Albemarle Barracks
Encyclopedia
Albemarle Barracks was a prisoner-of-war camp
for British prisoners during the American Revolutionary War
.
Following Gen. John Burgoyne
's defeat at the Battle of Saratoga
, in 1777, several thousand British and German (Hessian and Brunswickian
) troops, of what came to be known as the Convention Army
, were marched to Cambridge, Massachusetts. For various reasons, the Continental Congress desired to move them south. One of Congress' members offered his land outside of Charlottesville, Virginia
. The remaining soldiers (some 2,000 British, upwards of 1,900 German, and roughly 300 women and children) marched south in late 1778 - arriving at the site (near Ivy Creek) in January, 1779. As the barracks were barely sufficient in construction, the officers were paroled to live as far away as Richmond, Virginia
and Staunton, Virginia
. The camp was never adequately provisioned, and yet the prisoners did manage to make something of the site, including building a theater. Hundreds escaped Albemarle Barracks, owing to lack of an adequate number of guards.
As the British army moved northward from the Carolinas, in late 1780, the remaining prisoners were moved to Frederick, Maryland
, Winchester, Virginia
, and perhaps elsewhere.
The former site of Albemarle Barracks is on private property, northwest of downtown Charlottesville, in the vicinity of "Ivy Farms." In 1983, the Albemarle County Historical Society erected a plaque for the Albemarle Barracks burial site. Located on what is now Ivy Farm Drive, the spot marks the location of several graves found when the land was developed for residential use. To see the marker, drive west of Charlottesville on Barracks Road to Barracks Farm Road. The marker is located on the north side of Ivy Farm Drive, in a private yard, a couple hundred yards from where this road separates from Barracks Farm Road.
Note: Though the marker was almost totally obscured by the twin boxwoods growing on either side, in 2006, as of November 2010, it could easily be seen from the road.
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
for British prisoners during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
Following Gen. John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
's defeat at the Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
, in 1777, several thousand British and German (Hessian and Brunswickian
Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...
) troops, of what came to be known as the Convention Army
Convention Army
The Convention Army was an army of British and allied troops captured after the Battles of Saratoga in the American Revolutionary War.-Convention of Saratoga:...
, were marched to Cambridge, Massachusetts. For various reasons, the Continental Congress desired to move them south. One of Congress' members offered his land outside of Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
. The remaining soldiers (some 2,000 British, upwards of 1,900 German, and roughly 300 women and children) marched south in late 1778 - arriving at the site (near Ivy Creek) in January, 1779. As the barracks were barely sufficient in construction, the officers were paroled to live as far away as Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and Staunton, Virginia
Staunton, Virginia
Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....
. The camp was never adequately provisioned, and yet the prisoners did manage to make something of the site, including building a theater. Hundreds escaped Albemarle Barracks, owing to lack of an adequate number of guards.
As the British army moved northward from the Carolinas, in late 1780, the remaining prisoners were moved to Frederick, Maryland
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
, Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
, and perhaps elsewhere.
The former site of Albemarle Barracks is on private property, northwest of downtown Charlottesville, in the vicinity of "Ivy Farms." In 1983, the Albemarle County Historical Society erected a plaque for the Albemarle Barracks burial site. Located on what is now Ivy Farm Drive, the spot marks the location of several graves found when the land was developed for residential use. To see the marker, drive west of Charlottesville on Barracks Road to Barracks Farm Road. The marker is located on the north side of Ivy Farm Drive, in a private yard, a couple hundred yards from where this road separates from Barracks Farm Road.
Note: Though the marker was almost totally obscured by the twin boxwoods growing on either side, in 2006, as of November 2010, it could easily be seen from the road.
Further reading
- The Magazine of Albemarle County History Volume 41 (1983) "The Story of the Convention Army."