Norman's Mills Ford

Norman's Mills Ford. . Serving the public as a crossing of Mountain Run on the Carolina Road (Raleigh to Philadelphia) from Colonial days until 1900, when a single lane, three span, steel truss bridge was constructed, just west of the dam. This bridge was replaced in the mid 1950s by the present bridge., In 1863, during the Battle of Brandy Station, the Union's Col Duffie and his cavalry force (3000) was denied a crossing here by a small group of Confederate soldiers (who had been routed on Hansboro Ridge) and made a wild dash for Norman's Mills Ford. There soldiers from the 4th VA had a lone cannon (12 pounder-Napoleon) positioned to prevent the use of the ford. In addition to the cannon, the Confederates had riflemen in the canal (used as a trench) which ran on the north edge and for the entire length of the Mt. Run Bottom., Col Duffie apparently was not aware of the obvious fact that horses could not cross Mt. Run (except at a ford) and this made Mt. Run just as effective a natural barrier as the Rappahannock River. He was turned back from here and followed Gen. Gregg's route, finally arriving in Brandy Stastion (sic) after the fighting was over. His men never fired a shot in Brandy Station., The ford was used by a Stevensburg church until the mid 1950s, for baptismal purposes.