Where Gumbo Was #414
The Virginia Museum of the Civil War is a National Historic Landmark and located in the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park. The first thing that caught my eye entering the parking lot was the rust colored circular dome like structure. I learned later that the museum was dedicated in 1970 as a monument and the dome like structure was representative of a metal drum-like rotunda with stylized bayoneted rifles leaning against it.
The museum is part of the Virginia Military Institute Museum System and focuses on the 1864 Battle of New Market with emphasis on the role of Virginia Military Institute Cadets and the Civil War in Virginia. Students called from the Virginia Military Institute classroom as young as 15 years old fought in the battle to victory.
The battle pitted 10,000 Union troops facing off against 4,000 Confederate troops supplemented by the school cadets to protect a strategic mountain pass. In addition to the museum building, there is 300-acre battlefield park with walking trails, two scenic overlooks of the Shenandoah River, and the historic Bushong family farmstead structures which I did not have time to tour inside.
The Civil War themed LOVE artwork gracing the front field is made up of cannons, Signal Corps flags and local rough cut lumber. Not sure how that all fits into a bloody battle, but Virginia’s motto is “Virginia is for Lovers”, so maybe that was the inspiration.
Once inside the museum, a large 28-foot-long slab glass window caused me to stop and gaze. The window was the brainchild of Robert Blood, who designed the original museum exhibits for its opening in 1970. The stained glass wall was created by Israeli-born artist Ami Shamir who had executed a number of similar windows in Israel and Europe. The names of the ten cadets who were killed or mortally wounded in the battle are inscribed as the central feature accompanied by various Civil War and area symbology. Luckily my daughter Jennifer accompanied me and also snapped a good photo when mine did not turn our very well.
The museum’s Kaminsky Gallery of Civil War Firearms is touted as the largest collection of rare and innovative firearms in Virginia. A few images of pistols including the unusual Volcanic version are exhibited.
Along with the pistols, the museum shows an interesting piece called “Mr. Lincoln’s Machine Gun” and nicknamed the “Coffee Mill Gun.” Apparently President Lincoln had seen experiments with this rapid fire gun and thought it was worth attention. The government bought 60 of these, but the Confederate Army captured 17 of them at the Harper’s Ferry Arsenal Raid. Ammunition was fed into a brass hopper and a hand crank was used for rapid firing. The one on display is one of the three remaining original versions.
Civil War Body Armor was used but not extensively. The one on display was taken from a Union soldier in another battle. Apparently body armor was never formally adopted by either side in the war, so you had to purchase them privately and they cost a one month salary. Soldiers using these did receive protection, but being ridiculed by their fellow soldiers who didn’t own one and the armor weighing almost 10 pounds were reasons the bullet proof vests were commonly discarded.
Some uniform exhibits are also on display including this Confederate Army Artillery Officer’s coat.
Inside is a red carpet representing sacrifice and a graceful ramp signifying the forward motion of the VMI Cadets charging up Bushong’s Hill with a depicting struggle sculpture.
Another impressive fire arm on display is the Williams Rapid Fire Gun touted as the first machine gun type weapon ever used in combat. It had a range of 80 yards and fired twenty one-pound rounds per minute. There were fewer than 40 made and only four still in existence.
The Emmy award-winning film, “Field of Lost Shoes”, is shown hourly in the museum theater. It features actress Mary Mauser who portrays Libby Clinedinst, a young girl from New Market who attended to the wounded soldiers after the 1864 battle. Also, the museum’s impressive Robert Raeburn Civil War Art Gallery is well worth viewing.
The Virginia Museum of the Civil War is open daily from 9AM to 5PM. It is only closed on New Year’s Day, Christmas Eve and Day, and Thanksgiving Day. Entry is Adults $10; Senior (Age 65+) $9; Youth (Age 6-12) $6.00; Children 5 & under free. Parking is free. The address is 8895 George Collins Parkway, New Market, Virginia 22844, USA. It approximately a 2 hour, 150 road mile drive from Richmond Virginia and almost the same, but shorter distance from Washington DC. The Shenandoah Caverns tourist attraction is very nearby.
CONGRATULATIONS to this week’s Where in the World solvers: Professor Abe, Jonathan L and PortMoresby. Well done!
