John Brown’s 1859 Harpers’ Ferry raid renewed old fears of enslaved insurrection and Virginia militia companies were rapidly formed or re-formed.  Prewar business-as-usual continued in Stafford where enslaved persons now worked as domestic and plantation/farm workers.   Falmouth’s “Captain Pickett” continued to whip errant enslaved people for fees.  Also continuing in the area was the “underground railway” run by whites and free blacks.

Featured Image:  Library of Congress