Near Winchester in Frederick County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Most Reliable Information
Two Freedom Seekers Provide Information about Fort Collier
| | The Long Road to Freedom | |
Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 29, 2026
1. The Most Reliable Information Marker
Between July 1861 and March 1862, many enslaved people from the northern Shenandoah Valley escaped their enslavers to seek refuge with Major General Nathaniel P. Banks' Union force in Harpers Ferry.
Among the freedom seekers who arrived at Harpers Ferry in early March 1862 were Henry Dilworth and Dennis Taylor. These two men, both 25 years old, were among 34 people enslaved by George Tate Washington, who resided about five miles north of Winchester. In addition to informing a Union soldier at Harpers Ferry that they had fled "to avoid being sold in Richmond," they provided details about this site, Fort Collier.
Several weeks before Dilworth and Taylor decided to flee to Harpers Ferry, both were impressed, along with other enslaved people, by Confederate general Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson to move heavy artillery located inside of Fort Collier, to Strasburg, Virginia, 19 miles south of Winchester, along with other items to prevent their capture by Union troops. Taylor informed one of Banks' soldiers that Fort Collier, which commanded the Martinsburg Pike, a road that Banks needed to control if he hoped to occupy
this page online
This information undoubtedly proved valuable to Banks as he approached Winchester during the second week of March. Furthermore, the information Dilworth and Taylor provided exemplifies the vital role that African Americans played in providing, as a soldier in the Eighth Ohio Infantry wrote in the spring of 1862, "the most reliable information" for Banks and other Union generals throughout the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley.
(Captions):
In 1862, Harpers Ferry became a magnet for thousands of freedom seekers. John P. Soule took this photograph of the camp where these freedom seekers lived in Harpers Ferry in 1862.
(Library of Congress)
The abolitionist-minded Major General Nathaniel P. Banks gained valuable information from Dilworth, Taylor, and other freedom seekers as Banks's army advanced toward Winchester in early March 1862.
(Library of Congress)
Illustration showing Major General Nathaniel P. Banks' army marching into Winchester on the Martinsburg Pike on March 12, 1862. Fort Collier rises prominently over the road.
(Jonathan A. Noyalas private collection)
Erected 2026
Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 29, 2026
2. The Most Reliable Information Marker
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Forts and Castles • War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1862.
Location. 39° 12.08′ N, 78° 9.242′ W. Marker is near Winchester, Virginia, in Frederick County. It can be reached from Brooke Road just east of Martinsburg Pike (U.S. 11), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 922 Martinsburg Pike, Winchester VA 22601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. 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: Fort Collier Stine House (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Fort Collier (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Fort Collier (within shouting distance of this marker); Lt. Colliers Earthworks (within shouting distance of this marker); Third Battle of Winchester (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Fort Collier (about 300 feet away); George Washington in Winchester (about 300 feet away); The Cavalry Charge at Fort Collier (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winchester.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Fort Collier (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on September 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2026, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 1, 2026, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.
