Slate Mills
N 38° 32.848 W 078° 13.536
17S E 741784 N 4270209
Slate Mills in Rappahannock County, VA was used by both the Union and Confederate armies for reconnaissance. The road was used by troops retreating from Gettysburg and by Confederate soldiers headed to Bristoe Station.
Waymark Code: WMGNWB
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 03/25/2013
Views: 2
Both Federal and Confederate troops used Slate Mills Rd. in Rappahannock County, Virginia during the war years. The road, screened by the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west, was utilized for moving troops and supplies between Sperryville, Madison, Slate Mills, and Culpeper.
In the summer of 1862, when the Union army occupied the area, Col. Gustave Cluseret's cavalry patrolled the area confiscating supplies and property from the farmers and encouraging slaves to run away from their owners.
Several Confederate divisions retreated down this route after their defeat at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in the summer of 1863, including the troops of Gen. Richard Ewell, Gen. Edward Johnson, and Gen. Robert Rodes.
In the autumn of that same year, part of Confederate Gen. A. P. Hill's corps used the road enroute to the ill-fated Battle of Bristoe Station.
A CWT marker is located in the parking lot for the F.T. Baptist Church. The historical sign faces the old Fink's Store that soldiers passed by. Today, it is the Conyers House and operates as the oldest B&B in Rappahannock County.
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