Civil War Encampment Sites
1861-1862
"...a little loathe to leave our Winter Quarters."
- Private Robert A. Moore, 17th Mississippi Infantry, March 7, 1862
Private Moore, in his diary, most likely expressed the feelings of all his fellow soldiers as they left the relative comfort of their temporary home here. From Christmas Eve 1861 to March 6, 1862, two companies of the 17th Mississippi Infantry Regiment constructed and stayed in winter huts, located approximately 200 yards ahead on the adjacent ridge. At that time, the property belonged to further Governor of Maryland, Thomas Swann, Jr.
Although these Mississippi soldiers had to adjust to colder northern temperatures, their time here was reasonably pleasant. For two and a half months, they had roofs over their heads, ample food provided by local citizens, beds to sleep in and, perhaps most importantly, no fighting.
For the remainder of the war, it was rare for these soldiers, or Virginia civilians, to experience such luxuries. As the war carried on into its third and forth years, food sources were depleted, the death toll soured, destruction of private property multiplied, and disease plagued the soldiers as well as livestock used for war.
These hardships endured for decades, as farmers struggled to rebuild their livelihoods. Forty years after the War, Westmoreland Davis would purchase this property and endeavor to provide the tools needed for local farmers to regroup from the disaster of the Civil War. By modeling a farm of efficiency and sustainability, Davis strove to return the region to the rich environment these Mississippi soldiers experienced.
Nearby are reproductions of the type of huts the soldiers stayed in over that winter.