Jenny at the Ridge

A CVBT Recap

from Chris

Last weekend, Stevenson Ridge again had the chance to host Sunday brunch for the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust’s annual conference. After two full days of battlefielding in the Wilderness and at Spotsylvania—plus the Saturday night dinner highlighted by a great talk about recent archeology being done on a Civil War field hospital on the Second Manassas battlefield—festivities wrapped up with a delicious meal and a special tour of CVBT’s newest property acquisition, Myer’s Hill (which is pretty much …

Exploring Myer’s Hill with the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust

from Chris

This weekend, I get to help the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust show off one of its newest property acquisitions, Myer’s Hill, which sits to the south side of Route 208 across from Stevenson Ridge. A radio tower on Myer’s Hill is visible from the front yard of the Lodge. (We told you about the acquisition last fall.)

The purchase of Myer’s Hill was a fantastic coup for CVBT. The plot is just over 73 acres, which …

Hosting an American Hero for Medal of Honor Day

Medal of Honor recipient Britt Slabinski and SR Historian in Residence Chris Mackowski

From Chris

Last October, Stevenson Ridge had the honor of hosting a true American hero: Britt Slabinski, the most recent recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The Medal of Honor is “the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States.” Britt received the Medal of Honor in May …

Early Bird Tickets Still Available for the Sixth Annual Emerging Civil War Symposium at Stevenson Ridge

The early bird rate is still available for anyone interested in tickets to next summer’s Sixth Annual Emerging Civil War Symposium at Stevenson Ridge. Early bird tickets are only $135 each, and they cover events Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Aug. 2-4, 2019. You can order here through PayPal.

The theme this year will be “Forgotten Battles of the Civil War.”

Keynote speaker A. Wilson Greene, former director of Pamplin Park and noted author and historian, will talk about some …

Historian-in-Residence Publishes New Civil War Book

Just in time for the holidays, our historian-in-residence, Chris Mackowski, has a new book available: The Great Battle Never Fought: The Mine Run Campaign, Nov. 26-dec. 2, 1863. The book, part of the award-winning Emerging Civil War Series, recounts the final chapter of the forgotten fall of 1863—when Union Major General George Gordon Meade made one final attempt to save the Union and, in doing so, save himself.

According to the press release from the publisher:

The stakes for …

John Henry Myer of Myer’s Hill

We told you last month about a major acquisition the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust was making on the Spotyslvania Court House battlefield right across the road from us here at Stevenson Ridge. The property, Myer’s Hill, was the scene of action on May 14, 1864. We’re pleased today to welcome our friend, historian John F. Cummings III, to tell us more about the man the hill is named after, John Henry Myer.

John Henry Myer came to America to …

Saving Some Nearby Battlefield

Army of the Potomac commander George Gordon Meade was nearly captured by Confederates on Myer’s Hill. A newspaper artist sketched the incident, “Narrow Escape of Genl Meade.”

from Chris

Our friends at the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust (CVBT) announced some big news recently: they’re saving a key piece of Civil War battlefield at Spotsylvania Courthouse that’s right across the street from Stevenson Ridge.

The property is known as Myer’s Hill, and it saw a lot of action on May 14, …

A Civil War-Time Image of Stevenson Ridge

from Chris

I’ve written in the past of two wartime images that show the property that is now Stevenson Ridge. We’ve recently come across a third image that shows the property, and it’s the earliest image of the three.

Sketched on May 10, 1864—the same day that Thomas Greeley Stevenson was killed nearby–the image shows reinforcements from the Federal IX Corps marching down the Fredericksburg Road past the Gayle House toward the front. Artist Joseph Becker captured the scene for …

“Absolutely Wonderful Place to Stay and Relax”

Recent guests from Oregon spent some time with our historian-in-residence touring Chancellorsville and Spotsylvania. They posted a nice review at AirBnB:

“Our visit to Stevenson Ridge and the Riddick House was a highlight of our two-week journey visiting several Civil War battlefields. Absolutely wonderful place to stay and relax. The owners of this beautiful property provide a unique experience for their guests, having relocated and modernized [within reason] a number of houses and cabins [all different], creating a private park-like …

Stevenson Ridges’s Civil War Anniversaries

from Chris

It was 154 years ago yesterday that Yankee infantry first swept across the property that is now Stevenson Ridge. And it was 154 years ago today that Brig. Gen. Thomas Greeley Stevenson—the man for whom SR is named—was killed on the battlefield.

You can read all about Stevenson Ridge’s Civil War history in our own book, Traces of the Bloody Struggle: The Civil War at Stevenson Ridge, Spotsylvania Court House. Order your hard copy—only $10—exclusively from Stevenson …