Lignum in Culpeper County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
No Quarter
Confederates Execute USCTs Near Madden's Tavern
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, November 8, 2021
1. No Quarter Marker
On May 8, 1864, following the Battle of the Wilderness, troopers of the 9th Virginia Cavalry scouted through this region and captured several United States Colored Troops (USCTs) near Madden's Tavern. Private Byrd C. Willis of the 9th recalled, "They were taken out on the road side and shot....," and their bodies left to the ravages of nature.
This incident was an indirect result of the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, which authorized Black men to in the US Army. The Confederate War Department had issued an order that stated captured USCTs would viewed as slaves in a state of insurrection, making them liable to execution or sale into slavery.
The USCTs near Madden's Tavern were members of the 4th Division, 9th Corps. In late May 1864, they were assigned to the Army of the Potomac, the first African American soldiers to join that army. Many had self-emancipated from their enslavers and identified Culpeper, Orange, and Madison counties as their birthplaces.
These brave men served knowing they might die on the battlefield or, if they were captured, perhaps suffer the same unjust fate as their comrades executed by the 9th Virginia. In another incident, a captured USCT was taken to nearby Orange and hung in front of the courthouse.
Erected 2021
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 8, 1864.
Location. 38° 26.041′ N, 77° 49.497′ W. Marker is in Lignum, Virginia, in Culpeper County. It is at the intersection of Maddens Tavern Road and Youngs Lane, on the left when traveling north on Maddens Tavern Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 23144 Maddens Tavern Rd, Lignum VA 22726, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, 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: Ebenezer Baptist Church (here, next to this marker); Madden's Tavern (here, next to this marker); Madden's Tavern USCT Memorial (here, next to this marker); Lafayette's 1781 Campaign in Culpeper (within shouting distance of this marker); Battle of Kellys Ford (approx. 3.3 miles away); Salubria (approx. 3.4 miles away); a different marker also named Salubria (approx. 3.4 miles away); Welcome to Historic Stevensburg, Virginia (approx. 3½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lignum.
Also see . . . The Fredom Foundation. Honoring the Lives of African Americans Who Served in the Civil War. (Submitted on November 8, 2021.)
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, November 8, 2021
2. No Quarter Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 8, 2021, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 745 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 8, 2021, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
