Near Fairfax in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Kearny and Stevens Monuments
★ The Battle of Ox Hill ★
In July 1915, John and Mary Ballard deeded a 50x100-foot lot on their farm to six trustees, three from Virginia and three from New Jersey, General Kearny’s home state. The small lot was reserved for monuments to any Confederate or Federal soldier who fell in the Battle of Ox Hill (Chantilly).
Subsequently, these monuments to generals Isaac Stevens and Philip Kearny were dedicated on October 2, 1915. Captain Hazard Stevens, John Watts Kearny, Lieutenant John N. Ballard and Colonel Edmund Berkeley unveiled the monuments before a gathering of families, friends and dignitaries, including Union and Confederate veterans.
Among the prayers and oratory delivered that day, James W. Ballard, mayor of Fairfax, eloquently remarked:
"On this field as on many other, foes of one flesh and blood faced each other, each fighting for that side that seemed right in his own mind, each following the cause that he deemed just."
Erected 2008 by Fairfax County Park Authority.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1915.
Location. 38° 51.912′ N, 77° 22.198′ W. Marker is near Fairfax, Virginia, in Fairfax County. Marker can be reached from West Ox Road. Located at the sixth trail stop wayside at the Ox Hill Battlefield Park Interpretive Trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4134 West Ox Road, Fairfax VA 22033, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Kearny's Stump and the Monument Lot (here, next to this marker); Boulders and Quartz Stone (a few steps from this marker); Major General Isaac Ingalls Stevens (a few steps from this marker); Major General Philip Kearny (a few steps from this marker); The Battle of Ox Hill (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Ox Hill (within shouting distance of this marker); Maryland (Antietam / Sharpsburg) Campaign (within shouting distance of this marker); The Attack and Death of General Stevens (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fairfax.
More about this marker. On the upper left of the marker is a photograph captioned, “Kearny and Stevens Monuments, ca. 1915, with Ballard farm fields in background. Note Ballard’s quartz stone on far right marking where General Stevens fell. The tablet on Stevens’ monument reflects his posthumous promotion to major general. While Kearny’s tablet states he was “Killed On This Spot,” the one-armed general actually fell in the cornfield about 100 yards west of here, beyond the park.” Original photograph, Newark Public Library, Newark, NJ.
On the right side of the marker are two photographs captioned, “John Watts Kearny, son of General Kearny, addressing the assembled at dedication ceremony, Oct. 2, 1915.” Original photograph, Kearny Town Historian, Kearny, NJ and “Lucy Kearny Hill (front right), great granddaughter of Gen. Kearny, reciting the poem “Kearny at Seven Pines,” Oct. 2, 1915.” Original photograph, Kearny Town Historian, Kearny, NJ
The marker also features part of the poem “Kearny at Seven Pines”:
at Chantilly,
That hid him from sight of his
brave men and tried!
Foul, foul sped the bullet that
clipped the white lily,
The flower of our knighthood,
the whole army’s pride!
Yet we dream that he still,—
in that shadowy region
Where the dead form their ranks
at the wan drummer’s sign,—
Rides on, as of old, down the
length of his legion,
And the word still is Forward!
along the whole line.
Last stanza of “Kearny at Seven Pines” by Edmund Clarence Stedman
Also see . . .
1. Ox Hill Battlefield saved by locals. The Washington Times (Submitted on January 10, 2009.)
2. The Battle of Chantilly. Civil War Preservation Trust (Submitted on January 10, 2009.)
Additional commentary.
1. October 2, 1915
In October 1915, two granite monuments were dedicated to Kearny and Stevens. The dedication ceremony's audience included General Kearny's son, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter. A son and three grandsons represented General Stevens. Members of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) were also present, some had fought in the battle along with Veterans of the Confederate States. The master of ceremonies was Lieutenant George C. Round of Manassas, a representative of the Philip Kearny Post, GAR Richmond. The Reverend Dr. Frank Page of Fairfax opened the meeting with a prayer. Mr. Charles F. Hopkins provided remarks. The mayor of Fairfax, James W. Ballard (John and Mary Ballard's son) made the welcoming address ... Letters were read from President Woodrow Wilson and Governor James Fielder of New Jersey.
—The Battle of Chantilly (Ox Hill), A Monumental Storm, by Charles V. Mauro, p. 72, 73, 74.
— Submitted January 10, 2009.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 28, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 10, 2009. This page has been viewed 1,991 times since then and 25 times this year. Last updated on February 17, 2021. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 10, 2009. 5. submitted on December 22, 2022, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. 6. submitted on January 10, 2009. 7, 8. submitted on August 15, 2018, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.