Death of Lt. Meigs

Death of Lt. Meigs (HM9T9)

Location: Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Buy Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 38° 25.441', W 78° 55.32'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 682 views
Inscription

Deadly Encounter

— 1864 Valley Campaigns —

Here on the old Swift Run Gap Road on the evening of October 3, 1864, Union Lt. John Rodgers Meigs was killed in a fight with three Confederate scouts guided by local resident Pvt. Benjamin F. "Frank" Shaver, 1st Virginia Cavalry. Meigs, of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan's staff, and two orderlies encountered the Confederates, who had entered Union lines that morning to observe the dispositions of Sheridan's army camped around Harrisonburg. A firefight ensued and Meigs wounded a scout, but the others returned fire and killed Meigs. His body was recovered the next morning.One of the orderlies reported to Sheridan that civilian "bushwhackers" had murdered Meigs. (Because of a drizzling rain, the scouts had worn "rubber raincoats" over their uniforms.) Sheridan retaliated, ordering that buildings over a large area, including the town of Dayton, be burned to the ground. He soon rescinded the order concerning Dayton, but thirty other dwellings were destroyed in what came to be known as the "Burnt District." Sheridan justified his actions by asserting, "Since I came into the Valley, from Harpers Ferry up to Harrisonburg, every train, every small party, and every straggler has been bushwhacked by people." In this case he was wrong, and innocent people paid the price.

(Upper Right Sidebar):
John Rodgers Meigs was a member of a distinguished family, the eldest son of Montgomery C. Meigs, quartermaster general of the U.S Army. Young Meigs graduated first in the West Point class of 1863 and became a highly regarded staff engineer before joining Sheridan. After his death, be received posthumous promotion to the rank of major, and his body was transported to Mrs. Robert E. Lee's Arlington House, then under Gen. Meigs's jurisdiction. The general buried his son in Plot 1, Grave 1, in Mrs. Lee's rose garden.

(Lower Right Sidebar):
This site is one of many in the Shenandoah Valley interpreted largely because of the efforts of John L. Heatwole, a renowned Valley historian, woodcarver, sculptor, and folklorist. His two books (Shenandoah Voices: Folklore, Legends and Traditions of the Valley and The Burning: Sheridan's Devastation of the Shenandoah Valley), his contributions to the Virginia Civil War Trails program, and his work on the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District Commission have brought the stories of this region to life for Valley residents and visitors alike.
Details
HM NumberHM9T9
Series This marker is part of the Virginia Civil War Trails series
Tags
Year Placed2007
Placed ByVirginia Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, September 29th, 2014 at 3:14pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 681396 N 4254907
Decimal Degrees38.42401667, -78.92200000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 25.441', W 78° 55.32'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 25' 26.46" N, 78° 55' 19.20" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)540
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 301-399 State Rte 713, Harrisonburg VA 22801, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. Does the marker have a number?
  7. This marker needs at least one picture.
  8. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  9. Is the marker in the median?