In 1867, the federal government bought 6 acres from Edward B. Hill, the brother of Confederate General A. P. Hill, to create Culpeper National Cemetery. Here lie Union soldiers who died at the battles of Cedar Mountain, Brandy Station, Trevilian Station, in the Gordonville Confederate hospital, and many other sites in Culpeper, Page, and Rappahannock counties. The original cemetery featured four burial sections laid out in a square. A flagstaff mound at the end of the main drive marked the center. In the 1870s, permanent marble headstones replaced temporary headboards on the Civil War graves.

The remains of twelve officers and one thousand three hundred and nine soldiers (1,321 in all) are interred in this Cemetery. The bodies buried here are mostly those of the soldiers who died in hospitals during the encampment of the Army of the Potomac in Culpeper County in the winter of 1863-1864, and of those who fell in various skirmishes along the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers, in 1863 and 1864; about 351 were brought from Cedar Mountain battlefield. The Roll of Honor for the Civil War dead buried here can be found at the link below- Roll of honor.

Interestingly, in the Roll of Honor I can only find 3 soldiers who died at the Battle of Brandy Station. All three were initially buried on George Stewart’s farm.

1) Lieutenant Colonel Virgil Broderick (Brodrick), 1st NJ, found in a well on George L. Stewart’s farm (grave 451 flag circle). In the June 9, 1863 Battle of Brandy Station, Virginia, he was unhorsed while directing a charge of his men on Confederate troopers under General J.E.B. Stuart. As the fighting swirled around him, he was cut down by a Confederate trooper and killed. His body was later found thrown down a well by Confederate soldiers.

2) Major John H. Shellmire (Shelmire), 1st NJ, grave moved from George L. Stewart farm (436 flag circle). He was a successful Buck County, Pennsylvania miller when the Civil War began. He recruited a company of cavalry from Bucks and Montgomery Counties, and offered their service first to Pennsylvania, then to New Jersey. They were accepted by Colonel William Halsted, who was recruiting what would become the 1st New Jersey Volunteer Cavalry. Commissioned Captain on August 5, 1861, John H. Shelmire’s men would be mustered in as Company A with him commanding. He led his troopers until February 10, 1863, when he was promoted to Major. He served in that duty until June 9, 1863, when he was killed in action at the Battle of Brandy Station, Virginia.

3) 1st Lieutenant Isaac Ward, 6th U.S. Cavalry, grave moved from George L. Stewart farm, grave 438). Served as a 1st Lieutenant in the 6th United States Regular Cavalry. He was killed in action at the Battle of Brandy Station, Virginia.

The states of Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have erected markers dedicated to regiments from those states that had members die in the Battle of Cedar Mountain.

The Ohio monument is of granite and bronze construction and was erected by the 7th Ohio Regimental Association.

The Massachusetts monument was erected by members of the 2nd Massachusetts Infantry in 1893.

The New York monument was erected in 1902 to honor the members of the 28th New York Volunteer Infantry, who died at Cedar Mountain.

The Pennsylvania monument was erected in 1910.

The Maine monument is of granite construction and is dedicated to the 22 officers and soldiers from the 10th Maine Volunteer Infantry who died at Cedar Mountain.

Memorial to the 912 Unknown Dead