Bacon Race Church

Bacon Race Church. Confederate Occupation. Confederate Col. Wade Hampton’s South Carolina Legion appropriated Bacon Race Church as a field hospital in mid-August 1861 and named the site “Camp Griffin” for Hampton’s subordinate, Lt. Col. James B. Griffin. The unit broke camp on September 20 to support Confederate batteries along the Potomac River, but left the sick to convalesce; several died. The Legion returned on October 19, and named the new camp for Maj. Matthew C. Butler. Early in December, the Legion went into winter quarters near Occoquan., During the winter, the church was a storehouse for Hampton’s new brigade, including the Legion, the 14th and 19th Georgia Infantry, the 16th North Carolina Infantry, and Bachman’s “German Battery.” The brigade picketed the lower Occoquan River, a line that extended 12 miles. The 16th North Carolina and 14th Georgia remained near here to support the batteries guarding the crossings at Wolf Run Shoals and Sally-Davis Ford., Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston evacuated the army from northern Virginia at dawn on March 8, 1862, to confront a new Union campaign against Richmond. In some places, vast quantities of food and supplies were burned because the evacuation order came too suddenly to secure transportation. Hampton only got his orders at 3:30 P.M. on March 7. Maj. Stephen D. Lee reported the evacuation of Bacon Race Church: “I succeeded in sending to Manassas, and in transporting to this point with twelve wagons, which were put at my disposal the night before the movement and in return transportation trains to Manassas, all the arms, ammunition, and stores of value. … I should also state that a small amount of commissary stores were issued to the poor people in the vicinity by my order, there being no transportation for them.”