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

Convention Army The Barracks

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 28, 2012

1. Convention Army The Barracks Marker

Inscription. In Jan. 1779, during the American Revolution, 4,000 British troops and German mercenaries (commonly known as “Hessians”) captured following the Battle of Saratoga in New York arrived here after marching from Massachusetts. It was called the Convention Army after the instrument of its surrender. Most prisoners lived in primitive huts spread out over several hundred acres of the barracks camp, where they endured great hardships. Supplying and guarding the Convention Army taxed the resources of the local community and militia. By Feb. 1781, the last of the prisoners had been relocated.

Erected 2011 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number W-166.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1779.

Location. 38° 5.705′ N, 78° 31.558′ W. Marker is near Charlottesville, Virginia, in Albemarle County. It is in Garthfield. It is on Barracks Farm Road (County Route 658) east of Garthfield Lane, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 740 Garthfield Ln, 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 8 other markers are

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within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Origins of Ivy Creek Natural Area (approx. 1.8 miles away); Legacy of Hugh Carr / The Village of Hydraulic Mills (approx. 1.8 miles away); Six Miles of Trails (approx. 1.8 miles away); Old Springs (approx. 1.9 miles away); “The Albemarle 26” (approx. 2 miles away); Rio Hill 1864 Skirmish (approx. 3 miles away); Rio Hill (approx. 3 miles away); Skirmish at Rio Hill (approx. 3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charlottesville.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Albemarle Barracks Burial Site (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Barracks Farm Road & Barrackside Farm image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 28, 2012

2. Barracks Farm Road & Barrackside Farm

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 29, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 3,302 times since then and 165 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 29, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.