Civil War veterans
Numerous individuals who were residents of or otherwise associated with Albemarle County and Charlottesville fought in the Civil War (April 12, 1861 - April 9, 1865). Although Virginian voters ratified the state's secession from the United States on May 23 of 1861, eventually hosting the capital of the Confederate States in Richmond and forming the backbone of various Confederate military formations, a number of the area's inhabitants (primarily formerly-enslaved Black individuals) instead voluntarily traveled north and enlisted in the Union Army, contributing to the latter's ultimate victory in the conflict.
Confederate veterans
Union veterans
Black Civil War veterans
The following Black individuals associated with Albemarle County and Charlottesville served with the Union Army during the Civil War, having been profiled by the University of Virginia's John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History in 2017 as part of the "Black Virginians in Blue" digital project.
Black Civil War veterans associated with Albemarle County and Charlottesville | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Henry Armstrong | Edward Brown | Joseph Brown | Alexander Caine | Miles Carey |
Willis Carr | Henry Clay | Jesse Cowles | Richard Cox | Nimrod Eaves |
John Edwards | Riland Garr | John Hailstock | Robin Jordan | Frank Lee |
David Linton | Nelson Means | Henry Murray | William Smith | Burton Syms |
J. S. Taylor | Private Thomas Walker | Bill Ward | Beverly Wells | Nelson Wright |
Miscellaneous
John Thornley served as a surgeon with the United States Navy throughout the course of the conflict.