Belvedere near Charlottesville in Albemarle County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Pvt. Shadrach Battles (ca. 1753-1822)

Pvt. Shadrach Battles (ca. 1746-ca. 1824) Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Lawrence Merle Nelson

1. Pvt. Shadrach Battles (ca. 1746-ca. 1824) Marker

Inscription. Shadrach Battles, a free person of color born probably in Albemarle County, was a Revolutionary War soldier. By June 1775 he had joined the Albemarle Independent Company, a local militia unit. In Dec. 1776 he enlisted in the 10th Virginia Regiment (later renumbered the 6th). He fought at Brandywine, PA, Germantown, PA, and Monmouth, NJ, spent the winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge, and participated in the Southern Campaign. Battles was one of at least 5,000 black soldiers who served in the Continental Line. By 1778, black men were a substantial presence in nearly every brigade. A carpenter and laborer, Battles lived in this vicinity after the war.

Erected 2019 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number G-6.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Colonial Era • Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1775.

Location. 38° 4.32′ N, 78° 27.679′ W. Marker is near Charlottesville, Virginia, in Albemarle County. It is in Belvedere. It is on Belvedere Boulevard east of Free State Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 700 Belvedere Blvd, Charlottesville VA 22901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Piedmont

and in Central Virginia.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

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

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8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Free State (a few steps from this marker); Amy Bowles Farrow (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bowles Homestead & Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away); Rio Hill 1864 Skirmish (approx. 1.2 miles away); Rio Hill (approx. 1.2 miles away); Skirmish at Rio Hill (approx. 1.2 miles away); The Dogwood Vietnam Memorial (approx. 2.1 miles away); “The Albemarle 26” (approx. 2.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charlottesville.

Also see . . . The Mary Elizabeth Conover Foundation. The foundation inspired the placement of this marker and funded its manufacturing. (Submitted on April 9, 2025.)

Pvt. Shadrach Battles (ca. 1753-1822) and Free State Markers image. Click for full size.

Photographed by TheJellyBeans, November 17, 2025

2. Pvt. Shadrach Battles (ca. 1753-1822) and Free State Markers

Credits. This page was last revised on January 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 9, 2025, by Lawrence Merle Nelson of Springfield, Virginia. This page has been viewed 690 times since then and 115 times this year. Last updated on November 14, 2025, by TheJellyBeans of Central, Virginia. Photos: 1. submitted on April 10, 2025, by Lawrence Merle Nelson of Springfield, Virginia. 2. submitted on November 17, 2025, by TheJellyBeans of Central, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.