155th Anniversary of the Battle of Staunton River Bridge

Please join the Historic Staunton River Foundation and the Staunton River Battlefield State Park as they work to Commemorate the 155th Anniversary of the Battle of Staunton River Bridge in Halifax and Charlotte Counties. An array of events and programs have been planned for the Saturday, June 22. All events are free and open to the public and located at Clover Visitor Center at the Staunton River Battlefield State Park located at 1035 Fort Hill Trail, Randolph, Virginia (Halifax County Clover Visitor Center entrance).

Saturday, June 22

10:00-10:30am: Military Service Award Ceremony at Fort Hill near the UDC monument, presented by the Halifax Chapter and the H. A. Carrington Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. These service awards are presented to veterans who are lineal descendants of Confederate Veterans. If you are a descendant of a Confederate Veteran and served your country in the United States Armed Forces, please contact the Foundation.

10:30 – 11:00am: The Historic Staunton River Foundation will present commemorative medals to recognized descendants of the participants of the Battle of Staunton River Bridge. Following the medals presentation, a wreath-laying ceremony will be presented by local heritage organizations at the bridge. If you are a descendant of a Confederate soldier or a descendant of the known and infamous “Ole Men & Young Boys” who fought to defend the Staunton River Bridge, please contact the Foundation at info@historicstauntonriverfoundation.org or phone 434-454-7157.

11:00 – Noon: Ms. Janet Johnson, local historian and researcher and past-president of the Foundation, will present a program entitled, “The Carrington Family of Virginia” in the Conference Room of the Clover Visitors Center. Since 2004, Johnson has conducted research at Mulberry Hill Plantation in Randolph (Charlotte County, Virginia), the ancestral home of the Carringtons, numerous local libraries, and the Library of Virginia. Johnson’s presentation highlights the journey the Carrington family embarked in the mid-1600s from Cheshire, England to the Island of Barbados. It was from this small island that the parents of the famed Judge Paul Carrington of Virginia would immigrate. Initially, they settled in Cumberland County and by the formation of Charlotte County in 1765, Judge Paul Carrington would begin construction of Mulberry Hill. Since that time, the house and its grounds have stood as a testament to its creator and cultivator and now gives homage to his many lineal and collateral descendants. At the conclusion of Johnson’s presentation, many members of the audience conveyed their lineage and ancestry from Judge Paul Carrington, and one member was actually named in his honor.

Throughout the day: Living History Encampment presented by Confederate re-enactors from the Charlotte County Grays, Armistead-Hill Goode, and Staunton Hill Artillery will be located alongside Fort Hill (earthworks). Camp life, prisoner demonstrations, weapon demonstrations, interpretive demonstrations, and Confederate recruitment will be shown for public participation.

For more information about the weekend’s activities and events, please visit the Foundation’s website at www.HistoricStauntonRiverFoundation.org. The Staunton River Battlefield State Park straddles Charlotte and Halifax Counties. The physical address of the Clover Visitors Center (Halifax entrance) is 1035 Fort Hill Trail, Randolph, Virginia 23962. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation manages the award-winning Virginia State Park System. For more information about Virginia State Park activities, please call 800-933-PARK or visit www.virginiastateparks.gov.