New Waysides Installed at Brandy Station Battlefield Ahead of Anniversary

(Culpeper, Va.) — Just in time for the battle’s 163rd anniversary on June 9, two new historical waysides have been installed at Culpeper County’s Brandy Station Battlefield in Culpeper County, adding fresh interpretation for visitors looking to explore the movements, terrain and stories that defined the first engagement of the Gettysburg Campaign.  

“Our waysides are just another way we aim to bring the battlefield and the stories that are stored in its soil to life, giving visitors a clearer sense of what happened here all those years ago,” said Chuck Laudner of Friends of Culpeper Battlefields. “Our long-standing partnership with Civil War Trails makes our work of enhancing the visitor experience a constant priority.”

Installed in late May, the markers were made possible through a partnership between the American Battlefield Trust and Civil War Trails. One of the signs is placed along Beverly’s Ford Road, providing geographic context within the broader battlefield landscape and providing visitor orientation. A second sign focuses on Col. Benjamin Franklin Davis, a colorful Alabama-born Union officer killed in dramatic fashion during an early phase of the fighting.

The Trust has a long-standing history in Brandy Station, spanning nearly 30 years. Since 1997, the Trust has helped secure more than 2,300 acres of hallowed ground in Brandy Station and more throughout Culpeper County. In 2024, after a long campaign and work with partners on local and state levels, Governor Glenn Youngkin formally dedicated the Culpeper Battlefields State Park, the 43rd State Park unit in the Old Dominion. The park currently encompasses more than 260 acres of the Brandy Station Battlefield, land that was donated by the Trust and its partners to the state.

Fought on June 9, 1863, the Battle of Brandy Station was the largest cavalry engagement ever fought in North America and marked the opening phase of the Gettysburg Campaign. Following the Confederate victory at Chancellorsville, Gen. Robert E. Lee moved the Army of Northern Virginia toward Culpeper County. Union forces, under Brig. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton, launched a surprise attack across the Rappahannock River at Beverly Ford and Kelly’s Ford.

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 60,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War across 160 sites in 25 states. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.  

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