Winchester National Cemetery was established on land appropriated for burials during the Civil War. Although the land was used for burial purposes as early as 1862, the cemetery was not officially dedicated until April 8, 1866. It’s the final resting place for Union soldiers who fought and died at the battles of Winchester, New Market, Front Royal, Snickers Gap, Harpers Ferry, Martinsburg, and Romney. There are 14 monuments to Union regiments, corps, and states that either are represented by some of the soldiers buried in the cemetery and/or had participants in the 3rd Battle of Winchester. The oldest monument dates to 1864 and was erected for the 38th Massachusetts Infantry.
Stonewall Confederate Cemetery was established in 1866 for the burial of 2,575 Confederate soldiers who died in battle or in the hospitals in and around the Winchester area. A monument over the mass grave of more than 800 unknown Confederate soldiers is at the center of the cemetery, and there is a section for each state member of the Confederacy. Notable burials here include Brig. Gen. Turner Ashby and his brother Captain Richard Ashby.
(All photos: Melissa A. Winn)
