Summer 2021 • Newsletter of the KernstownKernstown Battlefi eldeld AssociationAssociation •• PP.O..O. BoxBox 13271327 •• WWinchester,inchester, VVirginiairginia 2260422604 •• wwwwww.kernstownbattle.org.kernstownbattle.org Great Discoveries at Pritchard’s Hill Cemetery With only one headstone visible, it’s always been a guess as to how many graves are in the cemetery on Pritchard’s Hill, and where they are located. On Thursday, April 8th GeoModel, a company from Leesburg, Virginia specializing in Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), was hired by the KBA Board of Dirctors to survey our cemetery to help us deter- mine the number and exact location of the graves. Matt Turner from GeoModel laid out a grid around the existing cemetery and surveyed the entire area. He located 14 gravesites, Pushing his GPR equipment, Matt Turner of GeoModel all located fairly close together, laid east to west. While we have some idea who is buried surveys the Pritchard cemetery. Susan Baldwin’s head- stone stands in the foreground. in the cemetery we will never know who is buried in which grave. However, now when we give tours we can say with certainty that there are at least 14 graves on the hillside. In addition to the one headstone, marked as the grave of Susan (Pritchard) Baldwin, records show the following individuals are also buried on the hill: Susan’s grandfather, Reese Pritchard Jr. (1710 – 1760); her father, Stephen Pritchard I (1745 – 1819); her brother, Stephen Pritchard II (1776 – 1858); and her sister, Margaret (1772 – 1819). We know at least five other family mem- SUSAN JAMES BALDWIN bers are in the cemetery, including two-year- Third wife and widow of old Margaret, daughter of Samuel and Helen CORNELIUS BALDWIN Pritchard who occupied Brightside during the war. Born July 18, 1836 (58) GPR gravesite analysis as drawn by Matt Turner of GeoModel. Each dot represents ten feet. Let sorrow fi nd no sacred dorm Susan’s husband, Dr. Cornelius Baldwin, No more in sacred sighs was the physician and personal friend of Lord Fairfax and who fought with the 3rd Virginia But hope beyond the tomb Regiment during the Revolutionary War. The Bid every tear be dry house Dr. Baldwin built and where he resided Inscription on the only standing headstone of in 1780 still exists and is located at 522 S. Susan Baldwin in the Pritchard family cemetery Loudoun Street in Winchester. The KBA Board of Directors each personally donated money to fund this project and it was money well spent. A special thank you to all who helped see this important project through. Epilogue to the story: For the icing on the cake, two days following the GPR survey, volunteer Sue Sheppard was working in the cemetery with KBA Board members Steve Above, the unearthed headstone of Margaret Chesley and Ray Hess and noticed something protruding from the ground that she Pritchard. Its inscription is below. thought could be part of a headstone. When Steve and Ray dug it up, it was discovered IN that Sue was correct. It was the bottom half of a headstone and the only lettering that memory of could be made out was “aged 17 Years and 11 Months”. As Steve and Ray were digging MARGARET PRITCHARD carefully in search of the upper part of the headstone, they made a startling discovery of Consort of a full headstone with very clear lettering saying: STEPHEN PRITCHARD As you can see, there are great discoveries and adventures happening at the Kern- who departed this life stown Battlefield. If you aren’t a member, please consider joining to help support our January 2nd 1797 preservation efforts and more great discoveries. Aged 46 Years The Kernstown Battlefi eld Association Gazette [email protected] Page 2 of the native plants for a better habitat. Soon we will be planting from Gary Sheppard ... native grasses and wildflowers. Watch for their growth! We also mow quite a bit of the property to control growth and allow visitors ample room to walk, bike, or run. KBA Director Andy The President’s Marrocco, Shenandoah University (SU) professor and cross country coach, maintains their cross country course on the property, also Corner used by John Handley. Andy uses the SU mower. The KBA has its own mower that was used last year by six volunteers who had As I write – Spring has Sprung !! We their own times and areas for mowing. That’s a lot of wear and tear have all had a very trying year with the on that mower. John Doyle , our director in charge of lawn care, pandemic and hopefully we’ll be entering a new year that will put coordinates this mowing. This year, our mower needed critical this behind us and get us back to some normalcy. maintenance service. Thankfully, a friend of John’s, who works on This year, we have been permitted to open on time – April 10th. these machines, generously volunteered his services to conduct Last year we were not able to open until July. This meant a loss this maintenance. of donations from our visitors and a lack of sales in our Book/ Our Building Committee, chaired by Past KBA President Scott Merchandise Shop. Most of all, we missed interacting with our Gregory, is looking at ways to restore the windows on the Pritchard visitors, telling the wonderful story of the Hoge-Pritchard-Burton- House. The house, built in 1854, is the jewel of the property and Grim Farm, and the events that occurred here, mainly the three takes a beating from the weather elements, especially the wind, battles that raged across the property causing significant impacts moisture, and sun. The window sills drastically need repair as do on the Civil War. many of the shutters. Due to restrictions on materials that can be The Kernstown Battlefield Association (KBA) has been very used on historical structures, these repairs can be expensive. busy over the winter months preparing for the new season. Thanks to donations from our members, some donations have Our History & Education Committee (H&EC), chaired by Board been dedicated to this specific project and those funds will be Member Larry Turner, created the historical marker of The Barn utilized in the near future to repair as many of the window sills as which was placed just west of the Visitors Center where the barn the funds will allow. Still, there are other buildings which required once stood. The Barn concept, presented to the H&EC by past constant care and upkeep as well. KBA President Gary Crawford, provides history and context for The KBA is looking forward to an exciting new full season this the barn that once stood in the location and the role it played in year. As a reminder, when you visit, we do require social distancing the Civil War battles. At least three other historical markers are in and masks to be properly worn in our buildings as well as in groups queue awaiting their full review process. when social distancing cannot occur. It is very heartwarming to The H&EC hosted our first organized event of the season with the hear the many positive comments about the property from visitors First Battle of Kernstown Tour on March 27th celebrating it’s 159th and our members. Your continued financial support is greatly anniversary. This tour was led by noted author Gary Ecelbarger appreciated. If you’d like to explore volunteer options, please who wrote “We Are In For It”, a detailed account of the battle. This contact Chuck Maurer through our website or telephone leaving a tour was attended by 48 participants. The tour and the catered message for his attention. lunch were a huge success. A second tour commemorating First If you are able, please come out and visit, meet the docents, tour Kernstown was conducted on April 17th. This walking/driving the Field Hospital and our buildings and enjoy a day of history. tour, led by Mike Cannane and Larry Turner (both KBA Board Hope to meet you on the Kernstown Battlefield. members), took the group to different parts of the battlefield to discuss specific cavalry and artillery movements. Gary Sheppard Mike Cannane created new trail maps for our visitors and volunteer John Hess diligently restocked the book section of our KBA MEMBERSHIP Visitor Center with related books of interest and quality t-shirts, sweaters, and hats with an impressive Kernstown Battlefield logo. The KBA is an all-volunteer non-profi t organization. Mike also updated the electronic map of the property for a better We rely solely on your membership dues interpretation of the battles that occurred. and donations to improve, maintain and operate the Kernstown Battlefi eld. In March, the property was used by John Handley High If your membership has expired, School for two cross country races. In April, we had a scheduled please consider renewing at this time. wedding for which the Artillery Building was used. Recently, the If you are not a member, please consider joining. American Battlefield Trust filmed on the Kernstown Battlefield for Additional contributions beyond the future segments of their YouTube series “In4 Minutes”. $25 annual membership fee are greatly appreciated. We continue work on our Conservation Resource Environment Use the enclosed remittance envelope Program (CREP), a program with the US Department of Agriculture to donate or go to our website at to keep 40 acres of the property in a protected environmental www.kernstownbattle.org. program to enhance the habitat for better native plant growth and The KBA is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation ~ wildlife. The designated CREP fields have been mowed very short Contributions are tax-deductible.