Woodberry Forest in Five Forks in Madison County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Fry's/Barnett's Ford Road
| | Woodberry Perimeter Trail | |
Photographed by Craig Swain, January 16, 2017
1. Fry's/Barnett's Ford Road Marker
As you read this, you are standing in the old Fry's/Barnett's Ford Road, which connected the towns of Orange and Culpeper and which was Woodberry's primary access road during the nineteenth century. On an oppressively hot August 9, 1862, approximately 15,000 Confederate soldiers commanded by Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson marched on this road toward Culpeper to confront a Union army. That evening, they fought and won the Battle of Cedar Mountain. On August 11, they returned on this road, accompanied by some 400 prisoners.
This marker honors the memory of Roy L. Smart, Jr., WFS 1940 - loyal alumnus, devoted student of the Civil War, truest of gentlemen.
Erected by Woodberry Forest School.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is August 9, 1862.
Location. 38° 17.922′ N, 78° 8.083′ W. Marker is in Five Forks, Virginia, in Madison County. It is in Woodberry Forest. It can be reached from the intersection of South James Madison Highway (U.S. 15) and Woodberry Forest Road (State Road 622), on the right when traveling north.
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Regionally, this marker is in Northern Virginia and in the Piedmont. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Woodberry Forest School (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Knights of the Golden Horseshoe (approx. one mile away); a different marker also named Knights of the Golden Horseshoe (approx. 1.1 miles away); Orange County / Madison County (approx. 1.3 miles away); Grave of Gov. James Lawson Kemper (approx. 1.3 miles away); Peyton's Ford Road / Woodberry Perimeter Trail
Photographed by Craig Swain, January 16, 2017
2. Fry's/Barnett's Ford Road Marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. Kemper's Grave (was approx. 1.3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Photographed by Evan Dwyer
3. Fry's / Barnett's Ford Road Trace - 3DEP LiDAR Imagery
The circle is the location of the marker. The old road is clearly visible running northeast-southwest above and below it. Modern Route 15 (S. James Madison Highway) is the straight road to the left, running almost parallel to the old road but without the curves and varied depth indicated by the shadows formed from the incline of the road shoulder.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 14, 2020, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 955 times since then and 92 times this year. Last updated on January 12, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 14, 2020, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 3. submitted on January 12, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
