June 15, 1775, the Continental Congress "elected" George Washington as commander-in-chief of the yet-to-be-created Continental Army. He accepted the appointment the next day. This preceded the Congress's declaration of independence and the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. War of 1812 American Civil War Winchester was a site of volatile conditions during the Civil War of 1861-1865, with control shifting between the Confederate and Union armies on average once every three weeks during the war. Many battles were fought in Frederick County. Some of those battles included: First Battle of Kernstown, March 1862 First Battle of Winchester, May 1862 Second Battle of Winchester, June 1863 Second Battle of Kernstown, July 1864 Third Battle of Winchester (Battle of Opequon), September 1864 Battle of Cedar Creek, October 1864 The first constitution of West Virginia provided for Frederick County to be added to the new state if approved by a local election. Unlike the residents of neighboring Berkeley and Jefferson counties, those in Frederick County voted to remain in Virginia, despite being occupied by the Confederate army at the time. Civilian history of the area Four (alkaline, saline, chalybeate, and sulphured) types of mineral water springs naturally occur on the land that would later be named Rock Enon Springs. The area was once called Capper Springs, named for area settler John Capper. William Marker bought the in 1856 and built a hotel, the first building of the Rock Enon Springs Resort. It survived the American Civil War. On March 24, 1899, the Shenandoah Valley National Bank purchased the property for $3,500. During the summer of 1914 botanists found a variety of ferns on the property: polypodium vulgare, phegopteris hexagonoptera, adiantum pedatum, pteris aquilina, and cheilanthes lanosa on the property. The idea that soaking in the natural spring water had medical value made this and other springs popular tourist destinations through the early 20th century. In 1944, people no longer had as much faith in the springs, and there was much more competition for tourists at other sites. Due to declining business, the Glaize family sold the property to the Shenandoah Area Council. They adapted the resort to operate as a Boy Scout site, Camp Rock Enon. In 1944 the Miller Lake was created by adding a earth dam across Laurel Run using equipment, owned by the Federal fish hatchery in Leestown. In 1958 "walnut, chestnut and persimmon trees" were planted on the property.