Area history events

Contributed Reports
Published: July 9, 2008

Join the United Daughters of the Confederacy
Do you have an ancestor who fought in the War Between the States? If so, would you like to join the United Daughters of the Confederacy? The United Daughters of the Confederacy is a heritage organization which was founded at Nashville, Tenn. in 1894.  If you are interested in membership or desire information about the UDC, please call the Chapter Registrar at: 547-3495 or send an e-mail to .

2008 Brandy Station Lecture Series
The Graffiti House hosts its 2008 lecture series from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Reservations are not required.

Donations to the Brandy Station Foundation are welcomed and will be used for the operation and restoration of the house. Free refreshments will be served.

July 12 – Battlefield Tour including Buford Knoll and Yew Ridge. Departs from the Graffiti House at 10 a.m. Cost: $10

July 19 – 20 The 49th Virginia Infantry, also known as known as “Extra Billy Smith’s Boy’s”  will be camped at the Graffiti House in Brandy Station. The family orientated living history event is open, free to the public, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

July 26 – Battlefield Tour including Beverly Ford and St. James Church. Departs from the Graffiti House at 10 a.m. Cost $10

July 27 — West Point at the Outset of the War – Class of 1862: Brian McEnany will describe how these cadets, with divided loyalties, reacted to the beginnings of the war.

Aug. 31 —The Union executions at Beverly’s Ford: Bud Hall will speak about the Aug. 29, 1863 execution of five men for desertion as the entire 5th Corps observed from a nearby hill.

Sept. 28 — Colonel and Mrs. J. Egbert Farnum (portrayed by Ed and Mary Kelley) will reminisce about their War experiences, including writing his name on the wall at the Graffiti House.

Oct. 26 — Recovering the Remains of Capt. Farley – Archeological Perspective. Dale Brown will describe the process of exhuming Capt. Will Farley’s remains from the Fairview Cemetery that were reinterred in Laurens, S.C. Farley was one of JEB Stuart’s key scouts.

2008 Battle of Brandy Station Driving Tours
BSF is presenting a series of two-hour tours, one devoted to each of the four engagements that comprise the Battle of Brandy Station on June 9, 1863. Transportation: Personal vehicle caravan will depart from the Graffiti House beginning at 10 a.m. No advance reservation required. Cost $10.

Beverly Ford & St. James Church – July 26
The first tour in the series covers the early morning fighting between troops under the command of Union General John Buford and those commanded by his West Point classmate, Confederate Gen. William E. “Grumble” Jones. Incidents examined include the death of Union Col. Benjamin Franklin Davis in a one-on-one encounter with a Confederate lieutenant on the Beverly Ford Road, and the charge of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry against Confederate artillery at Saint James Church.

Kelly’s Ford & Stevensburg – Aug. 9
The second tour in the series begins with a discussion of the Union river-crossing at Kelly’s Ford, and then follows the route of march of the Union cavalry division commanded by Col. Alfred Napoleon Duffie, a deserter from the French army, to Stevensburg. The fighting at Stevensburg, a neglected aspect of the Battle of Brandy Station, is presented in detail. This tour concludes with a description of the mortal wounding of Cap. William Farley, JEB Stuart’s volunteer aide de camp.

Fleetwood Hill – Aug. 23
The third tour focuses on the fighting for Fleetwood Hill, the most intense and prolonged combat on June 9, 1863. At one point 12 regiments — six Union and six Confederate — struggled for control of the hilltop. Unlike most Civil War battles, the troopers fought from the saddle, mostly with sabers. One frustrated Rebel was heard to shout at his Yankee opponent, “Why don’t you Yankees put away your sabers, draw your pistols, and fight like gentlemen!”

Buford Knoll & Yew Ridge – July 12, Sept 6
The final installment in the series of tours presents the fighting that took place later in the afternoon of June 9 between Gen. Buford and Gen. W.H.F. “Rooney” Lee’s brigade. During the fighting, Rooney Lee, Robert E. Lee’s second son, was shot in the thigh and carried from the field.

Dates to remember
July 19-20 — Living history presentation at the Graffiti House — by the 49th Virginia Infantry.
Sep. 13-14 — Living history presentation at the Graffiti House — by the 2nd US Infantry.
Sept. 27 — Brandy Station Foundation picnic at Rose Hill
Oct. 25 — A Spirited Evening in Brandy Station with Civil War ghost stories
Dec. 6 — Graffiti House Christmas Party