Raise the Rutherford!

Rutherford B. Hayes Month

Hayes & the Civil War
Bonus: ‘These are My Jewels’

Hayes called his years of military service during the Civil War the best years of his life. The seven-part series in honor of his birthday visited six locations associated with Hayes’ service to the Union.

I can think of no better way to end Rutherford B. Hayes Month than with a trip to my favorite Rutherford B. Hayes statue (that I know about). It is actually a statue of Hayes along with six other Ohioans – William Tecumseh Sherman, U.S. Grant, Salmon P. Chase, James A. Garfield, Edwin Stanton and Phillip Sheridan – on the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus.

The statue is called “These are My Jewels”. It was designed by Levi Scofield who also did the spectacular Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Public Square in Cleveland. The name comes from a wealthy Roman mother, depicted at the top of the monument, who told another woman that her real wealth, her real ‘jewels’ were her sons who had served in the military.

The statue then depicts sons of Ohio who had contributed to the Union effort during the Civil War in both battle and politics. It was first exhibited at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. However, as designed it originally had only six figures. Hayes was not included! But before it was moved to Ohio and erected on the Ohio Statehouse grounds, the then Governor William McKinley raised additional money to add Hayes to the monument. McKinley had served under Hayes in the Ohio 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry and Hayes had recently passed away in 1893.
Raise the Rutherford! is a continuing, slightly humorous series to raise awareness of Rutherford B. Hayes and erect a statue of him in Cincinnati.

References:
The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
Including the Dairy and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes
The Ohio Statehouse

Raise the Rutherford!

Rutherford B. Hayes Month

Hayes & the Civil War
Part VII: Conclusion

Hayes called his years of military service during the Civil War the best years of his life. This now seven-part series in honor of his birthday will visit four locations associated with Hayes’ service to the Union.

As Hayes remarks in his letter to his wife after Cedar Creek, fighting was generally over in the Shenandoah. And Cedar Creek was Hayes’s last battle. In January 1865, he was promoted to brigadier general. In March of 1865, Hayes was brevetted a Major General "for gallant and distinguished service during the campaign of 1864 in West Virginia and particularly at the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek, Virginia". But in April 1865, Hayes was supposed to lead a raid on Lynchburg, Virginia, however Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Grant on April 9, 1965. And Lincoln was assassinated on April 14. And there was no need for the raid. The fighting of the Civil War was basically over.

Hayes was officially mustered out of service on June 8, 1865. Having been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Cincinnati, he prepared to go to Washington to begin the next phase of his life.

Rutherford B. Hayes, taken 1861, from the Hayes Presidential Center

And thus ends Rutherford B. Hayes Month.

Here is a summary of all of the 'Hayes & the Civil War' posts:
Part I: Camp Chase
Part II: Battle of South Mountain
Part III: Battle of Buffington Island
Part IV: Battle of Second Kernstown
Part V: Battle of Third Winchester
Part VI: Battle of Cedar Creek
Part VII: Conclusion

There is so much more that could have been said about Hayes and his military service during the Civil War. I left much out, including many interesting details.

First and foremost, I left out many battles in which Hayes fought with the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. This includes his first battle, Carnifax Ferry, West Virginia, and a number of other battle sites in present day West Virginia. A whole ‘Hayes in West Virginia’ trip may be in order. (Though ‘The Education of Rutherford B. Hayes’ is certainly on the list at some point as an excuse to visit Harvard again.)

So I also left out how he had been appointed Colonel of the 79th Ohio Infantry Volunteers in 1862, but he never assumed that position and stayed with the 23rd Ohio once appointed their Colonel.

23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regimental Flag from the Ohio Historical Society Exhibits
But I also left out a bunch of little details . . .
- Like I simply find it fascinating that his wife Lucy and the children would come visit him while the 23rd was in camp, mostly in West Virginia. A man at Cedar Creek indicated that for ranking officers it was easier for family to come to the camp instead of leaving so regimental business could continue.
- Hayes and Lucy even conceived a child, George, while the war was going on. (He would died in 1866.) That child was named after George Crook his commander. And one child, Joseph, died while visiting Camp White near Charleston with his mother. (Joseph & George are buried in Spring Grove. Check out this post from last year.)
- Another interesting side-notion was it never really donned on me that fighting sort of took a break in wintertime.
- And I simply find it fascinating that Hayes would have been 42 by the time fighting had ended in 1865. Yes, 42! President William McKinley for instance was 18 when he enlisted and 22 when the war ended.

Next:
Bonus!

Raise the Rutherford! is a continuing, slightly humorous series to raise awareness of Rutherford B. Hayes and erect a statue of him in Cincinnati.

References:
The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
Including the Dairy and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes
Fight for the Colors, The Ohio Battle Flag Collection. Ohio Historical Society Exhibits

Raise the Rutherford!

Rutherford B. Hayes Month

Hayes & the Civil War
Part VI: The Battle of Cedar Creek

Hayes called his years of military service during the Civil War the best years of his life. This now seven-part series in honor of his birthday will visit four locations associated with Hayes’ service to the Union.

The Battle of Cedar Creek took place on October 19, 1864. This was Hayes’ last combat, the battle that included ‘Sheridan’s Ride’, and a Union victory that many note signaled the end of major combat in the Shenandoah Valley and sealed Lincoln’s re-election.

Again, Hayes’s regiment is part of an Army led by U.S. Major General Phillip Sheridan to purse and defeat Jubal Early’s Confederate Corp. It is now October and they have been in pursuit and fighting in a series of battles and campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley since being called from West Virginia in July 1864.

At Cedar Creek approximately 32,000 Union men and 21,000 Confederates battle around the town of Middletown, VA where Early initiated a surprise attack. The Union was ultimately victorious. However after near defeat in the morning, it was Phillip Sheridan’s ride from Winchester some 17 miles north that rallied the troops in an afternoon counterattack and secured victory. (See previous post on Sheridan’s Ride.)

Hayes’ brigade however is generally only involved in the early part of the battle as they were one of the first forces under fire. They get decimated by the Confederates and have to retreat back north of the town of Middletown. They do give the Union enough time to vacate their headquarters at Belle Grove. Hayes is slightly injured in the battle and his horse is killed. Here is an excerpt from Hayes’ letter to Lucy, online at the Hayes Presidential Center:

CAMP AT CEDAR CREEK NEAR STRASBURG, VIRGINIA, October 21, 1864.
MY DARLING: . . . As usual with me I had some narrow escapes. While galloping rapidly, my fine large black horse was killed instantly, tumbling heels over head and dashing me on the ground violently. Strange to say I was only a little bruised and was able to keep the saddle all day. (Mem.:--I lost all my horse trappings, saddle, etc., including my small pistol.) I was also hit fairly in the head by a ball which had lost its force in getting (I suppose) through somebody else! It gave me only a slight shock. -- I think serious fighting on this line is now over.
Affectionately ever, your R.

For a more text-book description of the entire Battle of Cedar Creek, click here for the Civil War Preservation Trust’s (CWPT) battle summary and here for link to the battlefield map. And click here for a further summary of the battle from the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program.

I visited the Cedar Creek Battlefield as part of the Battle of Cedar Creek 145th Anniversary Reenactment on October 17 & 18th. This event, sponsored by the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation, is held annually the weekend closest to the anniversary of the battle. I had never been to a reenactment before. There were a series of events that took place both days in addition to the battle reenactment which was only a portion of each day. One could walk around the camps, watch demonstrations, and attend lectures and a home tour. The main event of Saturday (when it rained) was the first part of the battle which included the Confederate attack. Sunday afternoon (which was overcast) included the Union counterattack.

Reenactment Photos
The Heater House
Views of Cedar Creek Camps
Belle Grove Plantation – The Isaac Hite family home, his first wife was Nelly Madison, James Madison’s sister. It is a National Historic Landmark and a National Trust property.
The view south from Belle Grove
Ramseur Monument – Remember Ramseur?
To view MANY more photos of my photos from the Battle of Cedar Creek 145th Anniversary Reenactment, click here. To view more photos from the Belle Grove Plantation, click here.

Cedar Creek is fighting the encroachment of nearby development, including a massive mining operation that is about to expand. Click here for a fantastic video on the battle and the threats it now faces. Currently over 1,450 acres are protected in the area through various partnerships in the Cedar Creek Battlefield and Belle Grove National Historic Park, established in 2002.

The Cedar Creek Battlefield though continues to fight threats to its preservation and was listed as one the 10 most endangered Civil War battlefields in 2009 by the Civil War Preservation Trust. Read about the entire list here and how you can help.

Next:
Part VII: Conclusion

Raise the Rutherford! is a continuing, slightly humorous series to raise awareness of Rutherford B. Hayes and erect a statue of him in Cincinnati.

References:
The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
Including the Dairy and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes
Civil War Preservation Trust
National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation
Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation
Belle Grove Plantation

Raise the Rutherford!

Rutherford B. Hayes Month

Hayes & the Civil War
Part V: The Battle of Third Winchester

Hayes called his years of military service during the Civil War the best years of his life. This now six-part series in honor of his birthday will visit four locations associated with Hayes service to the Union.

The Battle of Third Winchester or Opequon took place on September 19, 1864. It is called ‘Third Winchester’ because two previous battles had taken place around the Northern Virginian town of Winchester in 1862 and 1863.
After Kernstown, one of Lt. General Jubal Early’s brigades burns the town of Chambersburg, PA, on July 30, 1864. U.S. Major General Phillip Sheridan was then given command of all Union forces in the Valley, replacing Hunter, following the defeat at Kernstown and the burning Chambersburg. Union forces reenter the Shenandoah and at Third Winchester, approximately 39,000 Union men under Sheridan and 15,000 Confederates do battle on the north side of town. The Union was victorious and pushed the Confederates south through the town of Winchester.

Hayes describes the battle in a letter to his Uncle Sardis, again online at the Hayes Presidential Center. Here is an excerpt:

HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA, September 26, 1864.
“DEAR UNCLE:--You have heard enough about our great victories at Winchester and Fisher's Hill. I will say only a word. No one man can see or know what passes on all parts of a battle-field. Each one describes the doings of the corps, division, or what not, that he is with. Now, all the correspondents are with the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps and the cavalry command. General Crook has nobody to write him or his command up. They are of course lost sight of. At Winchester at noon, the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps had been worsted. In the afternoon, General Crook (who is the brains of the whole thing) with his command turned the Rebel left and gained the victory. The cavalry saved it from being lost after it was gained. My brigade led the attack on the Rebel left, but all parts of Crook's command did their duty. The Sixth Corps fought well, the Nineteenth failed somewhat, and the cavalry was splendid and efficient throughout. This is my say-so.
“My division entered the fight on the extreme right of the infantry, Merritt's splendid cavalry on our right, and Averell still further on our right. We ended the fight on the extreme left. The Rebels retreated from our right to our left, so that we went in at the rear and came out at the front, my flag being the first into and through Winchester. My division commander was wounded late in the fight and I commanded the division from that time. It is the Second, General Crook's old division . . .”
Sincerely, R.

Note: Hayes mentions the Battle of Fisher’s Hill. It is about 20 to 25 miles south-southwest from Winchester. I didn’t have enough time to visit.

Hayes is credited with leading his men south across a muddy creek called Red Bud Run. Crook’s Corp, the unit to which Hayes was attached, flanks the enemy’s left and the Confederates retreat. Hayes however is also credited with saying of the battle, "To stop was death. To go on was probably the same; but on we started again." Markers near Red Bud Run describe the action of Hayes and the 23rd Ohio.

For a more text-book description of the entire Battle of Third Winchester, click here for the Civil War Preservation Trust’s (CWPT) battle summary and here for link to the battlefield map. And click here for a further summary of the battle from the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program.

I visited Third Winchester on a cloudy and cold Friday afternoon. It did not make for good photos. There are 5 miles of trails with interpretive signage describing the battle along the trail, all contained on land owned by the CWPT. Standing at the very creek Hayes crossed (although not in the same location) and trying to imagine what it was like was rather moving actually.

The Confederate Flank Trail – Hayes crossed this very land
Huntsberry Farm beyond
North bank of Red Bud Run
Red Bud Run
Hackwood House (c. 1777) – Hayes crossed Red Bud Run (far right) and progressed to the left, behind the house
Hackwood Lane – Old road but the trees were not here in 1864.
The Middle Field – There were over 3,000 casualties here and it is considered one of “most sanguinary fields of the Civil War.”
The Second Woods
To view more of my photos from the Battle of Third Winchester, click here. To view photos from the very charming town of Winchester, click here.

However, the site is fighting the encroachment of nearby development and the Civil War Preservation Trust just finished an effort to purchase 209 additional acres near land already owned by either the CWPT or the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation. They completed their goal of $3,350,000. Click here to join the Civil War Preservation Trust (and me!) in saving the Third Winchester and other at risk battlefields.

Next:
Part VI: The Battle of Cedar Creek

Raise the Rutherford! is a continuing, slightly humorous series to raise awareness of Rutherford B. Hayes and erect a statue of him in Cincinnati.

References:
The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
Including the Dairy and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes
Civil War Preservation Trust
National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation
Historical Marker Database

Raise the Rutherford!

Rutherford B. Hayes Month

Hayes & the Civil War
Part IV: The Battle of Second Kernstown

Hayes called his years of military service during the Civil War the best years of his life. This now six-part series in honor of his birthday will visit four locations associated with Hayes service to the Union.

The Battle of Second Kernstown took place on July 24, 1864. It is called ‘Second Kernstown’ because a previous battle had taken place generally in the same area, over the same ground in 1862.
A bit of background . . . In early July 1864, Lt. General Jubal Early’s Confederate Corp invaded Maryland and threatened Washington, DC. The Army of West Virginia including the brigade to which Hayes is attached is called east from West Virginia. They become involved in a series of Campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley in 1864 under General David Hunter to find and defeat Lt. General Jubal Early’s Confederate Corp.

At Second Kernstown, approximately 10,000 Union men under Brigadier General George Crook and 13,000 Confederates under Jubal Early do battle near the town of Kernstown, Virginia, just south of Winchester. The Confederates were victorious and pushed the Union Corp across the Potomac River to Maryland. Hayes gives a concise description of the battle and retreat in his diary, online at the Hayes Presidential Center. It reads:
“ . . . Sunday (24th), defeated badly at Winchester near Kernstown by Early with a superior force. My brigade suffered severely. Rebels came in on my left. Poor cavalry allowed the general to be surprised. Seven miles. All [that] night marching, twenty-two miles, to Martinsburg. My brigade covered the retreat. Retreated from Martinsburg; turned on Rebels and drove them out. Monday night to Potomac at Williamsport, [Maryland], twelve miles, a severe, sleepy job. Camped on Antietam near battle-ground.”

Many histories make note of this battle because future President Rutherford B. Hayes, commanded a brigade that directly fought against a division commanded by Kentuckian John C. Breckinridge, a former senator (1861) and Vice President of the United States (1857 – 1861).

For a full summary of the battle from the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program, click here. The battle is important as it is the last Confederate victory in the Shenandoah Valley.

I visited the Kernstown Battlefield Park on an overcast Saturday morning. Formerly the Pritchard-Grim Farm, it has been preserved by the non-profit Kernstown Battlefield Association. Fighting took place around this very farm and to the south around Opequon Church. A series of markers on the property describe all the battles fought on and near this site. On Pritchard’s Hill, north of the main house, there is a marker devoted to Hayes and Breckinridge. It is noted on the Hayes Presidential Center website that “. . . his stand at the stone wall saves Crook's army.” Part of the stone wall is still there. However Hayes was generally east of this particular location.

View from Pritchard’s Hill
View looking up Pritchard’s Hill
Pritchard House
Pritchard House
Cross-country runners at the Kernstown Battlefield Park
Along the wall
To view more of my photos from the Battle of Second Kernstown, click here.

Interesting Non-Hayes Fact: The Samuel & Helen Pritchard family was living in the home at the time of the battle. It became a hospital for the Union wounded and dead after the battle. Among the dead was Col. James Mulligan, shot near the wall by a sharpshooter under command of Major General Stephan R. Ramseur. It is said Mulligan died in Helen Pritchard’s arms two days after the battle. Ramseur, part of Early’s Army, will be killed at the Battle of Cedar Creek. Mulligan was buried in his home town. But many of the U. S. dead from this and other battles in the Shenandoah were buried in Winchester National Cemetery. To view photos from Winchester National Cemetery, click here.
If you are interested in helping preserve the Kernstown Battlefield, please visit their website.

Next:
Part V: The Battle of Third Winchester

Raise the Rutherford! is a continuing, slightly humorous series to raise awareness of Rutherford B. Hayes and erect a statue of him in Cincinnati.

References:
The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
Including the Dairy and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes
Civil War Preservation Trust
National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation
Kernstown Battlefield Association
Historical Marker Database

Raise the Rutherford!

Rutherford B. Hayes Month

Hayes & the Civil War
Part III: The Battle of Buffington Island

Hayes called his years of military service during the Civil War the best years of his life. This now six-part series in honor of his birthday will visit four locations associated with Hayes’ service to the Union.

The Battle of Buffington Island, Ohio, took place on July 19, 1863, and is the only major battle of the Civil War fought in Ohio. Here three future Presidents: Hayes, Garfield, and McKinley were sent to capture John Morgan’s raiders. At the Battle of Buffington Island (not really an island but located on Ohio soil across from the island in the Ohio River), 3,000 Union men found and fought with 1,700 Morgan’s Raiders. It was a clear Union victory but as gunboats also patrolled the Ohio River, Morgan and about 400 men escaped during the night.

Hayes wrote in his diary, online at the Hayes Presidential Center, following the battle: “. . . We got over two hundred prisoners. Everybody got some. No fight in them. The most successful and jolly little campaign we ever had.” Hayes and his men went back to West Virginia after the battle while others pursued Morgan. Morgan was captured shortly after on July 26, 1863, in Salineville, Ohio.

For a full summary of the battle from the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program, click here.

The Battle of Buffington Island State Memorial is a four acre park in Portland, Ohio commemorating the battle. It includes a stone monument and a series of markers, giving details of the battle. In the park is also an Indian mound. I was there on a rainy Labor Day.

South of the memorial is also a marker in honor of Major Daniel McCook, of the Fighting McCook’s from Carrolton, Ohio. The patriarch of one side of the McCook family (his brother John the other), Daniel was 65(!) when he died in the Battle of Buffington Island. This marker notes the approximate site where he was killed. He is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery along with other family members including sons and nephews.

McCook plaque at the Buffington Island State Memorial

McCook Monument looking north toward Portland, OH

Ohio River at Portland
A study was done by Gray & Pape for the State of Ohio to investigate the preservation of additional land and improvements to publicly held land around the Portland, OH area related to the battle. Read the report here.

Next:
Parts IV & V: The Battle of Second Kernstown and Battle of Third Winchester

Raise the Rutherford! is a continuing, slightly humorous series to raise awareness of Rutherford B. Hayes and erect a statue of him in Cincinnati.

References:
The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
Including the Dairy and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes
National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program
Ohio Historical Society - Battle of Buffington Island State Memorial
The Fighting McCook’s, Ohio History Central
The Battle of Buffington Island, Ohio History Central

Raise the Rutherford!

Rutherford B. Hayes Month

Hayes & the Civil War
Part II: The Battle of South Mountain

Hayes called his years of military service during the Civil War the best years of his life. This five-part series in honor of his birthday will visit four locations associated with Hayes’ service to the Union.

The Battle of South Mountain, Maryland, took place on September 14, 1862, and included fighting at Crampton Gap, Turners Gap and Fox Gap. Hayes’s Regiment was part of Brigadier General Jacob Cox’s Brigade under Union Maj. Gen. Jesse Reno’s Division.
Hayes was initially a Major of the 23rd Ohio Volunteers. Originally sent to what is now West Virginia, the division is then sent to Maryland in early September 1862 due to Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s invasion. As it relates to Hayes, an interesting thing happens before the Battle of South Mountain on September 6, 1862. There is an incident between Hayes and Major General Jesse Reno “involving men of the 23rd taking straw from wheat stacks for forage and bedding” as they move west through Maryland.

But Reno’s Divisions and in fact most of Major General George McClellan’s Army of the Potomac continued to move west from Frederick and then Middletown, MD and meet Confederate forces at Fox, Crampton and Turners Gap, Maryland between Middletown and Boonsboro. A total of 28,000 Union troops battle 18,000 Confederate troops during the Battle of South Mountain.

It is at this battle that Hayes receives his most serious injury during the war. Shot in the arm, he continues fighting and leading his men until he is eventually forced to stop. His brother in law Dr. Joe Webb, the 23rd attending physician tends to the wound on the battle field before Hayes is sent to the home of Jacob Rudy in nearby Middletown, MD, to recover. Reno is actually killed in battle. The Battle of South Mountain is a Union Victory and Confederate forces are forced west. General McClellan’s Army however does not pursue and it sets up the Battle of Antietam a few days later on September 17.

Hayes writes in his diary, online at the Hayes Presidential Center, on September 18 (four days after being injured) a lengthy description of the battle, his injury and the transport to Middletown. It is a fascinating account. Here are just a few small excerpts:

Here he discusses what happened shortly after he was first struck: “… a few moments after I first laid [lay] down, seeing something going wrong and feeling a little easier, I got up and began to give directions about things; but after a few moments, getting very weak, I again laid [lay] down. While I was lying down I had considerable talk with a wounded [Confederate] soldier lying near me. I gave him messages for my wife and friends in case I should not get up. We were right jolly and friendly; it was by no means an unpleasant experience.”

Then while lying on the ground injured and hearing the fighting subside, he recalls: “…I called out, ‘Hallo Twenty-third men, are you going to leave your colonel here for the enemy?’ In an instant a half dozen or more men sprang forward to me, saying, ‘Oh no, we will carry you wherever you want us to.’ The enemy immediately opened fire on them. Our men replied to them, and soon the battle was raging as hotly as ever. I ordered the men back to cover, telling them they would get me shot and themselves too.”

In his diary he also notes that he telegraphed a few people that day including Lucy. In the days that followed, he would write letters to his mother and Uncle Sardis for example. Some of those letters are also available at the online Dairy and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center. It should be noted that once Lucy found out he was injured she traveled to DC and then Maryland and couldn’t find her husband. It took a while for her to actually get to his bedside.

For a more text-book description of the entire Battle of South Mountain, click here for the Civil War Preservation Trust’s (CWPT) battle summary and here for link to Turners Gap and Fox Gap battlefield map. And click here for a further summary of the battle from the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program.

I visited two Battle of South Mountain sites, Fox Gap and Turners Gap, in July. At Fox Gap there are historical markers and two monuments to Maj. Gen. Jesse Reno and Confederate General Samuel Garland, both killed in the battle. It was sort of moving to look down the mountain or across this field and imagine an advancing Union army at this now quite crossroads of rural Maryland. At Turners Gap there are a series of historical markers near the South Mountain Inn and the Dahlgren Chapel (erected 1881) describing the battle. The Inn, then called Mountain House, witnessed the battle that day nearly 150 years ago.

Reno Monument at Fox Gap
Field at Fox Gap
Appalachian Trail at Fox Gap
Markers at Turner Gap
Chapel at Turner Gap
South Mountain Inn at Turner Gap
The nearby Washington Monument was used after the battle as a look-out post for the Union Army. Check out my previous post on the Washington Monument here. And as I left, I drove through historic Middletown, MD and past the home where Hayes recuperated. There is a nice summary of Civil War sites in Middletown here at the Historical Marker Database.

Turners Gap looking East from Washington Monument
The South Mountain Battlefield, located along the Appalachian Trail, is in a new fight against nearby development. It was listed as one the 10 most endangered Civil War battlefields in 2009 by the Civil War Preservation Trust. Read about the entire list here and how you can help.

Hayes finishes his recuperation in Ohio but rejoins the 23rd Ohio Infantry Volunteers in late November, 1862, camped for the winter near what is now Charleston, WV. The 23rd, after fighting in Maryland, had been sent back to western Virginia. (West Virginia was not officially a state of the Union until 1863 but moves to succeed from Confederate Virginia began in 1861.)

Next:
Part III: The Battle of Buffington Island

Raise the Rutherford! is a continuing, slightly humorous series to raise awareness of Rutherford B. Hayes and erect a statue of him in Cincinnati.

References:
The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
Including the Dairy and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes
Civil War Preservation Trust
National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program
Central Maryland Heritage League
Historical Marker Database