VirginiaCity Guides

In May of 1864, the town of New Market, Virginia found itself at the center of the turmoil and chaos that accompanies a battle. Located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, the residents of New Market were no strangers to troop movements, skirmishes, and the rumbling of artillery fire in the distance as the American Civil War waged on in its 3rd year. These inhabitants certainly hoped that the furor of combat would never reach their streets. The Bushong family sheltered in their cellar as the heaviest of the fighting occurred around their home; small windows offered glimpses of the bedlam surrounding them. They were witness to the advance of 257 Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute as they filled in a gap in the Confederate line; thus, allowing the Southern forces to redouble their efforts and force the retreat of the Union troops. The Virginia Museum of the Civil War, along with original and reconstructed Bushong Farm buildings, stand on the now hushed battleground.