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Virginia Units: Unattached and in ** Walker’s Brigade, or in *** French’s Brigade (July 1861-March 1862): 30th Virginia Infantry Regiment — Fredericksburg Guard (Washington Guards) (Company A);   Fredericksburg Rifle Grays (Company B); Caroline Grays (Company E);   Chilesburg Light Infantry (Company G) 40th Virginia Infantry Regiment 55th Virginia Infantry Regiment 9th Virginia Cavalry Regiment – Stafford…

Charles Adams Bryan (1849-1918)—was born in Maryland and came with his parents to Stafford around 1858 and lived at Ingleside just outside Falmouth. After the Civil War, Charles’ father, Richard H. Bryan, lost his farm and the family moved to Stafford Courthouse. Their house stood very near the Fas-Mart across from the courthouse. From 1885-1906…

Headquarters, Brooke’s Station, March 9, 1862. General S. Cooper, Adjutant-General: General: I was notified yesterday by General Johnston that he had ordered General French to abandon Evansport [Quantico], and that he and General Whiting with their commands would immediately march on Fredericksburg. He advised me to place these troops beyond the Rappahannock and only to…

A dedicated and considerate parent and husband and, despite a lack of formal education, John William Watson was something of a literary man. Like most farm boys of his generation, he wrote like he spoke and spelled like it sounded, thus preserving the “sounds” of the war: April the 11, 1862 My Dear Wife I…

Thousands of people drive over the Falmouth Bridge every day without giving it any thought. Few realize that the present structure is at least the twelfth to have spanned the Rappahannock River at this location. From the establishment of the town of Falmouth in 1728 until the first bridge was opened around 1798, people crossed…

In March and April 1862, Confederate forces ended Stafford’s “Confederate Year” as they withdrew from Stafford and Prince William Counties and occupied positions in and below the Rappahannock in Fredericksburg.

Civil War Stafford County found itself between the Federal capital in Washington and the Confederate capital in Richmond. Its status as a transportation center – a gateway to Tidewater Virginia and the Central Virginia Piedmont regions — before the war condemned it to almost continuous and devastating occupation by the forces of both armies. In…

During their winter of 1862-1863, the Union Army of the Potomac’s camps and defenses stretched for over 150 square miles in Stafford County. In addition to keeping watch over Lee’s Confederate Army across the Rappahannock River, they prepared for the spring campaigns with major reorganizations, reforms and intensive training and picket duty during that difficult…

In Colonial times the most common mode of land transportation in Stafford County was horse, wagon or stagecoach. If one wished to travel north it was a long journey which depended upon the weather, as the eastern Chopawamsic Creek area in northern Stafford became a swampy, muddy bog after rain and impeded traffic for weeks.…

During the Civil War, in 1862 and 1863, Lincoln visited Stafford six different times for a total of fourteen days. Each time he came to the area, he followed the same routine. He would leave the White House and travel by carriage to the Washington Navy Yard. Then he would catch a steamer and head…

From my mother’s side of the family comes a gentle story of the Christmas of 1862. My great-grandmother, Elizabeth Manning, lived on a farm near the present location of the Falmouth Elementary School. The farm was crossed by the RF&P Railroad lines, of which the Union was making limited use to get supplies from Aquia…

Thomas Ludwell Lee (1730-1778)—was born at Stratford Hall and was the son of Thomas Lee (1690-1750) and Hannah Ludwell (1701-1750). His brothers were Francis Lightfoot Lee (1743-1797) and Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794), signers of the Declaration of Independence. 1759-1761 Thomas Ludwell Lee represented Stafford County in the House of Burgesses. He also represented Stafford in…