History at Sunset

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park presents a series of special “History at Sunset” programs. These ranger-conducted presentations cover a variety of subjects and provide visitors an opportunity to see sites normally not open, or widely accessible, to the general public.

Explore and learn about some of the “hidden gems” of the park and the Shenandoah Valley. Each program is free and lasts between 90 minutes to two hours.

“Hills, Valleys, & Limestone:” An Environmental Tour of the Cedar Creek & Belle Grove area
Friday, August 19, 2022 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Meet at the NPS Visitor Center, 7712 Main Street, Middletown, Virginia.

Much of the Shenandoah Valley’s colorful social, agricultural, and military history is linked to its rugged location and temperate climate. Join Ranger Rick Ashbacker to explore several key locations that highlight the Valley’s unique geologic background and the environmental factors that were crucial to the region’s development.

Battle of Cedar Creek in a Box Program

Park Ranger Shannon Moeck gives an interactive talk about the Battle of Cedar Creek using props and the surrounding landscape features.

All National Park Service ranger programs are free. Talks and tours may be cancelled in severe weather. Allow yourself time to find parking.

Meet on the front lawn of Belle Grove (336 Belle Grove Rd, Middletown)

Battle of Cedar Creek Special Programs

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, Belle Grove Plantation, and the Town of Middletown will host the 155th Anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Creek programs from Friday, October 18 – Sunday, October 20.

Friday, October 18

Battle of Cedar Creek in a Box
Friday, October 18, 11:30 a.m.
Location – Front Lawn of Belle Grove – 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA 22645

Battle of Cedar Creek Tour
Friday, October 18, 1:00
Starting Location – Visitor Contact Station, 7712 Main Street, Middletown, VA 22645

History at Sunset – Tommy, Charlie, and the Kidd: General Wesley Merritt’s Cavalry at Cedar Creek
Friday, October 18, 4:00 p.m.
By 1864, the Union cavalry was superior to the Confederate cavalry for several reasons: better horses, more firepower, and aggressive, enthusiastic leadership. Cavalry division commander Gen. Wesley Merritt and his three brigade commanders were well-trained, experienced leaders who expected to win every combat action. Join Ranger Rick Ashbacker to follow Merritt’s division from the Union right flank all the way to its counterattack position on the Union left flank during the battle of Cedar Creek.
Starting Location – NPS Visitor Contact Station – 7712 Main Street, Middletown, VA 22645

Saturday, October 19

In Depth Cedar Creek Car Caravan Driving Tour
Saturday, October 19, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Starting Location – NPS Visitor Contact Station – 7712 Main Street, Middletown, VA 22645

Signal Knob Interpretive Hike
Saturday, October 19, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Hike at your own pace and join a National Park Service Ranger at the top of Signal Knob to see the expansive Shenandoah Valley landscape and learn about the significance of the mountain during the Civil War and its role in the Battle of Cedar Creek.
Click here for directions to Signal Knob.

Battle of Cedar Creek in a Box
Saturday, October 19, offered at 10:30, 12:30, 2:00
Location – Front Lawn of Belle Grove – 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA 22645

10th Virginia Living History
Saturday, October 19, offered at 10:00, 11:00, and 4:00
Location – Front Lawn of Belle Grove – 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA 22645

“Battling in the Streets” Middletown and the Battle of Cedar Creek
Saturday, October 19, 5:00 p.m.
Middletown constantly found itself in the middle of war. At no time was this truer than on October 19, 1864 during the Battle of Cedar Creek when fighting raged through the town’s streets both during the morning Confederate assault and the afternoon Union counterattack.The evening will conclude with, first in helping with the lighting of the town’s luminaries, followed by making the short walk to the St. Thomas Episcopal Church, a facility used as a hospital after the battle. Join Ranger Jeff Driscoll as he explores this critical, but often overlooked action.
Starting location – Visitor Contact Station, 7712 Main Street, Middletown, VA 22645

Sunday, October 20

Battle of Cedar Creek in a Box
Sunday, October 20, offered at 10:30 and 12:30
Location – Front Lawn of Belle Grove – 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA 22645

From Battlefield and Beyond: War Comes to the Shenandoah Valley
Sunday, October 20, offered at 9:30 and 1:30
Location: Hupp’s Hill Civil War Park, 8437 Valley Pike, Strasburg, VA 22641

“A storm of bullets swept the ground…”: The Stand of the 30th Massachusetts and 114th New York Regiments
Sunday, October 20, 11:00
It was still the early morning of October 19, 1864, at Cedar Creek when Union Generals Emory and Wright made their decision: the Confederate attack had already routed the 8th and much of the 19th Corps, and in order to gain time so they could form a defensive line in front of Belle Grove, they had to hold up the Confederate assault. As Emory said later, “…It was one of those painful cases when it was necessary to sacrifice a smaller force for the greater.” That smaller force would be the 30th Massachusetts and 114th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiments. Join Park Ranger Jeff Driscoll as he walks in the footsteps of these two regiments, and takes you to the ground where they sacrificed so much.
Starting Location – Belle Grove’s Special Event parking area, 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA 22645

10th Virginia Living History
Sunday, October 20, times to be determined
Location – Front Lawn of Belle Grove – 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA 22645

“Kneading in Silence, a Glimpse into the life Judah the Enslaved Cook”
Sunday, October 20, offered at 2:30
Location – Historic Kitchen at Belle Grove – 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA 22645

African American History Program and Bell Ringing

To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the landing of the first Africans in English-occupied North America (representing the beginning of 246 years of slavery in the United States), the National Park Service is inviting organizations and communities nation-wide to ring bells at 3:00 pm EDT on August 25, 2019, as part of a day of healing and reconciliation. Bells will be ringing throughout the Shenandoah Valley including a special program at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park.

In 2019 and 2020, the National Park Service is commemorating a significant moment in American history; the landing of the first enslaved Africans in English-occupied North America in August 1619 at Virginia’s Point Comfort, now part of For Monroe National Monument. This symbolic gesture will enable Americans from all walks of life to participate in this historic moment from wherever they are–to capture the spirit of healing and reconciliation while honoring the significance of 400 years of African American history and culture.

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park and its partners will commemorate this special moment in history with a special ranger program at 2:30 p.m. “Kneading in Silence: A Glimpse into the Life of Judah, the Enslaved Cook.” This will immediately be followed by the bell ringing ceremony at 3:00 p.m. Bells will be rung nation-wide for four minutes—one minute for each 100 years—to honor the first Africans who landed in 1619 at Point Comfort, Virginia and the hardship and contributions of African Americans over the last 400 years.

This event is free and open to the public. Visitors interested in participating are encouraged to bring their own bells.

Please join the nation in ringing bells precisely at 3:00 pm EDT for four minutes (each minute symbolic of 100 years).

History at Sunset

Tommy, Charlie, and the Kidd: General Wesley Merritt’s Cavalry at Cedar Creek

By 1864, the Union cavalry was superior to the Confederate cavalry for several reasons: better horses, more firepower, and aggressive, enthusiastic leadership. Cavalry division commander Gen. Wesley Merritt and his three brigade commanders were well-trained, experienced leaders who expected to win every combat action. Join Ranger Rick Ashbacker to follow Merritt’s division from the Union right flank all the way to its counterattack position on the Union left flank during the battle of Cedar Creek.

Meet at the National Park Service Visitor Contact Station (7712 Main Street, Middletown, VA 22645).

Twilight Hike

While Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park was specifically established in 2002 to preserve and interpret the area’s cultural history, the Shenandoah Valley is rich in natural features, wildlife, and vegetation, including wildflowers.These twilight hikes, offered on May 25th (6:30 p.m.) and September 28th (5:00 p.m.) will not only explore the natural side of the park, but also discuss and practice the basics of hiking and backpacking, along with the equipment usage techniques of these hobbies.

Both programs will be led by Ranger Rick Ashbacker and begin at the Claven Lane parking area (2262 Claven Lane, Middletown, Virginia), the back entrance to the park’s “Morning Attack Trails” trails system, which includes the 8th Vermont monument. Each walk will last approximately 90 minutes, over moderate terrain. Proper walking shoes and water are recommended.

Twilight Hike

Talk on the Archaeology at Belle Grove Enslaved Quarter Site

Matthew Greer, a PhD candidate at Syracuse University will conduct a free talk about his archaeological research in the area where the enslaved men, women, and children owned by the Hite family at Belle Grove lived and worked. Since 2015, Mr. Greer has conducted archaeology of the 1.5-acre site located across Belle Grove Road from the main visitor parking lot. He has confirmed it was inhabited between about 1800 and 1850, that it likely was the home of many of the enslaved at Belle Grove, and that the site included a livestock barn and farm equipment shed. To date, more than 44,000 artifacts have been recovered at this site. The artifacts provide information on how the homes were constructed, how they were situated on the landscape, and what daily life was like for the enslaved at Belle Grove.

This program will follow a free Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Ranger Program about Judah, one of the enslaved cooks at Belle Grove. Read more here: https://bellegrove.org/calendar/judah