Site Search

An account by Private (later Lt.) Eustace Conway Moncure, 9th Virginia Cavalry, in May-June 1864 shows the extent of individual “secret service” or scouting and spying: General Hampton told me to return at once and go to Fredericksburg to ascertain if any reinforcements had marched in that direction or if there were any approaching. I…

Desperate measures taken in the “‘Come Retribution’ Campaign” were weighed down by the South’s inherent strategic weaknesses and human errors, not to overlook concrete Union actions. These caused the Southern plans to mostly fail. Fortunately for America’s future, the Confederate efforts were “too little, too late.” The grand strategic plans were simply beyond the capabilities…

This modern view across the Potomac River from “Richland” shows the Maryland shore.   In the background is the area to which Confederate diplomat Dunlop and his wife were headed via the “Secret Line.” This also demonstrates what the river watcher, “Mr. Williams,” described in Eustace Conway Moncure’s “secret service.” memoir.  This was the northernmost portion…

The home “Richland” in Widewater is the place referred to in Julia Whiting’s letter.  The letter documents it was used at least once as a  Confederate Secret Service safe house as late as July, 1864.

Beginning in the summer of 1864, a series of events took place which pointed to a concerted effort by the Confederacy to end the war by convincing the Northern population that it was unwinnable — thus achieving victory or a negotiated peace. A combination of “Black Flag” actions and fortuitous, related activities (mostly political) combined…

In the spring of 1864, General U.S. Grant set all of the Federal armies in the Eastern Theater in motion. His headquarters was with Meade’s Army of the Potomac. Along with the independent IX Army Corps (Burnside), that army attacked in a series of battles, engagements and skirmishes, including those at the Wilderness (May 5-7,…

Depleted militarily and with resources eroding rapidly, Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia had faced their own “Valley Forge” during the winter of 1863-1864. The Federal Army of the Potomac, having achieved little during the Bristow and Mine Run campaigns in late 1863, but in a superior position strategically, spent the winter in the Culpeper area…

Washington’s own words describe his time with the Union troops in Falmouth: “They [Union soldiers] insisted on my going up to their camp on the hill, and continued to ask all kinds of questions about the ‘Rebs.’ I was conducted all over their camp and shown every thing that could interest me. Most kind attention…

Ellen and William Craft were formerly enslaved in Georgia who escaped and traveled north via train and steamboat in 1848.  They traveled openly.  She posed as a white male planter since she was a light skinned mulatto and he as her servant.  They passed through Aquia Landing on their trip to Boston.  Later, they wrote…

Henry “Box” Brown was enslaved in Louisa County, Virginia.  Brown’s daring self-emancipation followed soon after his pregnant wife and three children were sold in August 1848 by the family’s enslaver to a Methodist minister in North Carolina. Distressed by this betrayal, Brown resolved to escape.  He later recounted hearing in his mind the words “Go and…

John Washington actually witnessed the burial of the soldiers at Falmouth’s Union Church that died at the skirmish in Falmouth.  He wrote, “…. very early next morning … the soldiers had a sad duty to perform.”   He realized that people were actually dying for his freedom.

The mass of self-emancipators launched on an uncertain journey.  Some took paid jobs as workers with the Union Army.  Thousands more moved northward by foot, wagon and rail, most of them boarding steamboats at Aquia Landing, Gateway to Freedom, bound for Alexandria and Washington, D.C.