Battle of Brandy Station • Tour the Battlefield • Historical & Wayside Markers • The Armies
“The 1863-64 Winter Encampment – The Calm Before the Storm” wayside marker is the third trail stop on the St. James Church Walking Trail. The The St. James Church trailhead is at the intersection of Beverly Ford Road (County Route 677) and St. James Church Road (County Route 676).
The next stop on the walking tour is: Charging the Confederate Guns
Looking northeast across the fields that were the site of the largest cavalry battle of the Civil War in May of 1863 and the home of 100,000 men of the Army of the Potomac during the winter of 1863-64. This part of the field has been preserved by the Civil War Trust.
Text from the marker:
The 1863-64 Winter Encampment
The Calm Before the Storm
The 1863-1864 winter encampment proved a busy time for the Army of the Potomac. “There was something fascinating about our winter city of 100,000 men,” a staff officer recalled. “Many pleasant recollections cluster around the old camp at Brandy Station… history should know that our military service did not consist entirely of being shot at or trying to shoot at the other man.”
Thousands of new recruits joined the army and learned how to be soldiers. For members of the “old” regiments, the issue of re-enlisting was of grant interest; those who decided to sign on for “three more years” – or until the end of the war – were treated to a 30-day furlough, a $300 bounty, and special veteran stripes for their uniforms. Soldiers grumbled over the unpopular abolition of the First and Third Corps and the transfers of their regiments into other corps.
In March 1864, following his appointment as general-in-chief of all the Union armies, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant came to Culpeper County. Although George Meade continued to command the Army of the Potomac, Grant chose to make his headquarters in the field with his army and directed operations until the end of the war.
Not two months later, in early May 1864, the men of the Army of the Potomac packed their knapsacks, fell into line, and left these camps for good. On May 4, they crossed the Rapidan River and marched to the Wilderness. Before the momentous and bloody Overland Campaign ended, nearly half of those who had spent the winter at Brandy Station would be dead or wounded.
Help Preserve Battlefields • call CWPT at 1-888-606-1400 • www.civilwar.org • The Hallowell Foundation generously contributed toward the interpretation of this site in memory of Carrington Williams.
This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinion, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.
Caption from the background photo:
The 1864 winter encampment of the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry was located near Brandy Station. Note the barrels used as chimneys.
Caption from the inset photo:
During the winter of 1864, many staff officers used nearby homes for their headquarters. Sixth Corps Commander General John Sedgwick used “Farley” house as his headquarters.
Location of the marker
The Calm Before the Storm wayside marker is the third stop on the St. James Church Loop Trail (38°31’18.1″N 77°51’56.1″W).