John Pelham and the Shenandoah Valley - Program & Booksigning

Join author and historian Sarah Kay Bierle at New Market Battlefield State Historical Park for a presentation and book signing! Her newest book "Glorious Courage: John Pelham in the Civil War" will be available for purchase.

Discounted early bird admission rate available!

A discounted admission rate of $8.00 per adult is ONLY AVAILABLE to those that have preregistered, a non-refundable payment due at time of registration. Registration is open from July 8, 2025 – August 9, 2025, and can be made by calling 540-740-3101 between 10:00am and 4:00pm daily. (The regular admission rate of $12.00 per adult is available to those who do not pre-register.)

Confederate artillerist John Pelham fought many of his most famous battles outside the Shenandoah Valley, but some of the pivotal moments of his military experiences started in this key Virginia location. From 1861 until his death in 1863, Pelham commanded the Stuart Horse Artillery. His gallops in and out of the Shenandoah Valley give opportunity to explore regional history within biographical and Civil War artillery stories. Come explore the bustling days of 1861 as Pelham arrived in Harpers Ferry, just weeks after leaving West Point. Note the turning of the seasons and examine two important military movements that launched from the Shenandoah Valley: the Chambersburg Raid of 1862 and the Loudoun Valley Campaign. Then consider if the Shenandoah Valley was the backdrop for young Pelham and serious romance. In this new program, historian Sarah Kay Bierle will take you on a journey along the backroads of Shenandoah Valley history and through unique accounts from the life of "Gallant Pelham."

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