Hiking through History: Part Two
Catherine Oliver
Previously, we shared two trails that offer hikers different views of Stonewall Jackson’s 1862 capture of Harpers Ferry. This week, we’ll turn our hiking boots toward additional trails that reveal the final piece of Jackson’s strategy: a flanking maneuver around the southern portion of Schoolhouse Ridge and the Murphy-Chambers Farm, effectively surrounding Union troops and forcing a surrender.
SCHOOLHOUSE RIDGE SOUTH
Rating: Moderate
Distance: 1.2-3.7 miles roundtrip, 30 minutes - 2.25 hours.
Battlefield features: Cannon, house ruins
Natural features: forest, stream, overlook
Schoolhouse Ridge South offers yet another look at Stonewall Jackson’s 1862 attack, with expansive views of the three hills that surround Harpers Ferry: Bolivar, Maryland, and Loudoun Heights.
Two short trails are available here. Both begin at the parking lot on Millville Road. The Allstadt Farm Trail to the left passes through fields, forest and along a stream. Hikers can start across the field, or take the farm lane straight up to the ruins of the 19th-century farmhouse and turn left to intersect the main trail. The trail eventually loops down to Flowing Springs Run, and then climbs back up to the top of the ridge. From the overlook on the far end of the ridge, South Mountain fills in the gap between Maryland and Loudoun Heights.
The shorter trail is called Courtney's Battery Trail and heads to the right from the parking lot. Its destination is a battery of cannon and another view of the surrounding heights, illustrating Confederate tactics in 1862.
MURPHY-CHAMBERS FARM
Rating: Easy to moderate
Distance: 1-3 miles roundtrip (with side trails), 30 minutes to 2 hours
Battlefield features: Cannon, earthworks
Natural features: View of Shenandoah River, wooded ravine, farm field, creek
The final piece in Stonewall Jackson’s plan involves the Murphy-Chambers Farm. He ordered General A.P. Hill to quietly take his
men (and cannon) up the rugged ravines that frame the farm and flank the beleaguered Union troops. On September 15th, horrified Union troops woke to find Confederate guns staring at them from the much-too-close Murphy-Chambers farm field. A surrender followed later that day.
Later in the war, Union troops fortified the area around the farm in hopes of preventing another attack from this direction. That attack never came, but earthworks are still visible along the wooded section of the trail.
The trail starts at the Visitor Center, but can also be accessed from a parking area on the farm, which allows for an easy 0.75 mile stroll to the Shenandoah River overlook.
From the Visitor Center, the trail crosses Shoreline Drive, goes down to a small creek and up to the unpaved farm entrance road. Here, hikers can stay on the road or go left and follow the tree line. Both trails lead to the overlook of the Shenandoah River. From the overlook, hikers can follow a mulched trail that leads into the woods. This section of the trail goes to another view of the river and Civil War earthworks. The trail loops back to the farm road or turns left across a footbridge for 0.5 miles one way to a small creek.
Bonus: The farm also hosted the John Brown Fort during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. In 1906, civil rights advocates honored the abolitionist by marching in silence to the fort. Once there, they took off their shoes in reverence for what they called “holy ground,” and sang hymns. While the fort has since been returned to Lower Town Harpers Ferry, its footprint is still visible alongside the trail.
Previously, we shared two trails that offer hikers different views of Stonewall Jackson’s 1862 capture of Harpers Ferry. This week, we’ll turn our hiking boots toward additional trails that reveal the final piece of Jackson’s strategy: a flanking maneuver around the southern portion of Schoolhouse Ridge and the Murphy-Chambers Farm, effectively surrounding Union troops and forcing a surrender.
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| Schoolhouse Ridge South/NPS Photo; Cook |
Rating: Moderate
Distance: 1.2-3.7 miles roundtrip, 30 minutes - 2.25 hours.
Battlefield features: Cannon, house ruins
Natural features: forest, stream, overlook
Schoolhouse Ridge South offers yet another look at Stonewall Jackson’s 1862 attack, with expansive views of the three hills that surround Harpers Ferry: Bolivar, Maryland, and Loudoun Heights.
Two short trails are available here. Both begin at the parking lot on Millville Road. The Allstadt Farm Trail to the left passes through fields, forest and along a stream. Hikers can start across the field, or take the farm lane straight up to the ruins of the 19th-century farmhouse and turn left to intersect the main trail. The trail eventually loops down to Flowing Springs Run, and then climbs back up to the top of the ridge. From the overlook on the far end of the ridge, South Mountain fills in the gap between Maryland and Loudoun Heights.
The shorter trail is called Courtney's Battery Trail and heads to the right from the parking lot. Its destination is a battery of cannon and another view of the surrounding heights, illustrating Confederate tactics in 1862.
MURPHY-CHAMBERS FARM
Rating: Easy to moderate
Distance: 1-3 miles roundtrip (with side trails), 30 minutes to 2 hours
Battlefield features: Cannon, earthworks
Natural features: View of Shenandoah River, wooded ravine, farm field, creek
The final piece in Stonewall Jackson’s plan involves the Murphy-Chambers Farm. He ordered General A.P. Hill to quietly take his
 |
| Cannon on Murphy-Chambers Farm/HFPA Photo; K. Simmons |
Later in the war, Union troops fortified the area around the farm in hopes of preventing another attack from this direction. That attack never came, but earthworks are still visible along the wooded section of the trail.
The trail starts at the Visitor Center, but can also be accessed from a parking area on the farm, which allows for an easy 0.75 mile stroll to the Shenandoah River overlook.
From the Visitor Center, the trail crosses Shoreline Drive, goes down to a small creek and up to the unpaved farm entrance road. Here, hikers can stay on the road or go left and follow the tree line. Both trails lead to the overlook of the Shenandoah River. From the overlook, hikers can follow a mulched trail that leads into the woods. This section of the trail goes to another view of the river and Civil War earthworks. The trail loops back to the farm road or turns left across a footbridge for 0.5 miles one way to a small creek.
 |
| John Brown's Fort on the Murphy Farm/Photo from Survey HABS WV-21-5; Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress) |
Bonus: The farm also hosted the John Brown Fort during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. In 1906, civil rights advocates honored the abolitionist by marching in silence to the fort. Once there, they took off their shoes in reverence for what they called “holy ground,” and sang hymns. While the fort has since been returned to Lower Town Harpers Ferry, its footprint is still visible alongside the trail.
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