Mechanicsville in Hanover County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Springfield Plantation

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, August 19, 2010

1. Springfield Plantation Marker

Inscription. In 1862 this farmhouse was home to the widow Sarah Watt, her granddaughter, Mary Jane Haw, and a maid. It was a typical Hanover County plantation of several hundred acres with some 28 slaves who produced a modest income from grains, potatoes, and livestock. Around the house stood a kitchen, slave quarters, and other outbuildings. A series of roads, now abandoned, connected the Watt family to their neighbors and Richmond.

Their lives drastically changed on the morning of June 27, 1862. The Union commander selected the house for his temporary headquarters, forcing the family to leave. When Mary Jane returned after the battle, she found “the walls and roof were torn by shot and shell, the weatherboarding honeycombed by minie balls, and every pane of glass shattered.” Inside, evidence of a field hospital was everywhere. “Now, from garret to cellar,” she wrote, “there was scarcely a space of flooring as large as a man’s hand that did not bear the dark purple stain of blood.”

Erected 2010 by Richmond National Battlefield Park.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is June 27, 1864.

Location. 37° 34.437′ N, 77° 17.438′ W. Marker is in Mechanicsville, Virginia, in Hanover County. Marker

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can be reached from Watt House Road (Virginia Route 718) 0.7 miles south of Cold Harbor Road (Virginia Route 156). This marker is located in the Gaines' Mill Battlefield unit of the Richmond National Battlefield Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6283 Watt House Road, Mechanicsville VA 23111, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Watt House (here, next to this marker); Seven Days Battles (a few steps from this marker); Gaines' Mill (within shouting distance of this marker); The Battle of Gaines’ Mill (within shouting distance of this marker); Lee’s First Victory: At a Huge Cost (within shouting distance of this marker); Confederate Pursuit (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Gaines' Mill (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Union Artillery (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mechanicsville.

More about this marker. On the left is a photograph with the caption, "Sarah Bohannan Kidd was born in1874. She married Hugh Watt, an Irish immigrant, in 1802 and was widowed in 1864."

On the right is a drawing with the caption, "Before the battle two of the Watt slaves carried the ill 77-year-old Sarah Watt from her house to a waiting carriage, while others placed a trunk filled with clothing and valuables on a farm wagon. This

2. Mrs. Watt

Sarah Bohannan Kidd was born in 1784. She Married Hugh Watt, an Irish immigrant, in 1802 and was widowed in 1854.

would be the last time Sarah Watt saw her home of 60 years. She sought safety with a nearby relative where she remained until her death in April 1863."

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Old Marker At This Location titled "Watt Family Farm".

Also see . . .
1. Richmond National Battlefield Park. (Submitted on August 20, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
2. Gaines' Mill. CWSAC Battle Summary (Submitted on August 20, 2010.)

3. Gaines' Mill. Civil War Preservation Trust (Submitted on August 20, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, August 19, 2010

3. Watt House

Credits. This page was last revised on November 5, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 20, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,992 times since then and 55 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 20, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 2. submitted on February 13, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on August 20, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.