Virginia Museum of the Civil War at New Market Battlefield

Virginia Museum of the Civil War at New Market Battlefield Welcome to the page of The Virginia Museum of the Civil War at New Market Battlefield State Historical Park.

Learn more about the Civil War and see what items are featured in our gift shop! Located at 8895 George Collins Parkway, New Market, VA 22844

This is the only state-owned Civil War museum in Virginia and is administered by the Virginia Military Institute. The site consists of three elements: The Virginia Museum of the Civil War, the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park and the Historic Bu

shong Farm.The site is on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail System. The museum focuses on the whole war in the Commonwealth of Virginia with special attention paid to the Battle of New Market on May 15th 1864 and the role played by the corps of cadets from the Virginia Military Institute. A total of 257 cadets from VMI participated in the battle with 47 wounded and 10 killed because of the fighting. The museum features exhibits, dioramas, artifacts from the battle and an Emmy-award winning film called Field of Lost Shoes shown hourly in the theater. Outside visitors will enjoy three hundred acres of core battlefield property accessible by foot or car. The New Market Battlefield State Historical Park offers two walking trails across the farm and battlefield terminating atop Bushong's Hill and two scenic overlooks 100 feet above the Shenandoah River. Historically-named features include the Field of Lost Shoes, a wheatfield so named by cadets because of lost footwear, and the Fatal Orchard, a dangerous part of the battlefield next to the farm. Finally, the Bushong Farm features seven buildings to explore. The two frame houses were witnesses to the battle that day. Exhibits inside tell the story of what life was like in the Shenandoah Valley before and during the Civil War.

We are kicking off our last quarter of Semiquincentennial Saturdays with Cadet George Raum and his great-grandfather Cap...
09/12/2026

We are kicking off our last quarter of Semiquincentennial Saturdays with Cadet George Raum and his great-grandfather Captain William Rippey.

Cadet Raum’s pre and post war days saw him take full advantage of the variety life can offer. After standing on guard duty at John Brown’s ex*****on as a member of Charlestown’s “boy company,” Cadet Raum acted as a courier for Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston. According to an abstract written by Cadet Raum in 1896, he also saw action at Wi******er and Gettysburg before an illness removed him from field duty. It was at this time that Confederate General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson recommended him for a cadetship at the Virginia Military Institute.

Matriculating at VMI in February 1864, it was only 3 months later that, at the age of 17, he was engaged at the Battle of New Market. No longer appearing on roster rolls by early 1865, Cadet Raum had rejoined the Confederate Army eventually serving with Mosby’s Rangers until the end of the war. Post war he worked in commercial mining and rail roads, before setting out on a world tour in 1882. Egypt, India, Italy and China are all mentioned in his “A Tour Around the World,” book. Cadet Raum even took time to study painting in Paris. After a long and eventful life, Cadet George Raum died at the age of 88 in Berkley California.

Born in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, in 1741, William Rippey took over his father’s tavern, known as the Branch Inn, and ran it his entire life. Proving himself a patriot, Rippey not only enlisted early during the American Revolutionary War but raised a Company of volunteers from Shippensburg. Commissioned as a Captain in January 1776, he fought at the Battle of Three Rivers, remaining in Canada until March of 1777. Upon returning home Captain Rippey retired and resumed running his tavern. It was at this tavern in October 1794 that Captain Rippey hosted a fellow Revolutionary War veteran. President George Washington stopped in Carlisle, as he headed towards Western Pennsylvania on his way to subdue the Whiskey Rebellion.

Stay tuned for more on Washington!

Image: The Sphinx, by George E. Raum 1896, Source: Smithsonian American Art Museum

This year, September 11th falls on a Friday, and we begin this week’s post by remembering the events of that day twenty-...
09/11/2026

This year, September 11th falls on a Friday, and we begin this week’s post by remembering the events of that day twenty-five years ago and the lives lost in New York City, at the Pentagon, and aboard United Flight 93. We also express our gratitude for the thousands of first responders who aided in rescue and recovery efforts that day and in the weeks and months that followed.

Speaking of first responders, today’s Fun Fact Friday will focus on the efforts of doctors, civilians, and soldiers who tended to the wounded, injured and dying after the Battle of New Market that took place here on the grounds of the Virginia Museum of the Civil War and New Market Battlefield State Historic Park. In the late afternoon of May 15, 1864, once the cannons went silent and gunfire ceased, the main task became the frantic efforts to care for the wounded, from both North and South.

Not only did the Bushong farmhouses and barn, closest to the front line, become sites of quick-thinking surgeries and triage, but several locations in New Market proper also became impromptu centers to tend to the hundreds in need of medical aid, from the plantation house of W.C. Rice to warehouses in town cleared by Jessie Rupert, a Union sympathizer, with aid of Confederate troops.

We know specifically about two doctors who worked in the aftermath of the battle here, Dr. Robert L. Madison and Dr. George Ross, both of whom traveled with the Corps of Cadets up to New Market that May and who operated inside the Bushong farmhouse on soldiers. Dr. Madison was a VMI Biology professor and designated Post Surgeon while Dr. Ross was a VMI alumnus and recent medical graduate of the University of Virginia. Both worked without discrimination and with professionalism, treating the wounded whether they were Union or Confederate.

In moments of crisis, it’s always vital to recall those who rush forward and render aid; we here at the Museum pause to respect those who served not only on September 11, but on each day of the Civil War, and the innumerable patients they helped amid widespread destruction, difficult conditions, and immense human suffering.

#9/11

(Photograph: Dr. Robert Madison, 1870; credit: VMI Digital Archives. Image: Dr. George Ross, 1890; credit: VMI Digital Archives.)

Check out our selection of “Who Was” and “What Was” books! Choose from “What Was the Turning Point of the Civil War”, “W...
09/07/2026

Check out our selection of “Who Was” and “What Was” books! Choose from “What Was the Turning Point of the Civil War”, “Who Was Abraham Lincoln”, “What Was the Battle of Gettysburg”, and more!
Questions? Give us a call at 540-740-3101.

Good morning, and time for another Fun Fact Friday! This week’s fact is that the Virginia Museum of the Civil War is exc...
09/04/2026

Good morning, and time for another Fun Fact Friday! This week’s fact is that the Virginia Museum of the Civil War is excited to once again welcome students, teachers, and school groups back to New Market Battlefield State Historic Park for another season of engaging educational field trips and hands-on learning experiences.

Our school programs offer students an affordable opportunity to explore Civil War history where it happened. Using the Battle of New Market as a gateway to the past, students tour museum exhibits and art galleries, walk the preserved battlefield, visit the 19th-century Bushong Farm, and experience living history through interpretation. Scavenger hunts, a film presentation, and hands-on activities help young historians engage with the stories of the soldiers, civilians, and VMI Cadets who experienced the events of May 15, 1864.

Whether students are studying Virginia history, the American Civil War, or exploring the importance of historic preservation or the foodways and agriculture of the Valley, our programs are designed to encourage curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the people and events that shaped our nation’s history.

If you are a teacher, homeschool group leader, or school administrator interested in planning a visit or learning more about our educational offerings, please contact us at 540-740-3101 or [email protected]. We look forward to welcoming a new generation of historians to New Market this 2026-2027 school year!



(Photo credit: VMCW staff)

Check out our new crewnecks and long sleeve shirts! Decorated with a cannon, our museum logo, and a pair of “Lost Shoes”...
08/31/2026

Check out our new crewnecks and long sleeve shirts! Decorated with a cannon, our museum logo, and a pair of “Lost Shoes”, these shirts are comfy cozy and sure to become your favorite!
Questions? Give us a call at 540-740-3101.

It’s Fun Fact Friday once again, and this week’s fun fact is that on this day in 1862, the Second Battle of Manassas beg...
08/28/2026

It’s Fun Fact Friday once again, and this week’s fun fact is that on this day in 1862, the Second Battle of Manassas began. Concluding two days later in a decisive Confederate victory, the battle opened the door for General Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North and dramatically shifted the momentum of the Civil War in Virginia.

Occurring a little more than one year after the First Battle of Manassas, this second battle was preceded by President Lincoln’s continued frustration with the North’s inability to capture Richmond or secure much of Virginia. In June 1862, Lincoln ordered the formation of the Army of Virginia commanded by Major General John Pope with commands to defend Washington, DC, and to relieve General George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac, then stalled on the Virginia Peninsula outside the Confederate capital.

To counter Pope, Lee dispatched Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson into central and northern Virginia by mid-July. In a whirlwind six-week campaign, Jackson forced Union forces back beyond the Rappahannock River, disrupted supply lines, and seized the initiative. By late August, Lee and Lt. General James Longstreet moved to unite with Jackson near Manassas Junction, setting the stage for one of the most important Confederate victories of the war.

The battle started on August 28 at Brawner Farm, where Jackson’s troops clashed fiercely with a lone Union division. Fighting intensified the following day when Lee and Longstreet arrived on the field. Mistakenly thinking the Confederates would be soon retreating, Pope ordered a pursuit of Jackson and proceeded directly into a massive counterattack by Lee and Longstreet. Barely able to stave off disaster, Pope withdrew his forces back toward Washington the night of August 30, leaving northern Virginia firmly in Confederate hands.

The consequences of the battle reached far beyond Manassas itself. Less than a week later, Pope was removed from command by Lincoln, and Lee carried the war across the Potomac into Maryland. That campaign would culminate on September 17, 1862, at the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest single day in American history. Second Manassas also cemented the reputations of Lee and Jackson as the Confederacy’s most formidable command team thanks to their rapid maneuvering of troops, tactical skills, and leadership.

Here at the Virginia Museum of the Civil War, the story of Second Manassas helps illustrate how Virginia remained the central battleground of the Civil War and how campaigns fought across the state shaped the conflict’s outcome. Through artifacts, personal accounts, and preserved historic landscapes, we continue to share the stories of the soldiers and civilians whose lives were forever transformed by the turbulent campaigns of 1862 and the broader events of the Civil War.



(Engraving: “The Last Meeting” (1873) depicting Generals Lee and Jackson; credit: VMI Archives Digital Collections)

Our scrimshaw quilt boxes are in and they’re beautiful! Made out of natural ox bone tiles and a green felt lined interio...
08/24/2026

Our scrimshaw quilt boxes are in and they’re beautiful! Made out of natural ox bone tiles and a green felt lined interior, no two boxes are alike due to slight ox bone color variations. Choose from a pink and green or multicolor star design!
Questions? Give us a call at 540-740-3101.

Happy Semiquincentennial Saturday! Our Cadet-Revolutionary Era duo this week is Cadet Charles Randolph and his grandfath...
08/22/2026

Happy Semiquincentennial Saturday! Our Cadet-Revolutionary Era duo this week is Cadet Charles Randolph and his grandfather Captain Robert Randolph!
Just 18 years old during the Battle of New Market, Cadet Randolph had already been engaged with the Confederate Army, with service during the 1862 Valley Campaign in the 6th Virginia Cavalry. Having met the already famous Confederate General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson at the Battle of Port Republic, Jackson took the young man on as special courier. Cadet Randolph carried messages for Jackson at the Battle of Second Manassas and at Antietam (Sharpsburg). It was Jackson who arranged for Cadet Randolph to attend the Virginia Military Institute, where he matriculated in 1863. Severely wounded at the Battle of New Market, he permanently lost hearing in one ear. Due to his injury Cadet Randolph did not return to VMI until 1866 and graduated in 1870. He went on to become an Episcopal Minister serving churches in Virginia, Maryland, and Georgia for 17 years before retiring in 1916.

Like his grandson Captain Robert Randolph was just 16 years old when he first enlisted in the military. According to his obituary in the Fredericksburg Virginia Herald, he joined the Continental Army as an ensign and fought during the campaign of 1776. Rising to the rank of Captain, Randolph served with Baylor’s Dragoons and spent time as a British prisoner of war. After the war Captain Randolph returned to Fauquier County, Virginia, and served for a time in the Virginia House of Delegates.


Image: Revolutionary War Veteran Grave Medallion Source: VMCW Staff

We’ve made it to the end of another week, which means it’s time for a new Fun Fact Friday!Today’s fun fact focuses on th...
08/21/2026

We’ve made it to the end of another week, which means it’s time for a new Fun Fact Friday!

Today’s fun fact focuses on the story of Franz Sigel, the Union commander at the Battle of New Market, who died on this date in 1902. Born in 1824 in the Grand Duchy of Baden in what is now southwestern Germany, Sigel attended the Karlsruhe Military Academy and became a lieutenant in the Baden Army in 1843. As revolutionary movements swept across Europe in 1848, however, Sigel abandoned his military career and joined the growing democratic uprising in the German states, eventually serving as both a military commander and revolutionary leader. When the revolution was ultimately crushed, Sigel fled Europe and immigrated to the United States. Settling first in New York and later in St. Louis, Sigel became head of St. Louis’ school system, an influential abolitionist, and leader within the German-American community.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Sigel quickly rose through the Union ranks with strong support from German-American immigrants and soon became one of President Lincoln’s prominent “political generals.” After serving in the western theater and fighting against Stonewall Jackson during the 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign, Sigel was placed in command of Union forces in the Valley once again in 1864.

His most famous, and most difficult, campaign came at the Battle of New Market on May 15,1864, where Confederates under John C. Breckinridge defeated Sigel’s numerically superior forces and forced him to retreat northward. Though the defeat effectively ended his field command, Sigel remained a significant figure in German-American political and military history.

After the war, Franz Sigel settled on the East Coast, where he worked as a newspaper editor, political candidate, and public official in both Baltimore and New York City. Though many of his military and political ambitions ended in disappointment, Sigel remained deeply committed to public service throughout his life and continued to be an influential figure within the German-American community. Today, he is remembered not only for his role in the Civil War, but also for helping encourage immigrant participation in American politics and education during the 19th century.

Here at the Virginia Museum of the Civil War, visitors can explore the story of Franz Sigel and the Battle of New Market through artifacts, personal accounts, battlefield interpretation, and exhibits examining both Union and Confederate perspectives on the campaign. Sigel’s story serves as a reminder of the international dimensions of the Civil War and the important role immigrants played in shaping the history of the United States during the conflict.



(Photo: Franz Sigel in 1864; credit: VMI Archives Digital Collections)

Dog days of summer getting to the kids? Check out Gardening Projects for Kids and the other gardening books we carry in ...
08/17/2026

Dog days of summer getting to the kids? Check out Gardening Projects for Kids and the other gardening books we carry in our museum store! Learn to grow a mini glasshouse garden, work on some mini pebble pictures, or learn to grow a bag garden!
Questions? Give us a call at 540-740-3101.

Address

8895 George Collins Memorial Pkwy
New Market, VA
22844

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18665151864

Website

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