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Driving tour of the Port Republic Battlefield

This post was written before the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District’s project to update the signs in Port Republic. To date 7 new signs have been added on the Coaling and 3 signs have been replaced in town. The town driving tour has been updated. The new signs on the Coaling along with additional pictures will be covered in a separate post.

Stop 1- Where is the Yost Farm/Farmhouse? The Yost Farm/Farmhouse is/was located a half mile from the boat launch on Jackson’s Way on a hill. Maps indicate that it was on the river side of the road, see below. It was here that Colonel Samuel Carroll’s cannons fired on the town on June 8th during a surprise raid on the town where Jackson was almost captured.

Driving down Jackson Way the house below was located on a rise on the river side of the road fitting that description. The date this house was built is unknown. Comments are open if you have any further information.

Stop 2- Battlefield Circle Tour sign- 38.2931944, -78.7839444. The fields ahead, a cornfield now, were a wheatfield at the time of the war on Baugher’s and Lewis’ Farms the site of the Confederate attack under Brigadier General Charles Winder on the Union right.

Link

The images were taken looking from left to right across the field (the Confederate left/Union right).

Stop 3- The Coaling- 38.3014444, -78.7671111

The intersection of US 340/South East Side Highway and Lynnwood Road/Lewiston Lane.

The Confederates would be headed toward the camera
Lynnwood Road headed toward the river and the right side of the Union line.
The road to Conrad’s Store (Elkton) on which the Union retreated after the battle
Looking up at the top of the Coaling from the intersection. The house at the top is a postwar structure called Mapleton
Looking toward Lewiston from the Coaling.
Closer view of the home

The sign below has been replaced

Link

Text- Here, June 9, 1862 Gen. T. J. “Stonewall Jackson” defeated Gen. J. Shield’s vanguard advancing from Elkton under Gen. R. O. Tyler. Federals engaged, 4500 killed, wounded, and missing, 551, captured, 450. Confederates engaged, 6000
killed and wounded, 804.

The sign a few years ago
The sign is much more weathered today

The new signs placed in the summer of 2025 appear at the link.

Stop 4- Union Artillery Position- 38.3077684, -78.7709776. The railroad on the right in the first picture was not present during the war but this is the approximate area where Union artillery was located. The Union line was located just in front of the road and the Confederates were charging toward the camera. The images are from right to left toward the Coaling.

Looking toward the Coaling

Stop 5- View of the Blue Ridge

Stop 6- Lynnwood is a home on Dilworth Lane that served as a field hospital during the war.

Picture taken from Lynnwood Lane with a high power lens

Stop 7- Lewis Ford- 38.3121112, -78.7713316. Several Union soldiers fled across the South Fork of the Shenandoah River at the Lewis Ford after the Federals line broke at the Coaling.

Stop 8- Bogota- The Strayer House- 38.316873, -78.774878. Bogata was owned by Jacob Strayer at the time of the battle. It was ransacked by General Blenker’s men after the Confederate victory. It is for sale currently, a sale is currently listed as pending on a real estate website site (link).

Next- Walking tour of the Port Republic Battlefield- The Coaling

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