Confederate Colonel Wade Hampton’s South Carolina Legion appropriated Bacon Race Church as a field hospital in mid-August 1861 and named the site Camp Griffin for Hampton’s subordinate, Lieutenant Colonel James B. Griffin. The unit broke camp on September 20 to support Confederate batteries along the Potomac River, but left the sick to convalesce, and several died. The Legion returned on October 19 and named the new camp for Major Matthew C. Butler. Early in December, the Legion went into winter quarters near Occoquan. During the winter, the church served as a storehouse for Hampton’s new brigade, including the Legion, the 14th and 19th Georgia Infantry, the 16th North Carolina Infantry, and Bachman’s German Battery. The brigade picketed the lower Occoquan River along a line that extended 12 miles, and the 16th North Carolina and 14th Georgia remained near the church to support batteries guarding the crossings at Wolf Run Shoals and Sally-Davis Ford. At dawn on March 8, 1862, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston evacuated the army from northern Virginia to confront a new Union campaign against Richmond. Because the order came too suddenly to secure transportation, vast quantities of food and supplies were burned in some places. Hampton received his orders only at 3:30 P.M. on March 7. Major Stephen D. Lee reported that with twelve wagons made available the night before the movement and return transportation trains to Manassas, he sent to Manassas and transported from Bacon Race Church all the arms, ammunition, and stores of value, while a small amount of commissary stores was issued to poor people in the vicinity because there was no transportation for them.