Visit the Museum on Friday afternoon to enjoy lunch in the Mariners’ Park Café and stimulating Civil War discussion with renowned historian, John Quarstein. There is no charge to participate. Lunch will be available for purchase at the café!

The Peninsula Campaign’s failure prompted President Lincoln to create a new command, combining various corps and divisions into the new Union Army of Virginia. Gen. John Pope was placed in command of this force with the intention of marching over land towards Richmond. To block this movement, Gen. Robert E. Lee sent Gen. Thomas J. Jackson toward Culpeper Court House. Pope sent a reinforced division led by Gen. Nathaniel Banks towards Gordonsville, Virginia, when it was attacked by Jackson on August 9, 1862, near Cedar Mountain. The Union defeat prompted Pope to withdraw into northern Virginia.