Brandy Station in Culpeper County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
U.S. Colored Troops In The Overland Campaign
Photographed by Mike McKeown, August 2, 2025
1. U.S. Colored Troops in the Overland Campaign F-38 Marker
On 5 May 1864, thousands of United States Colored Troops entered Culpeper County at Kelly's Ford, six miles southeast of here, marking the first time Black troops served alongside the Army of the Potomac. These men, including some who had escaped slavery in Culpeper and nearby counties, served in the 19th, 23rd, 27th, 30th, 39th, and 43rd USCT and the 30th Connecticut Colored Infantry, which made up the 4th Division of IX Corps. After a brief stay in Culpeper County, the troops marched south across the Rapidan River to join Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign. While in Culpeper, at least three Black soldiers were captured by Confederates and summarily executed along the roadside.
Erected 2021 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number F 38.)
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 Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 5, 1864.
Location. 38° 30.12′ N, 77° 53.563′ W. Marker is in Brandy Station, Virginia, in Culpeper County.
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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 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 walking distance of this marker: In Memory of Major John Pelham (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Brandy Station World War II Memorial (about 500 feet away); Opening of the Gettysburg Campaign (about 600 feet away); Walls That Talk (about 600 feet away); The 1863-64 Winter Encampment
Photographed by Mike McKeown, August 2, 2025
2. U.S. Colored Troops in the Overland Campaign F-38 Marker
Also see . . .
1. Overland Campaign (Wikipedia). (Submitted on August 2, 2025, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland.)
2. 17 New State Historical Markers Approved (VA Dept of Historical Resources). (Submitted on August 2, 2025, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 8, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2025, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 146 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 2, 2025, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
