Shenandoah University’s McCormick Civil War Institute will present “A More Sharp & Obstinate Affair,” commemorating the 153rd anniversary of the Battle of Cool Spring on Saturday, July 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public and will be held at the Shenandoah University River Campus at Cool Spring Battlefield (1400 Parker Lane, Bluemont, Virginia). The battlefield trails will be open for self-guided tours all day. Scheduled programs are outlined below.
Scheduled Programs:
- 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. – 1864 Shenandoah Campaign, Battlefield in a Box Program; Shannon Moeck, National Park Service
- 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Living History Demonstration; 116th Ohio Infantry
- 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. – “Nothing was left to do but fight”—The Battle of Cool Spring guided tour; Jonathan A. Noyalas, Shenandoah University
- 1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – The Life and Death of Col. Daniel Frost; Nicholas Picerno, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation
- 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – “The sad murmurings of the Shenandoah chanting its endless requiem”—The aftermath of the Battle of Cool Spring guided tour; Jonathan A. Noyalas, Shenandoah University
- 3:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. – Closing commemorative remarks and wreath laying with 116th Ohio Infantry
Moeck is a park ranger at Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park. She joined the Cedar Creek & Belle Grove staff during the park’s inaugural season of interpretation in 2010. She is an interpretive ranger and her responsibilities include interpretive programs, research, and volunteer management, among other duties.
Noyalas is director of Shenandoah University’s McCormick Civil War Institute and a 2001 graduate of Shenandoah. He is the author or editor of eleven books on Civil War-era history and has also written scores of essays, book chapters, articles and reviews for scholarly and popular publications. In addition to teaching and writing, he has served as a consultant on a variety of Civil War projects, and has appeared on NPR’s “With Good Reason” and C-SPAN’s American History TV.
Picerno is in his second term as chairman of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation Board of Trustees. He is a retired chief of police at Bridgewater College. A noted historian, especially on the 1864 Campaign in the Valley, Picerno serves on the Federal Advisory Commission at the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historic Park. He also sits on the board of the Lee-Jackson Educational Foundation and is a previous trustee of the Museum of the Confederacy.
A visitor information tent will be set up near the lodge on the property the day of the event with information about where events on the property will take place. The lodge will also be open to visitors who wish to view items in the under-construction exhibit about the Battle of Cool Spring and Snickers Gap during the Civil War. Please note, visitors who plan to attend the full day of events should bring food and water; no concessions will be available at the site.
For more information, contact Noyalas at 540/665-4501 or jnoyalas01@su.edu.
