Gloucester in Gloucester County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Pvt. James Daniel Gardner
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient
Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, April 18, 2008
1. Pvt. James Daniel Gardner Monument
Sept. 16, 1839 - Sept. 29, 1905
Served during the Civil War as a private in
Company 1, 36th United States Colored Troops.
He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his
bravery at the Battle of Chapins Farm,
Virginia on September 29, 1864.
Erected 2005 by Gloucester County.
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Medal of Honor Recipients series list.
Location. 37° 24.887′ N, 76° 31.757′ W. Memorial is in Gloucester, Virginia, in Gloucester County. It can be reached from Gloucester Courthouse Grounds, in the median. Business US 17 and Blair Road. Touch for map. Memorial is in this post office area: Gloucester VA 23061, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is on the Middle Peninsula and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Tidewater, in the Chesapeake Bay Region, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Gloucester in the Civil War (a few steps from this marker); In Memoriam John Clayton (a few steps from this marker); Court House (a few steps from this marker); To the Confederate Dead of Gloucester (a few steps from this marker); The Birdsall Building (within shouting distance of this marker); The Daffodil Industry (within shouting distance of this marker); Gloucester Continues to Celebrate the Daffodil (within shouting distance of this marker); A Sacred Place (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gloucester.
Also see . . .
1. James Daniel Gardner Find-a-Grave Entry. Details his final resting place and includes a short service summary. (Submitted on October 28, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.)
2. James Gardiner Congressional Medal of Honor Society Entry.
Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, April 18, 2008
2. Full view of monument.
3. American Battlefield Trust - Battle of New Market Heights/Chaffin's Farm Resources. Maps, facts, etc. about the action where Gardner earned his Medal of Honor. (Submitted on October 28, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.)
Additional commentary.
1. Chapin's Farm
Is not a farm at all. Rather, Chapin's Farm is an inaccurate name for the battle of Chaffin's Farm, better known as the Battle of New Market Heights. The farm was named for the Chaffin family that owned the bluff over the James River adjacent to the Osborne Turnpike in the Civil War. Fort Harrison, a key defensive position in the Confederate line guarding Richmond, was located on Chaffin's farmland - hence that name for the battle. The Chaffin's Farm action (capture of Fort Harrison) was the left wing of a broader offensive movement in which the right wing seized New Market Heights, about two miles east. They are sometimes considered separate battles but they are both components of the same overall action. In any event, Chapin's is incorrect regardless - the 36th USCT Regiment,
Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, April 18, 2008
3. James Daniel Gardner
Photo attached to monument.
— Submitted October 28, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.
Additional keywords. U.S.C.T.
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, August 29, 2026
4. Pvt. James Daniel Gardner Marker
And 1766 Courthouse for context.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 1, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,189 times since then and 75 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 1, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 4. submitted on October 28, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.
