Battlefield Briefs
Eagle Scout Project Installs New Interpretive Signs
On June 19, 2025, Noah Bowman completed his Eagle Scout project with help from his two friends Chris and Brandon Morgan, all with Troop 22 in Stephens City. This project involved removing three deteriorating historical signs near the Opequon Presbyterian Church describing the First and Second Battles of Kernstown and replacing them with two modern informational signs and two park benches. These new signs orient visitors to the locations on our battlefi eld where the described actions took place and provide updated details on these battles through text and color maps. The benches serve as a rest stop for viewers to look over the battlefi eld property where these actions took place.
Cadaver Dog Training on the Kernstown Battlefield
On Sunday, July 20, 2025, Kathleen Connor, DVM, along with her colleagues, Jan Jones and Jane Servais, brought their cadaver search dogs Seamus and Quest (both are yellow Labrador Retrievers), Keegan (a black Labrador Retriever), and Sheena (an Australian Shepherd) to the Kernstown battlefi eld to train them. The dogs went through scent detection training on hard pavement and grassy areas, then used the Pritchard family cemetery on the battlefi eld for realistic practice and confi rmation of their search skills. Seamus was the dog that helped us find the location of a temporary First Battle of Kernstown Confederate burial site on Sandy Ridge.
Author Scott Patchan Leads Anniversary Tour of the Second Battle of Kernstown
On Saturday, July 26, 2025, in honor of the 161st anniversary of the Battle of Second Kernstown, Scott 161 Patchan led a tour of this battle’s key maneuver and aranniversary tillery actions for about 30 guests. Scott is the author of artillery of Shenandoah Summer, the premier authoritative book on the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Patchan began the tour by describing the background events that led up to the battle and he providing short biographical sketches of key Confederate ground providand Union leaders. From atop Pritchard’s Hill, the high point on our battlefield, and along the banks of Hoge and Run, Scott pointed out key maneuver and artillery positions, highlighting the Confederates’ use of sharpshooter units to fire at key Union officers and leaders defending along the stone wall running along our entrance road. Despite the high humidity and temps in the 90’s, the attendees enjoyed themselves, asking detailed questions about the battle. Scott stayed afterwards to sign quescopies of his books that are on sale in our Gift Shop.