Military
Signal Knob, the northernmost high point of Massanutten Mountain, sometimes called Three Top, rises above the twisting North Fork of the Shenandoah River. From 1862 to 1864, Confederate signalmen occupied the peak and watched over the Shenandoah Valley. At 2,110 feet above sea level, they had an exceptional view of the surrounding countryside and communicated with other signal stations at Ashby Gap, Burnt Springs, Harmony Hollow, and New Market Gap using signal flags, lanterns, and telescopes. Union troops attacked the signal station on August 14, 1864, in a skirmish that caused 10 casualties, but the site soon returned to Confederate use and played a key role in the October 19, 1864, Battle of Cedar Creek. From Signal Knob, Confederate officers planned a powerful early morning attack, though Union troops rallied and won the battle. On October 17, 1864, Confederate Gen. Clement A. Evans climbed the peak and praised the sweeping view, with the Blue Ridge to the right, the Alleghenies to the left, the Shenandoah winding below, and the Valley Pike stretching through the plain.
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Strasburg, Virginia · United States
