2025 EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT!
Join Civil War Historical Impressions on 9-10 August 2025 at NINE HOURS IN HELL, the 163rd Battle of Cedar Mountain! This authentic force-on-force reenactment will be hosted similarly to A Devilish Entanglement, so if you attended the 160th Wilderness, you already have an idea of what to expect. If you missed out on that one, you won’t want to miss this one!
Unit portrayals and registration coming soon!
In the summer of 1864, while Lee and Grant were stalemated in Petersburg, Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley was raging once more as North and South vied to take control of the region. By late July, Union General George Crook believed that Confederate General Jubal Early’s Army of the Valley had left the region to reinforce Lee in Petersburg, leaving the “Breadbasket of the Confederacy” firmly in his hands. Little did Crook and his Army of West Virginia know they would soon be confronted with “a most destructive fire” at a small town just south of Winchester named Kernstown. The Second Battle of Kernstown was fought on July 24, 1864, at Kernstown, Virginia, outside Winchester, Virginia, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War. The Confederate Army of the Valley under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early soundly defeated the Union Army of West Virginia under Brig. Gen. George Crook and drove it from the Shenandoah Valley back over the Potomac River into Maryland. As a result, Early was able to launch the Confederacy’s last major raid into northern Union territory, attacking the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Maryland and West Virginia and burning Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, in retaliation for the burning of civilian houses and farms earlier in the campaign.
On 26th-28th July 2024, join Civil War Historical Impressions as we support the Kernstown Battlefield Association in hosting “A Most Destructive Fire”: the 160th Second Battle of Kernstown!
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Hot off the Press!
We’re delighted to see CWHI making it into the most recent issue of Civil War News, a bi-monthly publication for all things Civil War! The article features our participation at Military Through the Ages 2024, where CWHI was represented by its 2nd Corps Field Hospital display. Check out the article below and consider subscribing to…
Latest Events
- Recap: Wilderness 160!
FROM HARRY SONNTAGPRESIDENT, CWHI I wanted to thank all our participants who attended last weekends 160th Wilderness event. You came from all over the country, not to forget those who came from several countries including Canada, England, the UAE and others. Your commitment to the event and dedication to working with each other even though… Read More »Recap: Wilderness 160! - 40th Annual Military Through The Ages at Jamestown
CWHI participated in the 40th annual Military Through the Ages held this past March at the Jamestown Settlement. Thank you to all of our members who attended and provided visitors, a record-setting 4,000 plus, with such a high quality representation of a Confederate field hospital in 1864. Your commitment to perfection from our surgeons, Ambulance… Read More »40th Annual Military Through The Ages at Jamestown - Recap: 160th Olustee!
In February 2024, members of CWHI made the trip to Florida to participate in the 160th Anniversary of the Battle of Olustee. A great time was had by all! In addition to supporting a fun event and spectacular site, we had the opportunity to meet with other organizations to continue our ongoing efforts to collaborate… Read More »Recap: 160th Olustee!
Latest News
- Hot off the Press!
We’re delighted to see CWHI making it into the most recent issue of Civil War News, a bi-monthly publication for all things Civil War! The article features our participation at Military Through the Ages 2024, where CWHI was represented by its 2nd Corps Field Hospital display. Check out the article below and consider subscribing to… Read More »Hot off the Press! - Member Spotlight: Carol Polkinghorne
Few can claim to be as integrally involved with and responsible for CWHI’s success as Carol Polkinghorne, who has been reenacting for more than 15 years. During this time, she has played a crucial role in the founding of one of CWHIs oldest associate organizations, the Dixie Rose Relief Society. As a “Dixie Rose”, Carol… Read More »Member Spotlight: Carol Polkinghorne - Rally behind the Virginians!
We are pleased to announce that The Stonewall Brigade has voted to join our coalition as an affiliated unit alongside its sister units, the 2nd Wisconsin, Independent Grays, and the Allegheny Volunteer Guard! In doing so, all of us are further contributing to a mission greater than ourselves. A fixture in Civil War reenacting and… Read More »Rally behind the Virginians!