10/14/2026
This Day in Wharton History
Join us each week as we learn what Gabe and Nannie were doing and thinking in this day in the 1860s during the Civil War.
On October 13, 1864, Gabe wrote to Nannie about the decimation the North was leaving in its wake during the War. He wrote: “We left New Market yesterday morning, & marched [to] [Fishers Hill] about noon to-day. Nothing of interest occurred on the route, the Yankees having gone. We found the ruins of houses & barns, corn fields used up &c.“ Pictured is this event in the Shenandoah Valley in 1864, courtesy National Parks Service.
As we discussed last week, throughout the War getting supplies and materials was tough in the South. Especially due to the blockade on the Confederate States, but also because of the destruction left behind as soldiers marched through areas. Both sides used supplies, and the North even destroyed supplies, storehouses, and railways on their path. This was also a common fear for the families left behind, even here in the New River Valley.
To learn more about the Whartons’ experiences during the Civil War, visit us to get a copy of “The Whartons’ War”, Wednesday to Saturday 10-4 and Sunday 1-4.
