Near Locust Grove in Spotsylvania County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Gaspar Tochman

Photographed by Craig Swain, February 16, 2008

1. Gaspar Tochman Marker

Inscription. A mile south is the unmarked grave of Gaspar Tochman (1797-1880), a major in the Polish army who participated in the failed 1830 revolt against Russia. Exiled, in 1837 he immigrated to the United States, where he practiced law, wrote, and lectured. During the Civil War he recruited the Polish Brigade (14th and 15th Louisiana regiments) of Jackson's Corps. A colonel in the Confederate army, he sought unsuccessfully the rank of brigadier general. Tochman settled here in 1866 and served as the European agent for the Virginia Board of Immigration.

Erected 1992 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number JJ-25.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1830.

Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 38° 16.491′ N, 77° 45.501′ W. Marker was near Locust Grove, Virginia, in Spotsylvania County. It was at the intersection of Orange Plank Road (County Route 621) and Parker Road (County Route 611) on Orange Plank Road. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 12212 Orange Plank Rd, Locust Grove VA 22508, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker was in the Washington Metropolitan Area,

in Northern Virginia,

and in the Piedmont.

It was also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it found 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.

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At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies: A.P. Hill Escapes Capture (approx. 1½ miles away); Key Terrain (approx. 1½ miles away); Wilderness Campaign (approx. 1.6 miles away); The Chewning Farm (approx. 1.6 miles away); a different marker also named Wilderness Campaign (approx. 2 miles away); Lee-to-the-Rear (approx. 2 miles away); In the Nick of Time (approx. 2 miles away); In The Nick of Time (approx. 2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Locust Grove.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Crisis in the Wilderness (was approx. 2 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Additional commentary.
1. The Polish Brigade
Despite the name, the Polish Brigade was not exclusively Polish. Exiles from Europe, feeling from the political and revolutionary strife of the mid-century, joined this organization. Although the organization served during the major campaigns of the Civil War in Virginia, the exiles were never quite fully embraced by the military and political leaders of the Confederacy.

— Submitted February 17, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.

Photographed by Craig Swain, February 16, 2008

2. Gaspar Tochman Marker

The road here follows the route of the old Orange Plank Road, named for the wood planking used as a road bed. The path was the wagon route through the Wilderness, running roughly parallel to the Orange Turnpike further north.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 17, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,419 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 17, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.