The Confederate skirmishers found an east-west stone wall near the foot of Richardson's Hill, in the flat meadow directly in front of Rose Hill. This provided some protection from the Union Artillery.

Union Colonel Kenly had six companies o infantry and a section of Battery E, Pennsylvania Light Artillery, tow ten-pound Parrotts under the command of Lieutenant Charles A. Atwell on the Crest of Richardson's Hill. Colonel Kenly was determined to hold this position to buy as much time as possible.

The young Thomas Ashby was swimming in Happy Creek at the start of the battle.  He ran through the battle lines of both Union and Confederate to reach home on the southern end of town.  Young Thomas Ashby's antics during this battle are part of Front Royal's lore of this battle.

 
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The Rose Hill Sign

Events of  Rose Hill

With their confidence growing the Maryland and Louisiana troops cleared the Yankee pockets of resistance in town and  continued their advance towards Richardson's Hill.

Photo of the old Rose Hill

As the Confederates approached this location their easy time of it came to an abrupt halt. It was approximately 2:15 p.m. when Kenly's Union artillery and infantry positioned on Richardson's Hill opened up a deadly fire in the quickly advancing Gray line. 

Colonel Johnson positioned his Maryland troops into line of battle with Wheat's Battalion forming on his left. His line extended from the Front Royal-Winchester Turnpike on the west to Happy Creek on the east.

As the Confederates entered this meadow in the flat land north of town they found a stone wall running east to west near  the foot of Richardson's Hill. They took refuge behind it and flattened themselves as best they could as Union shells raked across this open ground.

The strong resistance that Kenly maintained form the commanding heights stalled the Confederate advance. The Confederate artillery, west of town, was still in no position to assist their stranded comrades behind the wall.

Directly to the west of this position is "Rose Hill" farm, the home of the widow Richardson and her three daughters during the battle. Sun Richardson's dairy tells how the cannonading over the house made her mother very sick: "we carried her to the cellar. Our yard was full of our soldiers. Major Wheat gave orders front he yard...we all worked hard that night feeding hundreds of soldiers.

Captain William H. Murray
1st Maryland, CSA

On June 25, 1861 they were mustered into the First Maryland Regiment at Winchester. This would lead to the eventual event in the “Battle of Front Royal” in May 1862. On July 2, 1863 the greatest and saddest moment in Murray’s service occurred, the assault on Culp’s Hill. In a desperate charge made by the Marylanders’ (Company A of the reformed First Maryland Battalion) that night, Murray was killed.

He was buried on the field. His remains were later moved to his family home in West River. Murray’s devoted men kept his memory alive, and, in 1873, they formed the Murray Association of Companies H and A, later known as the Murray Confederate Association. The association dedicated the Murray Monument at Loudon Park Cemetery.

Next Stop 7 Richardson's Hill

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