Battle of Cedar Creek Civil War Reenactment
Sometimes I like to attend Reenactments to obtain reference photos for my art. One of the best I have seen was in 2015, when my wife and I went to the Battle of Cedar Creek Civil War Reenactment.
The Battle
The Battle of Cedar Creek took place in October 19, 1864, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, near Middletown. The Confederate forces, under Lieutenant General Jubal Early, appeared close to victory in the morning. But Major General Philip Sheridan, commander of the Union forces, rallied his men in the afternoon and drove off the opposing forces.
The Reenactment
There are several cool things about this civil war reenactment that were different from others I have attended. The first is that I believe it is the only reenactment that takes place on the actual grounds of the fighting. Another is that it takes place in mid October, so you don’t have to deal with the extreme heat as you would in other reenactments. The cool weather (we wore light jackets) made it quiet comfortable for us and the viewing public. And I am sure it is a relief for the reenactors themselves, having to wear heavy, thick uniforms of the period. Lastly, the view is quiet spectacular. We were elevated enough to get a grand view of the show (as you can see from the photos I took). And with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background, the panoramic scene is quite beautiful.
If you would like to attend the 2022 reenactment, click on the link below:
158th Anniversary Reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek, October 15th and 16th, 2022.
To find out more about the battle, you can check out the The American Battlefield Trust site.
Cedar Creek Battle Facts and Summary