Hanging Rock, Virginia

Last updated

Hanging Rock
USA Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within the Commonwealth of Virginia
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Hanging Rock, Virginia (the United States)
Coordinates: 37°19′41″N080°02′24″W / 37.32806°N 80.04000°W / 37.32806; -80.04000
Country United States
State Virginia
County Roanoke
Elevation
[1]
1,115 ft (340 m)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
24019
Area code 540
FIPS code [2] 51-35144
GNIS feature ID [1] [2] 1499521

Hanging Rock is an unincorporated community in Roanoke County, Virginia, United States located directly north of Salem. The community is named for a prominent rock outcrop. The intersection of Virginia State Route 311 and Virginia State Route 419 is in Hanging Rock. [3]

Contents

Battle

In the Battle of Hanging Rock in the Civil War, a retreat to West Virginia by Union General David Hunter was briefly disrupted by the forces of Confederate Generals Jubal A. Early and John McCausland. On June 21, 1864, Hunter and his men were seeking refuge after failing to capture Lynchburg, 60 miles to the east. About 100 union soldiers were killed partly because their way was blocked by trees that had been felled across the road.

"On June 21, 1864 General Hunter, retreating from defeat at Lynchburg by General Early, met Confederate forces led by General John McCausland. After losing some of his artillery here, Hunter continued his withdrawal northwest through New Castle to Lewisburg." [4]

"Hunter retreated along the Lynchburg-Salem Turnpike (today's U.S. 460) in a wagon train that stretched for 11 miles. Union Gen. Alfred Duffie was ordered to burn the wool mill and depot at Bonsack, Virginia, cut telegraph wires and burn the rail depots in Big Lick (now Roanoke) and Salem. McCausland pursued Hunter by crossing the Peaks of Otter and headed toward Salem on the Great Valley Pike (the primary corridor for today's I-81 and U.S. Route 11 in Virginia), which was a better road and a faster way to get to the Roanoke Valley. McCausland and Confederate Gen. Robert Ransom Jr.'s men caught Hunter's army, which was slowed by the narrow gap through Hanging Rock up Catawba Mountain toward New Castle, Virginia. Local militia had blocked the road with fallen trees, further slowing the retreat." [5]

Maps Number 10 and 10a by Jedediah Hotchkiss, 1828-1899, concern the battle. "No. 10. Map of engagement at Hanging Rock, Roanoke County, Va., Tuesday June 21st 1864, to accompany report of Jed. Hotchkiss, Top. Eng., A.V.D. Scale 1:40,000 -- No. 10a. Map of engagement at Hanging Rock, Roanoke County, Va., Tuesday June 21st 1864. Scale 1:40,000." [6]

Markers

There are several markers at the site commemorating the battle. One was placed there in 1932 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. [7] Another one commemorates the battle and was placed there by the Virginia Civil War Trails. [8] Another marker, "Two Future Presidents In Wartime Retreat: Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail" commemorates two future presidents, William McKinley and Rutherford B. Hayes, who were present at the conflict.

Another marker described the attack, and was erected in 1999 by County of Roanoke, the City of Salem, and the Hanging Rock Battlefield and Railway Preservation Foundation. [9]

The United Daughters of the Confederacy also placed a marker commemorating the 100th anniversary of the battle. "100th Anniversary of Hanging Rock." The inscription reads: "Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Skirmish at Hanging Rock, June 21, 1864. Erected by the William Watts Chapter, U. D. C. June 21, 1964."

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynchburg, Virginia</span> Independent city in Virginia, United States

Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch, the city's population was 79,009 at the 2020 census, making Lynchburg the 11th most populous city in Virginia. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or the "Hill City". In the 1860s, Lynchburg was the only city in Virginia that was not recaptured by the Union before the end of the American Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Monocacy</span> Battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Monocacy was fought on July 9, 1864, about 6 miles (9.7 km) from Frederick, Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early defeated Union forces under Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace. The battle was part of Early's raid through the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland in an attempt to divert Union forces from their siege of Gen. Robert E. Lee's army at Petersburg, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valley campaigns of 1864</span> American Civil War operations and battles

The Valley campaigns of 1864 began as operations initiated by Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and resulting battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia during the American Civil War from May to October 1864. Some military historians divide this period into three separate campaigns. This article considers them together, as the campaigns interacted and built upon one another.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Folck's Mill</span> Battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Folck's Mill, also known as the Battle of Cumberland, was a small cavalry engagement, fought August 1, 1864, in northern Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War.

The Battle of Lynchburg was fought on June 17–18, 1864, two miles outside Lynchburg, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. The Union Army of West Virginia, under Maj. Gen. David Hunter, attempted to capture the city but was repulsed by Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Anderson Early.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ox Hill Battlefield Park</span>

Ox Hill Battlefield Park is a site in Fairfax, Virginia, where the Battle of Ox Hill was fought during the American Civil War. It was the only major battle of the war fought in Fairfax County. The battlefield is now a public park adjacent to suburban developments and the Fairfax Towne Center shopping center, and is maintained by the Fairfax County Park Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond National Battlefield Park</span> 769 acres in Virginia (USA) maintained by the National Park Service

The Richmond National Battlefield Park commemorates 13 American Civil War sites around Richmond, Virginia, which served as the capital of the Confederate States of America for most of the war. The park connects certain features within the city with defensive fortifications and battle sites around it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John McCausland</span> Confederate Army general

John McCausland, Jr. was a brigadier general in the Confederate army, famous for the ransom of Hagerstown, Maryland, and the razing of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War.

The 5th West Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 9th West Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The 14th West Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd West Virginia Cavalry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 2nd West Virginia Cavalry Regiment served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized in Parkersburg, Virginia during September 1861. Most of the original members of this regiment were from southeastern Ohio, and planners thought that this regiment would become the 4th Ohio Cavalry. Their application was rejected by the governor of Ohio, so the unit became the 2nd Regiment of Loyal Virginia Volunteer Cavalry. The "Loyal Virginia" part of the name was replaced with "West Virginia" after the state of West Virginia was officially admitted to the Union in 1863. Today, the National Park Service lists them as 2nd Regiment, West Virginia Cavalry under a heading of Union West Virginia Volunteers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">22nd Virginia Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 22nd Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from the western Virginia that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Its commander was George S. Patton Sr., the grandfather of World War II General George S. Patton.

Bonsack is an unincorporated community in eastern Roanoke County, Virginia, United States. The community is located near the junction of US 460 and US 220 Alternate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jubal Early</span> American lawyer, politician and military officer

Jubal Anderson Early was an American lawyer, politician and military officer who served in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. Trained at the United States Military Academy, Early resigned his United States Army commission after the Second Seminole War and his Virginia military commission after the Mexican–American War, in both cases to practice law and participate in politics. Accepting a Virginia and later Confederate military commission as the American Civil War began, Early fought in the Eastern Theater throughout the conflict. He commanded a division under Generals Stonewall Jackson and Richard S. Ewell, and later commanded a corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">36th Virginia Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 36th Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment mostly raised in the Kanawha Valley for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly in western Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">42nd Virginia Infantry Regiment</span> Military unit

The 42nd Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rude's Hill</span> Hill in Shenandoah County, Virginia, US

Rude's Hill is a 981-foot hill just outside of the town of Mt. Jackson in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States, primarily known because it was a strategically placed elevation on which many Civil War events occurred. It was named after the Danish Lutheran minister Anders Rudolph Rude, who arrived in the US in 1836 and married the widow of the Steenbergen plantation. They inhabited a house on the hill called "Locust Grove" which dates to 1792, according to county records. As of July 2014 when the property was for sale, "Locust Grove" was in severely neglected condition with several ungainly exterior modifications over the years, but was still standing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">23rd Virginia Infantry Battalion</span> United States Civil War military unit

The 23rd Virginia Infantry Battalion, often called "Derrick's Battalion", was an infantry battalion in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly in western Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley, and was usually part of a brigade commanded by John Echols or George S. Patton. By 1864, the brigade was usually part of a division commanded by Major General John C. Breckinridge or Brigadier General Gabriel C. Wharton.

References

  1. 1 2 "Feature Detail Report: Hanging Rock (Roanoke County, Virginia)". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey . Retrieved August 6, 2008.
  2. 1 2 "FIPS55 Data: Virginia". United States Geological Survey. February 23, 2006. Archived from the original on June 18, 2006.
  3. "Hanging Rock, VA 24019". Google Maps. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
  4. Historical Highway Markers: Hanging Rock, KH-7. Virginia State Library. 1964.
  5. Berrier, Ralph. 150 years later, peace abides at Hanging Rock battlefield: The nearest Civil War action to Roanoke took place a century and a half ago today. Roanoke Times. June 20, 2014.
  6. "Nos. 10-10a: Hanging Rock, Roanoke County, Virginia." Library of Congress. Map Division.
  7. "Battle of Hanging Rock".
  8. "Battle of Hanging Rock: A Union Retreat Interrupted."
  9. "McCausland Attacks; Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail."

Bibliography

https://web.archive.org/web/20140720163248/http://www.salemmuseum.org/guide_archives/HSV5N3.aspx