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Kernstown Battlefield Preservation

 On Sunday, March 23, 1862 in his first battle of Stonewall Jackson's
Valley Campaign, Jackson, with a force of 6,000 men, attacked at
Kernsville, what he thought to be a four regiment rear guard but what
turned out to be Bank's entire 9,000 man division.  Jackson was defeated
and suffered 590 casualties and Banks suffered 718 casualties.  As a
result of this battle, Lincoln, believing that Jackson would not have
attacked Banks unless he had a sizable force, canceled the transfer of
Banks' division to McClellan.

 After threatening Washington on July 11th, 1864, Early withdrew to
Virginia and operated between Winchester and Harpers Ferry, Jackson
style, as if about to move on Washington again.  Early lashed out at
George Crook near Kernstown, July 24, and after inflicting close to
1,200 casualties, drove Crook all the way north across the Potomac.

 Both the battles at Kernstown took place around the Opequon
Presbyterian Church which is just west of Valley Pike, US 11 which is
three miles south of Winchester.  The present church was rebuilt on the
site of the church that stood during the battles.

 Jerry Russell reports that the remaining 342 acres of the original
Kernstown battlefield may go to a local Assembly of God Church.  If the
church is allowed to build the church is planning a mega-site which will
operate seven days a week, with day care, school, and other church
facilities.  Apparently the Kernsville Battlefield Association is
prepared to offer as much as five million dollars for the site, but the
owners want to subdivide the site in hopes of obtaining a more desirable
price.   Jerry recommends contacting Tom Lloyd, Zoning Administrator for
the City of Winchester <zoncity@shentel.net> and Ed Daley, Winchester
City Manager.  <ecd@shentel.net>