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Walker Peyton Conway (1805-1884)— was the son of John Moncure Conway (1779-1864) and Catherine Storke Peyton (1786-1865). 1832-33 Walker represented Stafford in the Virginia House of Delegates. 1832-1861 he was a justice for Stafford and for much of that time served as presiding justice. Highly regarded for his integrity, Walker was often called upon to…

Dr. Thaddeus Constantine Montague (1838-1906)—was born in Middlesex County, Virginia. In 1859 he graduated from the Medical College of Virginia and entered Confederate service in May 1861. He served with Generals Floyd and Albert Sidney Johnston in Kentucky and Tennessee during the campaigns of 1862. Following this he was made surgeon-in-charge of Emory and Henry…

A band of mineral-bearing rock runs diagonally through Stafford from central Prince William County through the Garrisonville area, through Hartwood, and into Spotsylvania County. This band of rock contains deposits of graphite, sulfur, iron, pyrite, copper, gold, and silver and provided iron for the foundries at Accokeek and Falmouth. For years, gold was mined and…

Union sailors of the Potomac Flotilla soon found out that they had to increase searching using shallow draft vessels and foot patrols.  They searched tributaries for clandestine Confederates and their concealed vessels.

Professor Samuel Pierpont Langley (Smithsonian Institution – Smithsonian) Near the December 1861, Civil War balloon reconnaissance site, the Widewater flight experiments of Samuel Pierpont Langley took place at the turn of the 20th Century. As one writer expressed it, “Kitty Hawk gets the glory, but credit Stafford County with an assist.” A 1966 article adds…

An interesting court document reveals Stafford community intentions to assist Confederate soldiers’ families: The Stafford County Court, on May 15, 1861, ordered a committee of three “judicious Citizens of the county” from each Magisterial district “whose duty it shall be to ascertain and supply the pressing wants of families of such citizens of said County…

Some came by boat and others by train. From the 1870s until the Great Depression, Stafford’s Potomac River and Aquia Creek shorelines were destinations for wealthy men in search of good hunting venues. Historically, the creeks and rivers had always provided food for those who lived near them. The waters teemed with fish, crabs, and…

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…