Clarke County, Virginia
Cool Spring
Battlefield
Site of the Battle of Cool Spring · July 17–18, 1864
Explore the preserved ground along the Shenandoah River where Union troops crossed into Cool Spring and met Confederate forces guarding the approaches to the Blue Ridge.
The Shenandoah River at Cool Spring Battlefield
The battle in brief
A River Crossing Becomes a Battlefield
After threatening Washington, Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early withdrew west through Snicker’s Gap, an important Blue Ridge passage into the Shenandoah Valley. The pursuing Union army followed and reached the river at the gap’s western foot on July 17–18, 1864.
Confederates blocked the principal crossing at Castleman’s Ferry, forcing Federal troops under Col. Joseph Thoburn to move downstream and cross at Cool Spring. Confederate divisions struck the isolated bridgehead, driving Thoburn’s men back toward a stone wall along the river. The Union force withdrew after dark, and Early’s retreat through the Valley continued. Cool Spring became the largest and bloodiest Civil War battle fought in Clarke County.
- Date
- July 17–18, 1864
- Result
- Confederate victory
- Union commander
- Horatio G. Wright
- Confederate commander
- Jubal A. Early
Plan your visit
Begin Along the Shenandoah River
All three experiences begin at Shenandoah University’s River Campus, where preserved battlefield ground, walking trails, and mobile interpretation meet the river.
River Campus at Cool Spring Battlefield
1400 Parker Lane
Bluemont, VA 20135
Park at the river campus and begin at the tour kiosk near the end of the parking lot closest to the Shenandoah River. The 195-acre property is open daily from dawn to dusk.
Tour the Battle of Cool Spring
Approximately 2 miles round trip
Some uneven terrain
Follow the marked route from the kiosk to nine stops overlooking the river crossing, Union artillery positions, and the ground where Thoburn’s isolated bridgehead fought for survival.
Through Their Eyes
Free augmented-reality and audio experience
Use a GPS-driven battlefield map, soldiers’ firsthand accounts, and 360-degree videos as you walk the River Campus. Download the app before arriving.
Explore the battlefield
Read the River and the Ground
The Shenandoah River divided the battlefield. Use the map to connect the ground visible from the River Campus with the fighting that unfolded on the western bank.
What the map reveals
The public walking route remains on the eastern side of the Shenandoah River, but its overlooks provide the clearest way to understand the crossing and the battle beyond it.
- Island FordThoburn’s troops crossed near Parker’s Island and established a vulnerable foothold on the western bank.
- The eastern heightsUnion batteries fired across the river from the bluffs now preserved as part of Shenandoah University’s River Campus.
- The western battlefieldAcross the river, Confederate divisions struck Thoburn’s line and forced it back toward the stone fence and the water.
The history
The Battle of Cool Spring
July 17–18, 1864
Jubal Early’s army entered the Shenandoah Valley through Snicker’s Gap after its withdrawal from Washington. Union forces under Horatio G. Wright followed, but Confederate pickets blocked the main river crossing at Castleman’s Ferry on July 17 and again the next morning.
To turn that position, George Crook sent Col. Joseph Thoburn’s division and Col. Daniel Frost’s brigade downstream. About 5,000 Federals crossed the Shenandoah at Island Ford during the afternoon of July 18 and formed a shallow bridgehead on the western bank. Once Confederate prisoners revealed that much of Early’s army was close by, Thoburn was ordered to hold his ground and wait for reinforcements.
Confederate divisions under John C. Breckinridge attacked before that support arrived. Robert E. Rodes struck the Union right while Gabriel Wharton and John B. Gordon pressed the center and left. Dismounted Union cavalry broke toward the river, Frost was mortally wounded, and Thoburn’s line contracted toward a stone fence near the water. Twenty Union guns firing from the eastern heights slowed the Confederate advance, but Wright and Crook declined to send James Ricketts’s division across. After darkness fell, Thoburn’s survivors withdrew through the river. The fighting cost 422 Union and 397 Confederate casualties and left Early in possession of the field.
- Result
- Confederate victory
- Union force
- About 5,000
- Confederate force
- About 8,000
- Casualties
- 819 total
How the fighting unfolded
A foothold across the river
The battle developed rapidly once Thoburn’s men crossed into a position separated from the rest of the Union army.
- July 17–18
MorningThe main crossing is blocked
Union cavalry failed to dislodge Confederate pickets at Castleman’s Ferry, prompting Wright and Crook to seek a crossing farther downstream.
- About
3:30 p.m.Thoburn crosses at Island Ford
Wells’s brigade led the way through waist- to breast-deep water. The Federals drove off pickets and formed two lines on the western bank.
- Late
afternoonConfederates strike the bridgehead
Rodes attacked the exposed Union right as Wharton and Gordon increased the pressure. Thoburn shifted regiments to meet the assault while parts of his command broke for the river.
- Evening
and darknessArtillery covers the withdrawal
Union guns on the eastern bluffs checked the Confederate advance. Without reinforcements, Thoburn held near the stone fence until darkness allowed his survivors to recross the Shenandoah.
along the Shenandoah River
Preservation in action
From Golf Course to Protected Battlefield
After the former golf course closed, the Civil War Trust organized a partnership to acquire this important part of the Cool Spring battlefield in 2012. The following year, the property became Shenandoah University’s River Campus at Cool Spring Battlefield. Protected by a conservation easement, the landscape now preserves historic ground while serving the public as a place for recreation, interpretation, and learning.
Historic ground beside the Shenandoah River is permanently safeguarded by a conservation easement.
More than five miles of trails welcome walkers, runners, and cyclists from dawn to dusk.
Students and visitors explore the site through history, ecology, conservation, and public interpretation.
Ready to explore
Plan Your Visit to Cool Spring Battlefield
Begin at Shenandoah University’s River Campus, follow the battlefield walking tour, or experience the landscape through the mobile interpretation.