The Fort Mill Ridge Civil War Trenches are battle

trenches A trench is a type of excavation or in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a wider gully, or ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or pit). In geology, trenches result from erosi ...

in West Virginia that were originally dug between 1861 and 1862 to be later used in 1863 for the civil war. These trenches lined with

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrel ...

logs by the Confederate artillery during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

to defend the approaches to Romney on the

Northwestern Turnpike The Northwestern Turnpike is a historic road in West Virginia ( Virginia at the time the road was created), important for being historically one of the major roads crossing the Appalachians, financed by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the 1 ...

and the South Branch Potomac River. The trenches were then refurbished between March and June 1863 by the 54th Pennsylvania Infantry and the 1st West Virginia Infantry. When Colonel Jacob M. Campbell (54th PVI) garrisoned Union forces at Romney, camps were set up at nearby at Mechanicsburg Gap. The Confederates might have created these trenches but all throughout the war the Union had control of these trenches. The Fort Mill Ridge trenches are believed to be the best preserved battle trenches dating from the Civil War in existence. The trenches are located three miles southwest of Romney adjacent to the

Fort Mill Ridge Wildlife Management Area The Fort Mill Ridge Wildlife Management Area is located on two miles (3 km) southwest of Romney in Hampshire County, West Virginia. Fort Mill Ridge WMA is owned by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. The Fort Mill Ridge Civi ...

off of the Northwestern Turnpike ( U.S. Route 50/

West Virginia Route 28 West Virginia Route 28 is a north–south route through the Potomac Highlands of the U.S. state of West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 39 in Huntersville. The northern terminus is at the Maryland state l ...

). A Civil War museum relating to the construction and use of the Fort Mill Ridge trenches is located within the Taggart Hall Civil War Museum & Visitors Center on the corner of High Street and Gravel Lane in downtown Romney. This place is significant not only because of battle that was being taken place but for the military and engineering. The engineering style the Confederates used is an excellent example of a rammed earth fortification" to protect the transportation routes as well. Also, this brought a new age to wars and a new fighting style of fighting in trenches rather than an open field. It provided more protection and defense than the offensive strategy of fighting. The defensive method was used so the transports can pass by safely. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2014.

References

External links

Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia

Miller A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalent ...

Hampshire County, West Virginia, in the American Civil War Open-air museums in West Virginia Tourist attractions in Hampshire County, West Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Hampshire County, West Virginia 1861 establishments in Virginia American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places American Civil War sites in West Virginia {{HampshireCountyWV-NRHP-stub

See also

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