CONTACTS NAME: ERIC CAMPBELL (540) 868-9176
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Announces
Special 8th Vermont Monument Programs
MIDDLETOWN, VA ----- Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park is pleased to announce the presentation of new ranger-conducted programs on the 8th Vermont Monument. These presentations will highlight one of the few monuments located at the battlefield and explore the role of the 8th Vermont Infantry at the Battle of Cedar Creek (Oct. 19, 1864).
The story of the 8th Vermont is one of the most famous incidents related to battle. Belonging to a brigade of approximately 1,500 men, the regiment sacrificed itself against a Confederate onslaught four times its size during the early morning hours of the battle. Nearly twenty years later, a simple monument was erected to honor the sacrifices of the regiment.
Until recently, this monument was privately owned and was only open to the public on special occasions. Through the joint efforts of the Civil War Trust and the National Park Service, the property was preserved, and Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park has since assumed ownership of the monument.
"As a park-in-development, we are delighted to conduct these guided tours while working to provide greater access to the National Park," states park superintendent Diann Jacox. For the immediate future, the monument will only be accessible during these scheduled ranger tours. Necessary planning and site preparation will need to be completed before unrestricted access to the site is allowed.
The first program will be offered Friday, July 20th at 1:00 p.m. Visitors should meet the park ranger at the site, located at 8739 Valley Pike, Middletown, Virginia. The site will be marked by a National Park Service banner. Future programs will be scheduled on most Tuesdays and Saturdays, at 1:00 p.m., through mid-August. The programs are free and last an hour. A short walk over moderate terrain is required. Good walking shoes or boots are recommended.
A schedule of programs, along with other ranger-conducted presentations offered regularly by the park, is available on the park website (www.nps.gov/cebe) or by calling the park: (540) 8689-3051.
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About Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park: Cedar Creek and Belle Grove commemorates a nationally significant Civil War landscape and antebellum plantation by sharing the story of Shenandoah Valley history from early settlement through the Civil War and beyond. The park is also within the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, a National Heritage Area.
Created on Dec. 19, 2002, the park encompasses approximately 3,700 acres across three counties and includes the key partner sites of Belle Grove Plantation (owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and managed by Belle Grove, Inc.), Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation lands and Headquarters, Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation lands, and a developing Shenandoah County Park. The partner sites continue to be owned and operated independently.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
