Adventures in Winchester, Virginia, Part 2

Donna and I rolled into Winchester, Virginia a few weeks ago with three goals in mind. After getting oriented at the Winchester visitor’s center, we took an enlightening and fun tour of the Patsy Cline House. Following this, we headed to our second destination: Winchester National Cemetery.

I had a specific reason for this graveyard visit. In my research on Charles Benjamin Dudley, the founder of the American Society for Testing Materials (now ASTM International and my workplace for 33 years), I learned that Dudley was involved in the installation of a monument to the 114th New York Voluntary Infantry. Dudley was a member of the 114th and had suffered a serious injury during the Battle of Winchester on September 19, 1864.  

In 1897, the New York state legislature provided funding for the monument, which was dedicated on October 19, 1898. This was four months after ASTM was founded, so it’s safe to say that 1898 was a busy year for Charles Dudley.

We stayed at the cemetery for a little while, reading the inscription and taking photos.. We honored Corporal Charles Benjamin Dudley and his fellow New York soldiers, then it was time to move on. Our third and final Winchester visit of the day awaited us. We were off in search of Patsy Cline’s gravesite.

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