Winchester in Frederick County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Thomas Laws

One Man's Courage

Photographed by Jay Richardson, September 12, 2026

1. Thomas Laws Marker

Inscription. Here, on the Third Battle of Winchester battlefield, we honor Thomas Laws, an enslaved man from Clarke County, whose courage and resourcefulness helped turn the tide of the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley.

Risking his life, Laws passed through Confederate lines on September 16, 1864, carrying a secret message from Union General Philip H. Sheridan to Unionist Rebecca Wright in Winchester, asking for information about the Confederate Army. After Wright wrote to Sheridan that Jubal Early's forces in the area were weakened and divided, Laws carried Wright's note to Sheridan. This information helped Sheridan plan and secure a decisive victory at Winchester on September 19, 1864—A critical Union military success that helped hasten the war's end, preserve the Union, and bring about slavery's constitutional death, a critical step on the path to securing Civil Rights for all Americans.

Thomas Laws's quiet bravery reminds us that freedom is won not only by armies but also by ordinary individuals who, at great personal risk, answer conscience's call for the benefit of the greater good.

Erected 2026 by Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation.

Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Communications • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is September 16, 1864.

Location. 39° 12.632′ N, 78° 7.654′ W. Memorial is in Winchester, Virginia, in Frederick County. It is on Redbud Road (Virginia Route 661) 0.9 miles east of Martinsburg Pike (U.S. 11), on the right when traveling east. Entrance to James Wilkins Winchester Battlefield Visitor Center. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 541 Redbud Road, Winchester VA 22603, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

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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: A different marker also named Three Battlefields (a few steps from this marker); "Like A Thousand Bricks" (within shouting distance of this marker); Ritchie Interpretive Plaza (within shouting distance of this marker); The First Battle of Kernstown (within shouting distance of this marker); The First Battle of Winchester (within shouting distance of this marker); The Second Battle of Winchester (within shouting distance of this marker); The Battle of Rutherford's Farm (within shouting distance of this marker); The Second Battle of Kernstown (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winchester.

Other markers

Thomas Laws Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jay Richardson, September 12, 2026

2. Thomas Laws Monument

Third Winchester Battlefield Park

no longer nearby. Three Battlefields (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Third Battle of Winchester (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).

Thomas Laws Monument Plaque image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jay Richardson, September 12, 2026

3. Thomas Laws Monument Plaque

One Man's Courage

Credits. This page was last revised on September 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 12, 2026, by Jay Richardson of Winchester, Virginia. This page has been viewed 15 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 12, 2026, by Jay Richardson of Winchester, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.