NATIONAL REGISTER of HISTORIC Placet MULTIPLE PROPERTY
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NFS Form 10-900-b 4-0018 (March 1992) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACEt SHGISfER, HISTORY MULTIPLE PROPERTY DOCUMENTATION F RM NATIONAL PARK SERVICE This form is used for documenting multiple property groups relating to one or several historic contexts. See instructions in How to Complete the Multiple Property Documentation Form (National Register Bulletin 16B). Complete each item by entering the requested information. For additional space, use continuation sheets (Form 10-900-a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer to complete all items. X New Submission Amended Submission A. Name of Multiple Property Listing The Civil War in Virginia, 1861-1865: Historic and Archaeological Resources B. Associated Historic Contexts (Name each associated historic context, identifying theme, geographical area, and chronological period for each.) The Civil War in Virginia, 1861-1865: Historic and Archaeological Resources C. Form Prepared by name/title John S. Salmon organization _Virginia Department of Historic Resources street & number 2801 Kensington Avenue telephone 804-367-2323 ext. 117 city or town Richmond_____________ state VA zip code 23221 D. Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certify that this documentation form meets the National Register documentation standards and sets forth requirements for the listing of related properties consistent with the National Register criteria. This submission meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60 and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation. (__ See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Signature and title of certifying official Date of tate or FeaeraHgency and ureau I hereby certify that this multiple property documentation form has been approved by the National Register as a basis for evaluating related properties for listing in the National Register. 1 Signature of the Keeper Date Table of Contents for Written Narrative Provide the following information on continuation sheets. Cite the letter and the title before each section of the narrative. Assign page numbers according to the instructions for continuation sheets in How to Complete the Multiple Property Documentation Form (National Register Bulletin 16B). Fill in page numbers for each section in the space below. E. Statement of Historic Contexts (Document historic contexts on one or more continuation sheets. If more than one historic context is documented, present them in sequential order.) E-l E-103 F. Associated Property Types (Provide description, significance, and registration requirements on one or more continuation sheets.) F-104 F-123 G. Geographical Data G-124 H. Summary of Identification and Evaluation Methods (Discuss the methods used in developing the multiple property listing on one or more continuation sheets..) H-125 H-126 I. Major Bibliographical References (List major written works and primary location of additional documentation: State Historic Preservation Orifice, other State agency, Federal agency, local government, university, or other, specifying repository.) Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) 1-127 1-133 Previous documentation on Hie (NPS) __ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested. __ previously listed in the National Register __ previously determined eligible by the National Register __ designated a National Historic Landmark __ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # ______ __ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # ______ Primary Location of Additional Data: X State Historic Preservation Office __ Other State agency __ Federal agency __ Local government __ University __ Other Name of repository: _______________________ NFS Form 10-900a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section _E_ Page _JL_ The Civil War in Virginia. 1861-1865: Historic and Archaeological Resources______________ Name of Multiple Property Listing E. STATEMENT OF HISTORIC CONTEXTS BACKGROUND Virginia (excluding present-day West Virginia) is divided into several geographical and cultural regions. The geographical regions include Tidewater, a relatively flat area from the coast (including the Eastern Shore) west to the "fall line," from which the rolling terrain of the Piedmont then extends to the Blue Ridge Mountains. West of the Blue Ridge lies the "Breadbasket of the Confederacy," the Shenandoah Valley (from Lexington north to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia), and the Valley of Virginia (south of Lexington to about present-day Roanoke). The valleys are bounded on the west by the Appalachian Mountains, which extend past Roanoke through a cultural region called Southwest Virginia. Other cultural regions include the Southside, which lies in Tidewater and the Piedmont between the James River and North Carolina, and the Northern Neck, a colonial proprietary located in Tidewater and Piedmont north of the Rappahannock River. At the time of the Civil War, Virginia was a predominantly rural state. Several large urban areas existed, however, including Richmond, the state capital and capital of the Confederacy; Alexandria, a major port on the Potomac River opposite Washington, D.C.; Fredericksburg, located halfway between the two capitals; Lynchburg, the industrial center of the Piedmont; Norfolk and Portsmouth, large Tidewater ports near the entrances to the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean; and Petersburg, an important port town on the Appomattox River about thirty miles south of Richmond. Few other commercial and industrial centers existed in the state except for the county seats, which varied in size from bustling large towns such as Winchester and Staunton to small hamlets such as Charlotte Court House and Appomattox Court House. Most industrial sites, including gristmills and ironworks, were scattered over the countryside or stood on the fringes of small towns and villages. By mid-century, a growing network of railroads and turnpikes in addition to preexisting, notoriously poor roads linked towns, cities, and industrial centers. Strategically, the railroads held the greatest importance for the contending armies. Among the most significant railroads were the Orange and Alexandria, between Alexandria and Gordonsville, in Orange County; the Manassas Gap, between Manassas Junction on the Orange and Alexandria in Prince William County to Mount Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley; the Virginia Central, between Richmond and Covington in the Allegheny Mountains by way of Gordonsville and Charlottesville; the Virginia and Tennessee, between Lynchburg and the Tennessee line through the Valley of Virginia and Southwest Virginia; the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac between Richmond and Aquia Landing on the Potomac River; the Richmond and York River; the Richmond and Danville; the Richmond and Petersburg; the Petersburg (often called the Weldon), between Petersburg and Weldon, North Carolina; and the South Side, between Petersburg and Lynchburg by way of Appomattox Station. The most important highways were the Valley Turnpike (present-day U.S. Rte. 11) between Winchester and Staunton, and the Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike (various county roads and U.S. Rte. 250). Many of the railroads and turnpikes passed through mountain gaps, further enhancing their strategic value. NFS Form 10-900a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section E Page 2 The Civil War in Virginia, 1861-1865: Historic and Archaeological Resources__________________ Name of Multiple Property Listing Most of the Civil War campaigns in Virginia were conducted along the principal transportation routes. The Manassas campaign of 1861 and the Northern Virginia campaign of 1862 were focused on the vitally important Manassas Junction. During the Peninsula and Seven Days' campaigns of 1862, the Union army relied on the Richmond and York River Railroad as well as Federal shipping on the York and James Rivers for supplies and troop transportation. The Shenandoah Valley campaigns of 1862 and 1864-1865 took place on the Valley Turnpike, the Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike, and other turnpikes and roads in the region. Most of the battles of the Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg campaigns of 1862-1863 were fought at river crossings and on turnpikes. During the Bristoe Station campaign in 1863, most of the fighting occurred on or near the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, as well as on major highways. Turnpikes, road intersections, railroads, and rail junctions comprised key objectives during the Overland, Richmond and Petersburg, Southwest Virginia, and Appomattox campaigns in 1864-1865. MANASSAS CAMPAIGN The long-simmering sectional crisis over slavery in the United States reached the boiling point after the election of Abraham Lincoln as president in November 1860. Even before Lincoln's inauguration, several Southern states that felt threatened by his anti-slavery views summoned delegates to consider secession from the Union. Virginia convened a special session of the General Assembly on 7 January 1861; on 19 January, the legislature called for the election on 4 February of