Williamsburg Battlefield Association

You are invited to join the Williamsburg Battlefield Association on Saturday, June 27 for a presentation by award winning author Dr. Glenn Brasher on what happened between July 4, 1861 and July 4th, 1862 that drove and inspired President Lincoln into becoming the Great Emancipator.

Refreshments including the cutting of a patriotic, America happy birthday cake will be provided.

Have a Meaningful Memorial Day

On May 5, 1863 – the first anniversary of the Battle of Williamsburg – soldiers from the 178th Pennsylvania gathered on the Williamsburg battlefield where their fallen comrades were still buried in mass trenches to honor them with speeches and resolutions (Dubbs, Defend This Old Town, pg. 303). A search online reveals that various localities and people, both North and South, began decorating the graves and memorializing the memory of their Civil War dead very shortly after the end of the war and, in several instances as noted here, even before its end. No matter when, where, how, or by whom our Memorial Day came into existence, there is an innate desire in our national conscience to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The Williamsburg Battlefield Association hopes that you will take a moment today away from ballgames, beaches, picnics, and shopping to acknowledge your gratefulness in a meaningful way.

On the 162nd anniversary of the Battle of New Market, here is a short story on the connection with Williamsburg.

Today marks the 162nd Anniversary of the Battle of New Market on May 15, 1864, in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The battle is primarily remembered for the involvement of an infantry battalion of 247 students from the Virginia Military Institute’s (VMI) Corps of Cadets. Annually, VMI commemorates the actions of its cadets during the battle and memorializes the 10 who were killed in the action or died of wounds afterwards.

What is Williamsburg’s connection to this battle? Amongst the cadets participating in the battle were Henry Winder Garrett (19) and his younger brother Van Franklin Garrett (17). Both were born and raised in Williamsburg in what is known today as the Coke-Garrett House (now owned by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation). Their older brother, William Robertson Garrett, had been serving in the Confederate Army since 1861and was captain of the artillery battery in Redoubt 3 during the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, 1862.

Henry and Van entered VMI on April 22, 1863. Henry was in Company A and Van in Company B. A few months after the Battle of New Market, the cadets were called upon again and in October 1864 occupied trenches in the defenses of Richmond, VA. Both brothers resigned from the Corps of Cadets in January 1865 to enter Confederate Service. Van reportedly joined Thompson’s Battery in the Virginia Light Artillery while Henry reportedly joined Col. John S. Mosby’s Regiment of Virginia Calvary. No official records survive to confirm these reports.

After the war, Henry graduated from the College of William & Mary and completed a law degree from the University of Virginia. He practiced law and farming in Pulaski, VA. He never married and died in 1879 and is buried in the Bruton Parish Churchyard in Williamsburg. Van graduated from the University of Virginia and then completed a medical degree from the Medical College of New York. He returned to Williamsburg, married, had a family and medical practice, and taught chemistry at W&M. He died in 1932 and is also buried in the Bruton Parish Churchyard.

Information provided by VMI’s Historical Roster Database (https://archivesweb.vmi.edu/index.php)

Pvt. Van F. Garrett, ca. 1863 (Find-A-Grave)

Park Day 2026 was a huge success. Thank you to our 20 volunteers! We cleaned up two sites on the Williamsburg Battlefield.

Thank you for your generous donations during the GL757 campaign. We exceeded our goal! We will now plan on moving the replica artillery piece for public display!

Today is the One Hundred Sixty Fourth anniversary of the Battle of Williamsburg. This year the anniversary coincides with our annual GL757 fundraiser. The funds raised help keep our organization moving forward and this year will also help us move a replica artillery piece to Fort Magruder for display. Your generous participation is sincerely appreciated throughout the year!

You are invited to attend our Annual Membership Meeting on Saturday, May 2. The following message is from the Williamsburg Battlefield Association President, Alison Woodard:

Dear friends, I recently visited Pelham’s Corner in Fredericksburg, VA where Major John Pelham earned his sobriquet “The Gallant Pelham” in December 1862 while directing the fire of a single cannon of the Stuart Horse Artillery for two hours within just 400 yards of the left flank of the Union Army. Did you know, though, that before he and the Stuart Horse Artillery became so admired for their fearless quick-strike firepower, they were first tested at the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, 1862? I invite you to join the WBA on Saturday, May 2 at 10 AM when author and historian Sarah Kay Bierle presents “360 Rounds”: Captain John Pelham & the Stuart Horse Artillery at the Battle of Williamsburg. This program will explore John Pelham's life, tactics, and military legacy and focus on his artillery's effects at Williamsburg and other fights on the Virginia Peninsula during the spring and summer of 1862. All are welcome to attend this special program and to stay for the WBA Annual Membership Meeting that follows.

AUTHOR PRESENTATION & WBA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Saturday, May 2
Author Presentation @ 10 - 11 AM
WBA Annual Membership Meeting @ 11 AM - Noon

Wyndham Garden Hotel
Yorktown Room
201 Water Country Parkway
Williamsburg, VA 23185

Join us on Saturday, April 25 for Park Day 2026

www.williamsburgbattlefieldassociation.org. for more information

Enjoy some fresh air, a little exercise and talk with fellow volunteers.

Pictured is the intrepid saw crew that has already prepped the Bloody Ravine site for cleanup on Saturday. Hope you can join us!

Did you know the first ever deployment of ballons in combat occurred during the siege of Yorktown during the Peninsula Campaign of 1862?

Union Army Balloon Corps

Thaddeus Lowe and his Union Army Balloon Corps arrived in Yorktown, Virginia on April 5, 1862, during the Peninsula Campaign. The Corps included several hydrogen balloons, including the Constitution and Intrepid, that were utilized in the reconnaissance of Confederate positions around Yorktown. Lowe set up the main balloon camp near a steam-driven sawmill close to General Heintzelman’s headquarters just two miles from Yorktown and soon expanded operations with additional balloons and personnel. With daily balloon ascensions, the Union forces were able to map and monitor the Confederate fortifications and troop movements, providing critical intelligence for General George B. McClellan’s siege efforts. In late April, Lowe started to employ his larger Intrepid balloon, which could carry multiple observers and a telegraph for real-time reports. On April 11, 1862, Brigadier General Fitz John Porter ascended in the Intrepid, and the anchor cables unexpectedly broke, causing the balloon to drift over enemy lines. Despite being out of control and shot at by the Confederates, he remained calm and continued to observe enemy defenses and record details through his telescope. Porter threw out sandbags as ballast to adjust the balloon’s altitude and eventually, thanks to a change in the wind, the balloon drifted back over Union lines where he safely descended onto a tent near the Union headquarters. During the early morning of May 4th, Lt. George Custer was the first to observe and confirm the Confederate evacuation of Yorktown from a balloon. It allowed the Union to commence an aggressive pursuit which resulted in the pitched battle at Williamsburg on May 5th.

National Medal of Honor Day is observed today, March 25, 2026. On this day, the WBA honors Sergeant Major Edward Ratcliff for his heroism under fire at the Battle of New Market Heights near Richmond, VA on September 29, 1864.

Seargeant Major Ratcliff rests in Cheesecake Cemetery on the grounds of Naval Weapons Station Yorktown.

Edward Ratcliff (family name later changed to Radcliffe) was born into slavery in James
City County, Virginia on February 8, 1835. In early 1864 he left the James City County farm
where he lived with his wife Grace and daughter Hannah, walked to Yorktown, and joined
the Union Army. He began his army service as a private in Company “C” of the 38th
Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops. By September 1864 he had risen to the rank of First
Sergeant and was one of thousands of African American Union troops facing action at the
Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. During September 29, 1864 Battle of
Chaffin’s Farm in the New Market Heights area of Richmond, Ratcliff led the men of his
company into the Confederate works after his company commander was shot down. He
was the first enlisted man to enter the city’s Confederate fortifications during the battle.
For his heroism during the engagement, he was promoted to Sergeant Major and awarded
the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration. He was one of only sixteen
African American soldiers to be awarded the Medal of Honor during the Civil War.

After the war, Ratcliff, as a free man, returned to his family and settled in York County on
land that is now part of U.S. Naval Weapons Station Yorktown (NWSY). He died in 1915 at
the age of 80 and his family buried him in Cheesecake Cemetery under a simple wooden
marker. The Navy acquired the property in 1918, and the gravesite marker disappeared
over time. But Sergeant Major Ratcliff was not to be forgotten. In 2006 it came to the attention of the Public Affairs Office that Cheesecake Cemetery contained the unmarked grave of a Medal of Honor recipient. A Veterans Affairs grave marker was obtained, and on August 5, 2006, a ceremony was held at the cemetery to honor Sergeant Major
Ratcliff and unveil his marker. The ceremony was attended by Ratcliff’s 84-year-old grandson Edward Radcliffe and 91-year-old granddaughter Marion Parker. Mr. Radcliffe was presented
an American flag by his grandson, Marine Corps Cpl. Edward Radcliffe, and re-enactors of the 38th Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops fired three volleys in salute to the soldier. His marker
will ensure that Ratcliff’s legacy as a Civil War hero will continue into time.