th New York Regiment established a skirmish line here. These men were new to the war, having only been in uniform for a few short weeks. After surviving a terrifying afternoon . . . — — Map (db m5397) HM
Near Murphy Road, on the right when traveling south.
In it really began the Civil War. Here was lighted the torch of liberty for all America… For you this is the most hallowed shrine in this country. Henry McDonald, Storer College president
The foundations in front . . . — — Map (db m8318) HM
Near Bakerton Road (County Route 27), on the right when traveling north.
In 1862 Union Colonel Dixon Miles thought that the ridge in front of you, Bolivar Heights, was the perfect place to defend Harpers Ferry. However, in September of '62, Colonel Miles and 14,000 Union soldiers found themselves surrounded by 24,000 . . . — — Map (db m155728) HM
Near Shenandoah Street, on the right when traveling north.
"Do all you can to annoy the rebels should they advance on you...You will not abandon Harpers Ferry without defending it to the last extremity." Maj. Gen. John G. Wool, USA Telegraph message to Col. Dixon S. Miles, USA September 7, 1862 The . . . — — Map (db m19005) HM
Near Whitman Avenue, 0.2 miles north of West Washington Street (Alternate U.S. 340), on the left when traveling north.
"Do all you can to annoy the rebels should they advance on you...You will not abandon Harpers Ferry without defending it to the last extremity." Maj. Gen. John G. Wool, USA Telegraph message to Col. Dixon S. Miles, USA September 7, 1862 The . . . — — Map (db m148869) HM
On Allstadt Hill Road, 0.2 miles north of Millville Road (County Route 27), on the left when traveling north.
The Allstadt House and Ordinary was the home of John H. Allstadt. On the evening of October 16, 1859, John Brown and his "army" of would-be slave liberators launched their attack on Harpers Ferry from Kennedy Farm just across the Potomac River in . . . — — Map (db m145216) HM
On April 18, 1861 Confederate volunteers occupied these heights. The threat prompted Lt. Roger Jones, in command at Harpers Ferry, to set fire to the armory and arsenal buildings destroying thousands of muskets needed by the Confederacy. — — Map (db m5866) HM
On Bakerton Road (County Route 27), on the right when traveling south.
Never had "Stonewall" Jackson faced a stronger enemy position. Arriving here on Schoolhouse Ridge on the first day of the battle, Jackson scanned Bolivar Heights (the lower ridge in front of you) and saw a dangerous enemy - 7,000 Union infantry and . . . — — Map (db m168601) HM
On Bakerton Road (County Route 27), on the right when traveling south.
Battle of Harpers Ferry
Invasion rocked the United States during the second year of the American Civil War. In September 1862 Confederate General Robert E. Lee launched his army into Maryland - the North. Lee's first target became Harpers . . . — — Map (db m229766) HM
On Prospect Avenue (County Road 27/1) at Whitman Avenue, on the left when traveling north on Prospect Avenue.
Battle of Harpers Ferry
Invasion rocked the United States during the second year of the American Civil War. In September 1862 Confederate General Robert E. Lee launched his army into Maryland - the North. Lee's first target became Harpers . . . — — Map (db m148862) HM
On Whitman Avenue at Prospect Avenue (County Road 27/1), on the left when traveling north on Whitman Avenue.
Union and Confederate soldiers transformed these fields into campgrounds full of dingy tents, smoky campfires and boiling kettles during the Civil War. Shouting officers drilled their troops until Bolivar's grass was trampled into precision . . . — — Map (db m148864) HM
Near Whitman Avenue at West Washington Street (Alternate U.S. 340), on the left when traveling north.
"…We enter the barren waste of Bolivar Heights…a windswept deserted moorland…except its populous graveyard." James E. Taylor, war correspondent Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper August 10, 1864
On Whitman Avenue at Prospect Avenue (County Road 27/1), on the left when traveling north on Whitman Avenue.
Resting with his troops in Frederick, Maryland, 20 miles northeast of here, Confederate General Robert E. Lee had hoped the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry would abandon its post when he invaded the North. They did not. Lee decided to attack. He . . . — — Map (db m148866) HM
On Shenandoah Street, on the right when traveling north.
"The Rebels were all around us and our only refuge was the open canopy of heaven." Sgt. Charles E. Smith 32nd Ohio Infantry September 14, 1862 Thousands of Federal soldiers huddled in ravines on Bolivar Heights to escape the Confederate . . . — — Map (db m19006) HM
Near Bakerton Road (County Road 27), on the right when traveling south.
Confederate General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North hinged on eliminating the Harpers Ferry garrison. To do so Lee devised Special Orders 191. He divided his force of 40,000 into four parts. Three columns marched from near Frederick, . . . — — Map (db m7839) HM
Near Bakerton Road (County Route 27), on the right when traveling south.
Text of the marker is arranged to illustrate the movements of the Confederate Army during the Antietam Campaign of 1862: September 10, 1862 from Frederick, Maryland Confederate commander Lee sends part of his army to capture Harpers . . . — — Map (db m155741) HM
Near Shoreline Drive, 0.2 miles south of Pointfield Drive, on the left when traveling south.
Enjoy over 3,000 acres of rivers, trails, and battlefields in historic Harpers Ferry
Near the Visitor Center: Battlefields and Trails
Experience Harpers Ferry's tumultuous past. Pick up park trail maps and guides at the visitor . . . — — Map (db m143936) HM
On Whitman Avenue at Prospect Avenue (County Road 27/1), on the left when traveling north on Whitman Avenue.
Union Commander Dixon Miles knew the Confederates were coming. His cavalry reported the Southern troops advancing from three different directions. Ordered to "hold Harpers Ferry until the last extremity," Miles divided his forces to retain . . . — — Map (db m155702) HM
Near Bakerton Road (County Route 27), on the right when traveling south.
"Stonewall" Jackson understood the principle of military deception. On the second evening of the battle, he used deception here. To lure the Union attention away from the south end of Bolivar Heights, Jackson faked an attack against the north end of . . . — — Map (db m7866) HM
On Sept. 13, 1862 Stonewall Jackson’s forces approaching from the west were shelled by 2 Union artillery guns under Col. Miles from this position. On Sept. 14, Gen. A.P. Hill outflanked these Union troops while Jackson swept past this location. Col. . . . — — Map (db m155751) HM
On Bakerton Road (County Road 27), on the right when traveling north.
The 115th New York Regiment, young and inexperienced, formed a skirmish line here. When gunfire erupted on their left during the night, the men of the 115th must have felt the rush of adrenaline through their veins. Dander was headed in their . . . — — Map (db m7816) HM
Near Whitman Avenue, 0.2 miles north of West Washington Street (Alternate U.S. 340), on the left when traveling north.
"…the heights became dotted with tents, and at night…the neighboring hills were aglow with hundreds of watchfires…" Joseph Barry, Harpers Ferry resident October 1862
After the Battle of Antietam on September . . . — — Map (db m148871) HM
On Murphy Road (Local Road 340/5) 0.3 miles south of Campground Road (Local Road 340/17), on the left when traveling south.
From Civil War to Civil Rights
In 1862 Union soldiers forced Edmund Chambers, this farm's first owner (1848-1869), from his home. The farm became a battlefield, where Confederate General A.P. Hill struck the winning blow of the Battle of . . . — — Map (db m143933) HM
Near Bakerton Road (County Route 27), on the right when traveling north.
Some of the Union infantrymen who defended this ground on the night of September 14th returned the next day. Even though the Confederate strategy had won the battle for Harpers Ferry, and these Union soldiers were part of the largest surrender of . . . — — Map (db m5398) HM
This gun protected the south end of the fort and was positioned to fire on flank movements. An outside picket trench, which can be seen ahead of the main embankment, protected the artillery crew. — — Map (db m5879) HM
On Washington Street (Business U.S. 340) west of Polk Street, on the right when traveling west.
This memorial is dedicated to all from the Harpers Ferry-Bolivar District who served their country from World War I to the present. Their sacrifice and valor for the freedom of America will never be forgotten, for those who did not return, our . . . — — Map (db m70786) WM
On Shenandoah Street, on the right when traveling north.
(First Panel): Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is the story of... Industrial Development and the production of weapons at the Harpers Ferry armory. John Brown's Raid and his attempt to end slavery. The Civil War with Union and . . . — — Map (db m19008) HM
On Whitman Avenue at Prospect Avenue, on the right when traveling west on Whitman Avenue.
Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains at the confluence of the Potomac and the Shenandoah Rivers, Harpers Ferry thrived as an industrial community during the first half of the 19th century. By 1860, nearly 3,000 residents lived in the . . . — — Map (db m144875) HM
"I will pledge myself that there is not a spot in the United States which combines more or greater requisites...."
George Washington May 5, 1798 Harpers Ferry's history and geography have influenced each other for . . . — — Map (db m12065) HM
Near Murphy Road, on the right when traveling south.
Here on the scene of John Brown’s martyrdom we reconsecrate ourselves, our honor, our property to the final emancipation of the race which John Brown died to make free… Thank God for John Brown!... and all the hallowed dead who died for . . . — — Map (db m8316) HM
The Civil War affected not only the soldiers who fought but the families whose homes and towns became battlefields. Edmund H. Chambers bought this farm in 1848 and lived here with his family until the Civil War. Although Chambers was a loyal . . . — — Map (db m115283) HM
On W Washington Street, on the right when traveling west.
Jefferson County’s men and women have answered their nation’s call to military service in war and peace. The monument in front of you is dedicated to all our honored veterans. Five of their stories are mentioned below.
Luke Quinn,a Marine . . . — — Map (db m107894) HM
On U.S. 340, 0.1 miles west of Union Street, on the right when traveling west.
United States Marine
Killed 18 October 1859
During the capture of John Brown
Flagpole and gravesite rededicated by
Marine Corps League Detachment 1143
13 0ctober 2012 — — Map (db m104281) HM WM
Infantry troops occupied positions along these fortifications. The low height of the earth embankment at this location permitted the defending troops easy passage to and from the abatis without exposure. — — Map (db m5878) HM
On Washington Street, on the right when traveling west.
As you explore Jefferson County’s Civil War sites, you will learn about some of the notable exploits on the native soil of Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, one of the war's most famous figures. Jackson was born in Clarksburg, Virginia (now West . . . — — Map (db m155096) HM
Confederate Major General “Stonewall” Jackson could not see this view. His lower vantage on Schoolhouse Ridge, 1000 yards upriver, blocked his sight of this strategic position. Yet Jackson remembered this farm from his time as . . . — — Map (db m155752) HM
Near Bakerton Road (County Road 27) just south of Boer Way, on the right when traveling south.
No soldier liked to be trapped between opposing battle lines. Here where you stand, in these open pastures about half way between the crest of Schoolhouse Ridge and the steep slopes of Bolivar Heights, was no man's land on this battlefield. . . . — — Map (db m173628) HM
Near Murphy Road, on the right when traveling south.
In July 1896, members of the National League of Colored Women traveled here from Washington, D.C. and posed for their picture in front of John Brown’s Fort. The women came to pay homage to Brown and his raiders, establishing a pilgrimage . . . — — Map (db m8317) HM
"…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. . . . — — Map (db m5370) HM
The Union army refused to give up. Frustrated by the Federals' stronghold on Bolivar Heights, "Stonewall" Jackson ordered cannons to the mountain tops and nearby plateaus. Pounded by a day and a morning of Confederate bombardment, Union soldiers . . . — — Map (db m148868) HM
In August 1864 Harpers Ferry was again a Union stronghold. Union General Philip Sheridan and his men built this redoubt—the earthwork in front of you—as fortification against the Confederates. Sheridan’s objective was to stop the . . . — — Map (db m5896) HM
In August 1864, Gen. U.S. Grant ordered Gen. Phillip Sheridan to construct earth fortifications on Bolivar Heights. These forts faced northwest to protect against Confederate movements down the Shenandoah Valley to Harpers Ferry. This Sheridan . . . — — Map (db m5863) HM
On Washington Street (Alternate U.S. 340) at Panama Street, on the right when traveling west on Washington Street.
Liberator of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador
Peru, Panama and founder of Bolivia
Presented by The President of Venezuela
to Bolivar, West Virginia — — Map (db m103645) HM WM
This residence was used as headquarters by Confederate General T.J. "Stonewall" Jackson while stationed in the area during the Civil War — — Map (db m2942) HM
Consider dragging 2,000-pound cannon up this ravine—at night. General A.P. Hill’s Confederates faced that task during the second night of battle. The assignment was essential to “Stonewall” Jackson’s plan to flank the Union army on . . . — — Map (db m5889) HM
During the construction of this fort, many of the trees which were located directly in front of these embankments were felled forming an “abatis”. This timber obstruction slowed the advance of the attacking forces so that snipers, . . . — — Map (db m5872) HM
Near Bakerton Road (County Route 27), on the right when traveling north.
"General J.R. Jones was directed to make a demonstration against the enemy's right." Jackson's official report Confederate Colonel Edmund Pendleton wrote about the night of September 14, 1862, from his perspective across the road on School . . . — — Map (db m155727) HM
Near Bakerton Road (County Route 27), on the right when traveling north. Reported permanently removed.
After sunset on September 14, 1862, the Confederate cannons across the road on School House Ridge vanished in the darkness. The features of the landscape began to blur as the shell-shocked Union soldiers on Bolivar Heights wondered if they could . . . — — Map (db m5394) HM
Established 1869 Alexander Murphy 1840-1931 Mollie M. Murphy 1869-1945 Mary Murphy 1834-1908 William J. Murphy 1872-1931 Historical events on the Farm: Battle of Harpers Ferry September 13-15, 1862 General Philip Sheridan's Fortification August . . . — — Map (db m13275) HM
"General Hill, charge and give them the bayonet."
Major Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson
September 15, 1862
Maj. Gen. A. P. Hill's division received orders from Stonewall Jackson to flank the Federal left on . . . — — Map (db m12057) HM
On Bakerton Road, on the right when traveling north.
Union troops on the crest and slope of Bolivar Heights to the East were attacked by Confederates lead by Gen. Jackson from School House Ridge to the West on 14 Sept. 1862. Private Paylor, Co. D., 111th NY, recalled this as "an awful fight." This . . . — — Map (db m2944) HM
On Bakerton Road (County Route 27), on the right when traveling north.
"We went below and formed in line of battle and laid down on our arms. Sleep was out of the question but of course, human nature will succumb and drowsiness was general among the boys. It must have been nine O'Clock or more by this . . . — — Map (db m5396) HM
