Another Unique Brandy Station Link

Today at Brandy Station: August 17, 2010

I saw this pass over the Internet yesterday, and then had two friends forward to me. According to this CNN story, they have found the stockade of Camp Lawton, which was outside Millen, Georgia.

Again, what is the connection with Brandy Station.

Well, both Brandy Station and Camp Lawton hosted on Robert Knox Sneden. Sneden was a private who prepared maps from III Corps Commander William 'Blinky' French. French used the Miller House, which sat on Fleetwood Hill (at least two photos of the house exist) as his headquarters.

French picked an opportune time to be away, the night of November 26/27. Sneden, however remained. You see, the night of November 26/27 was the night Major John S. Mosby would come a calling on the Miller House. Sneden and others became prisoners; and just because he could, Mosby crossed the O&A tracks and attacked a parked wagon train that consisted of about 200 wagons.

Back to Camp Lawton. Robert Sneden was escorted eventually to Richmond where he was held for some months. Robert, unfortunately, got the grand tour. He also would be held at Andersonville, Salisbury, NC, Savannah, Georgia, Charleston, SC and you guessed it Camp Lawton.

The books "Eye of the Storm," and "Images from the Storm" contain drawings made by Sneden of his prison experiences to include his depictions of Camp Lawton.

The link to the CNN story is below: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/14/georgia.civil.war.camp/?hpt=T2

A Mosby raid into Fauquier

Today at Catlett Station, May 10, 1863.

This is one of those sorties into a neighboring county.

Yesterday, May 9, Major John Mosby and 40 followers departed Upperville for a raid on the Orange & Alexandria Railroad. The target, the vicinity of Catlett Station.

Mosby arrived in eastern Fauquier County the following day. After tearing up some rails between Catlett and Bristoe Station (in Prince William County), which caused one train to wreck, his command set the trestle crossing Cedar Run ablaze. Heading Northeast, his goal was the bridge over Kettle Run. He got to it and began the destruction process. This time however, the bridge was saved by the timely arrival of Union Soldiers on a train.

The Federals extinguished the flames before they could do an damage. Mosby's command escaped.

(From the Virginia Regimental Series: 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry: Mosby's Command, by Hugh Keen & Horace Mewborn)

The image is a wartime view of Catlett Station, from the Library of Congress.