Battles of Winchester:
First Battle of Kernstown
Winchester and the surrounding areas were impacted by the Civil War. Historians have claimed that the city changed hands over 70 times during the war. And because of its importance many Battles were fought in and around the area.
Background
The town’s location determined its fate in the war. Tucked in the northern stretches of the Shenandoah Valley, the town lay on a natural transportation corridor used first by nomadic American Indian tribes, then by westbound settlers, and finally by Confederate armies, which found it advantageous to march north behind the barrier of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east. Both Confederate invasions of the North followed this route. Winchester was also close to key military sites. About 70 miles from the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C., and 20 miles from the important Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at Harpers Ferry in western Virginia, the town was a natural jumping-off point for Confederate army campaigns.
Another geographic feature would magnify in importance during the war: Winchester was surrounded by low hills that hid the approach of armies. Occupiers found it almost impossible to mount a defense, so they usually had to flee quickly, sparing the town from prolonged, destructive sieges.
One of the first major battles in the Valley took place in the vicinity of Winchester,
The First Battle of Kernstown
Background
Jackson's division had been withdrawing "up" the Valley (to the higher elevations at the southwest end of the Valley) to cover the flank for Army of Northern Virginia withdraw from the Manassas area with the orders to keep the Union Army in the Valley. During this time General Banks commanding the Union Forces in the Lower Valley was ordered to send two divisions to Washington to assist in McClennan's Campaign against Richmond. So, following his Orders Jackson prepared a movement against Winchester. To do this he had his troops march close to 40 mile in two days and receiving bad intelligence from his cavalry commander Turner Ashby he thought the Union had left minimal forces around 3000 to hold the city. However, the Union had left the First Division of the Fifth Corp of the Army of the Potomac there with about 7,500 men. With Jackson's force with about 3.500.
The Union was able to win the day after fierce clashes around Kernstown. And at the time some for the worse fighting in the War. Even though this was tactical loss for the Confederacy. It was a very important strategic victory for the Confederacy. The battle spooked Lincoln and he order the troops back to the Valley. Thus, denying those extra troops for the assault on Richmond.
This was also Jackson’s second defeat, first being the Battle of Falling Waters (Hoke’s Run). But the first in his 1862 Valley Campaign that will build his legend.
Now for this Cache
Your task is is to take a stroll through a 1.2 mile interpreted walking trail winds through fields and woods and includes a spur trail to a reconstructed section of stone wall. The trail travels through where the 1862 1st Battle of Kernstown concluded. And vist the followng signs. My Suggestion is to take the trail Clockwise. But either way works. You use the main trail and the small stonewall trail to get your answers
Rose Hill
Defense of the Stone Wall
Advance of Tyler's Brigade
Fight for the High Ground
Order of Retreat
Northern Victory, Southern Defeat
War in the Backyard
At these signs you will look for missing word from the phase listed, Fill in the below puzzle to find the hidden word. Take that word and enter it in the Certitude below to get the final coordinates.
Sign "Rose Hill"
7. The First Battle of Kernstown, On March 23, 1863, was also the first major Civil War Battle in the (Blank)
2. The Glass Family first came to the lower Shenandoah Valley from (Blank) Ireland
Sign "Defense of the Stone Wall"
3. Fifteen-Year-old Private (Blank) Burwell
5. The first Southern regiment to arrive at this stone wall (Blank) advancing
Sign "Advance of Tyler's Brigade"
1. …the crashing of Shell shot and canister through the trees has left an (Blank)
Sign "Fight for the High Ground"
6. Already one of our regiments had melted away like (Blank)
Sign "Order of Retreat"
4. A cavalry demonstration was being made on our left (Blank)
Sign "Northern Victory, Southern Defeat"
8. But the (Blank) of the day, has been dreadful
Sign "War in the Backyard"
9. The ground (Blank) by the blood of our men and Yanks also.
Document of the Puzzle for Printing
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.