The Battle of Port Republic is said to have been one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War; and there's one little barn still standing that helped lead the Confederate soldiers to victory.
June 8, 1862...the Confederate Army was wrapping up the Battle of Cross Keys. General Stonewall Jackson was proud of his victory. He decided to take a breather in the village of Port Republic in Rockingham County.
"They were having a good time because they had it made for a couple days of rest and they're preparing a good sermon and the girls in town were flirting with the officers," said Anita Cummins, Coordinator for the Port Republic Museum.
But little did they know Federal troops were on the way.
"They weren't expecting Sheild's troops to arrive as quickly as they did. Some say the guards were rather lax that day," said Cummins.
According to Anita Cummins, Coordinator of the Port Republic Museum, Federal troops invaded and burned the village.
"Jackson rather hastily got a horse and rode out with some of his officers," said Cummins.
Jackson barley missed being captured. He fled to Cherry Groove to plan what later became the Battle of Port Republic. June 9th came and troops moved into position.
"Having moved so slowly it delayed the battle it was drawn out which is reason he sent back word to burn the bridge across the north river so that Freemont who had been stalled at Cross Keys could not cross the river with his troops," said Cummins.
But troops coming from the south made their way to the battlefield.
"They did it in hand to hand combat with bayonets and swords. They even slit the horses throats to keep them from running off with the canons it was not a pretty scene. But that meant the Federal army did not have command of the field with their guns placed up there," said Cummins.
The Confederacy was victorious in the one-day battle. But it was a barn that housed the hay that burned the North River Bridge; as it held Federal troops. It's currently the only barn standing in Port Republic from the Civil War era and two years after the battle it was saved, thanks to one special little girl.
"Alice was a cute little six year old girl little blond headed girl. In 1864 when Federal troops were occupying the house she could see the barns burning all over Port Republic and the area around. She sat on the Corporal's lap and begged him not to burn their barn so he called the troops who were occupying the house around and pulled his gun and said I will shoot in the head the first one to torch this barn so it was saved," said Cummins.
The preservation society asked the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors for $10,000 from to start renovating the barn. The finance committee will take a look at the request.