Diuguidsville was established in 1792 by the Virginia General Assembly and named for William Diuguid, 1717-1764, who immigrated to Buckingham County in 1745 from Aberdeen, Scotland. He was a first cousin of Patrick Henry and the father of Capt. William Diuguid, a Revolutionary War soldier and one of the town's first trustees. In March 1865, the townspeople of Diuguidsville burned the covered bridge here to prevent Gen. Philip Sheridan and his troops from crossing the swollen river on their way to meet Gen. Grant. Diuguidsville was a flourishing town until the Civil War, when it ceased to exist because of the decline of river transportation.