As Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson fell back toward Port Republic in June of 1862, Union forces under Fremont and Shields were closing in from two sides. Confederate cavalry screened the movement. A rearguard action outside the town of Harrisonburg on June 6, 1862 is best remembered for its highest-ranking casualty. Brigadier General Turner Ashby, Jackson’s Cavalry chief and the model of the Confederate beau sabreur, was mortally wounded.

Several monuments and historical markers are in the town, most commemorating Jackson’s cavalry commander:

Battle of Harrisonburg
Chestnut Ridge – Death of Ashby wayside marker
End of the Campaign A35 Virginia historical marker
General Turner Ashby BMA monument
Monument to General Turner Ashby
Where Ashby Fell 30A Virginia historical marker