Encampment

This space was the main camp area for soldiers who guarded the landward approach to Fort Huger. They slept, ate, and relaxed here when not actively engaged in the daily routine of improving the fort or otherwise preparing for its defense. Fort Huger's troops were primarily from the 5th Virginia Infantry Battalion, comprised of men from Henrico, Dinwiddie, Prince George, Greensville, and Brunswick Counties. Five companies were stationed here from October 1861 to May 1862, with three companies positioned outside the fort and two companies positioned inside. Lieutenant Colonel Fletcher Harris Archer was in command. The road nearby followed the trace of the original road built to access the fort, and soldiers, construction crews, and wagons traveled along it to enter the fort.

Rushmere, Virginia · United States