At Culpeper, a cadre of friends groups paved the way for a new Virginia state park that will tell the story of four battles. The idea: Preserve it and people will come

Cunningham Farm wall remnants (Chuck Laudner/ABT), Gens. John Buford and WHF "Rooney" Lee; 8th Illinois Cavalry attack along Beverly's Ford Road at Brandy Station (Keith Rocco/ABT)

A low stone wall that separated two 19^th-century farms in Brandy Station, Va., is remarkably intact today, despite being worn by time and a mammoth cavalry clash that signaled the beginning of the Gettysburg campaign.

It was here on June 9, 1863, where Union Brig. Gen. John Buford tried to turn the Confederate left flank. Brig. Gen. William Henry Fitzhugh "Rooney" Lee, son of Gen. Robert E. Lee, had no intention of allowing Buford's maneuver to succeed. Lee’s horsemen stubbornly fought off repeated assaults for five hours, stalling the Federal advance.

The site of their pitched fighting is on preserved ground that the American Battlefield Trust (ABT) will donate to the state for its burgeoning Culpeper Battlefields State Park, which will be made up of several parcels in Northern Virginia.

The trust, Friends of Culpeper Battlefields, the Brandy Station Foundation, Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield and other groups have worked for decades to save and interpret imperiled Civil War battlefields in Culpeper County. They are Brandy Station, Cedar Mountain, Kelly’s Ford, Rappahannock Station and Hansbrough's Ridge.

About 263 acres centered at the crest of Fleetwood Hill at Brandy Station were the first donated to the state.

While the state park opened a year ago, development is still in its embryonic stage. Staff is being hired to develop a master plan. Drew Gruber (left), former executive director of Civil War Trails, was recently hired as the park's first manager.

The ABT – which will be chief steward of the properties until 2027 -- plans to make several additional donations to the Commonwealth over the next couple years, said Jim Campi, chief policy and communications officer.

“I think it is one of our biggest accomplishments by far,” Campi said of the land preservation organization’s efforts in Culpeper County.

Ultimately, he said, visitors will be able to enjoy Brandy Station through a wide array of transportation – on foot, horseback, bicycle and canoe or kayak.

The ABT and the state hope the new park units and ensuing visitation will provide a boost to the local economy. Culpeper is nestled between Cedar Mountain and Brandy Station. “Downtown Culpeper is part of the Civil War story, anyway,” said Campi.

Click map to get a closer view of planned state park properties (American Battlefield Trust)

“Where else can you stand in the footsteps of soldiers, follow cavalry charges on horseback or paddle the battle?” Gruber said in a news release about his hiring. “This park already offers a unique set of experiences for visitors of all ages and interests, and I am excited to share these gifts with our guests.” 

43rd state park in Virginia a rare foray into history

Greg Mertz, vice president of the Brandy Station Foundation, said local groups are committed to supporting the state park in the long haul, whether through volunteering, fundraising or participating in special events.

That commitment was a big draw for Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the Virginia General Assembly when they first appropriated funds in 2022.

A pair of cannons at Cedar Mountain (Matthew Hartwig/American Battlefield Trust)

“We have been told that one of the reasons why the Culpeper Battlefields State Park has come into being before some other equally deserving new state park proposals is because of the number of friends groups and partners willing to both advocate for the park and help out with volunteers,” Mertz told the Picket in an email.

Campi said Virginia's park system "is mostly about managing natural parks and wildernesses,” so this Civil War site will indicate a new effort to convey the Commonwealth’s rich history. Culpeper will be the state's 43rd park and encompass about 2,200 acres.

While many portions of the Cedar Mountain and Brandy Station battlefields have been open to the public for years, including trails, the Fleetwood Hill unit of the Brandy Station battlefield is the only portion of the Culpeper Battlefields State Park that is currently open to the public, said Mertz.

Interpretation at Brandy Station's Fleetwood Hill sector (American Battlefield Trust)

Public hearing will spotlight cool features

The ABT, working with the Brandy Station Foundation and other partners, is engaged in a yearlong cultural landscape study that will help inform the state’s master plan.

Campi said this study focused on a portion of the Brandy Station battlefield, including St. James Church and Elkwood. “We have identified some pretty interesting archaeological resources we are going to identify publicly,” he said.

Those features include an old road and cemeteries. The stone wall that separated the Cunningham and Green farms will be among discussion points at a June 24 evening program in Culpeper about the study.

An ABT marker about fighting at the Cunningham farm details the action. (Above, American Battlefield Trust map of Brandy Station. See top to see where Buford and Lee clashed)

“Rooney Lee was a skilled fighter and used the terrain well. First, he blocked Buford's progress by the stone wall 500 yards in front of you.

“From his command post on the knoll behind you, Buford saw that a portion of Lee's dismounted regiments were placed between Ruffans Run and the Hazel River (to your left and right respectively). Two unlimbered cannon were located on the other side of the hill behind the stone wall. Since the disposition of the enemy and the channels of the two water courses left him no alternative, Buford launched several mounted and dismounted charges against the wall. Blistering fire from Lee's brigade held the Federals back for several hours.”

Rooney Lee’s cavaliers eventually left the field as an additional Federal cavalry force entered the fray. Casualties at and near the stone wall were significant.

U.S. cavalry earned their stripes at Brandy Station

The Friends of Culpeper Battlefields provides details on Brandy Station, Cedar Mountain, Rappahannock Station and Kelly’s Ford at this page. Cedar Mountain is famous for Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s August 1862 victory over Federal forces led by Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks. This battle shifted fighting in Virginia from the Peninsula to Northern Virginia, giving Lee the initiative, according to the National Park Service.

The NPS says this about Brandy Station:

“Enduring a narrow defeat and forced to withdraw, the Union force did not succeed in their mission to stop the Confederate advance. However, for the Union cavalry, the confidence and experience they gained at Brandy Station would prove invaluable four weeks later at a battlefield in southern Pennsylvania called Gettysburg.”

“It is just picturesque. It is beautiful,” Campi said of Brandy Station. Fleetwood Hill is just stunning.” He mentions the role of Beverly’s Ford Road, which is still unpaved in the battlefield. He also touts the important of archaeology work at Hansbrough’s Ridge.

Rappahannock Station witnessed fighting in 1862 and 1863. Some battleground has been lost to residential development.

These walls do talk. Will state take over Graffiti House?

Mertz, with the Brandy Station Foundation and a retired supervisory historian at the National Park Service, said besides owning parcels of land at Brandy Station and Kelly’s Ford, the nonprofit owns the Graffiti House (left), which is open Saturdays from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. from mid-March to early December.

“Walls in the 1858 building-- which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places -- contain Civil War graffiti,” he said. 

“The charcoal graffiti includes signatures, unit designations, dates, drawings and messages written by both Federal and Confederate soldiers.”

Mertz believes future master planning by the state could look at whether the house should be part of the park. “We envision that the options for ownership and operation of the Graffiti House vary from the BSF retaining both, the state taking over both, the state taking ownership but the BSF continues to run the operations.”

Hansbrough's Ridge -- scene of a small engagement during the battle of Brandy Station as well as a site from the Federal winter encampment of 1863-64 – will require extensive planning to provide visitor access and still preserve the resources on the site, Mertz added. 

View from Hansbrough's Ridge captures beauty, development (Peter Giraudeau/American Battlefield Trust)

Coming up with the right master plan is key

The ABT said it and other groups worked together to stave off much of the development that would take in battlefield land.

“At various times, pieces of land that we are now gifting to the Commonwealth of Virginia were slated to become housing tracts, industrial parks, water retention and management areas — even a Formula One racetrack,” it says. (Below, American Battlefield Trust map of parcels at Brandy station; click to enlarge)

State and private money are crucial to protecting more land as the development wave continues, said Campi, adding it’s important for the public to have access to history.

“We think this is going to add so much tourism potential,” said of the state moving in with a deeper budget and staffing than the advocacy groups. “We expect to see that explode in the next decade.”

Coming up with the master plan will take a few years as the state determines what it can open and what is vulnerable and needs extra protection.

In the meantime, visitors can walk on several trails and read ABT and Civil War Trails signs.

“We are always going to be involved,” said Campi. “The park is not done yet. There is more land to acquire.”

Battle of Chancellorsville artifacts that were on renamed Navy missile cruiser will now be displayed at Spotsylvania County's museum

Sword, box of artifacts and Civil War saddle for years were on USS Chancellorsville (now USS Robert Smalls)

One year after the U.S. Navy changed the name of a guided-missile cruiser from USS Chancellorsville to USS Robert Smalls, numerous artifacts from the Battle of Chancellorsville that were formerly displayed on the warship have been returned to a Virginia community.

Spotsylvania County officials requested the Navy return items donated years ago by the Friends of the USS Chancellorsville.

“We are grateful artifacts previously displayed aboard the former USS Chancellorsville have found a fitting home at the Spotsylvania County Museum, where they can be shared with our community and visitors for years to come,” said Drew Mullins of the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors, in a recent press release.

The decision to rename the ship came after the Naming Commission examined more than 750 bases, facilities, buildings and more to see if they commemorated the Confederacy, according to CNN. The commission found the Ticonderoga-class cruiser’s original name honored the major Rebel victory at Chancellorsville.

Civil War sword and scabbard that have been returned by the Navy (Spotsylvania County photo)

The cruiser (CG 62) was commissioned Nov. 4, 1989, and was deployed in March 1991 to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Storm.

The ship's motto was "Press On," a saying of Confederate Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson when his men had Yankees on the run. Jackson was fatally shot by his own troops at Chancellorsville.

USNI News, in a 2022 article about the suggested renaming, quoted a Naming Commission leader's comments on the vessel's crest (below), heraldic background and what was said during the commissioning ceremony and before then, when a Navy officer praised the performance of Jackson and Gen. Robert E. Lee at the battle. The inverted wreath on the crest was a reference to Jackson's death.

The ship’s wardroom featured a painting of Lee and Jackson that was removed in 2016, according to USNI News.

“We looked at the entire context and felt as though that this commemorated the Confederacy,” the commissioner said.

So now, the items are back on shore. The Civil War items included in the Navy’s gifting to Spotsylvania County include:

-- A McClellan cavalry saddle

-- Two framed cases of excavated Chancellorsville battle artifacts, including buckles, belt plates, bullets, tools and uniform fasteners. They appears to be items that were used by Confederate and Union soldiers.

-- An Ames Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber presented in 1992 to the ship’s captain.

-- Framed map of Chancellorsville 

-- “Battle of Chancellorsville, Sunday, May 3, 1863” print (original art from “Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Famous Leaders and Battle Scenes of the Civil War,” 1896) 

-- A copy of “The Campaign of Chancellorsville: A Strategic and Tactical Study” by John Bigelow Jr., 1910 Yale University Press

Craig Carroll presented these battle belt plates for ship (Spotsylvania County)

The collection includes several modern items associated with the cruiser.

“Plans are underway for the artifacts to go on display but that date has yet to be determined since we just recently acquired the items,” Michelle McGinnis, director of community engagement and tourism for the county, told the Picket in an email.

It has not yet been determined which items will go on display, she said.

Mullins said the museum will be the “perfect location and will serve to honor not only the ship itself and the crew who served our country while working on board, but also recognizes history while giving us the opportunity to learn from the lessons of our nation’s past.”

The late Lynn Freshour, a 23-year U.S. Navy veteran, was active in organizing the Friends of the USS Chancellorsville, according to officials, and helped foster a relationship between the crew and the Spotsylvania community. (Officials said the group is no longer active).

The Navy League, which also supported the vessel, assisted with the transfer of the items to the county. The Picket has reached out to its local chapter for comment.

Lt. Ian McConnaughey, a spokesman for Naval History and Heritage Command, said the Navy decided to keep a few items from the USS Chancellorsville collection. (As to where the artifacts were displayed on the cruiser, he said possible locations include the wardroom, quarterdeck, a passageway and the captain's office/quarters.)

McConnaughey said among items retained by the Navy are a modern blue and gray battle streamer, several plaques, a mounted 12-pound Napoleon spherical shot (right) and a .58-caliber 1861 Model Springfield rifle-musket.

The renamed cruiser honors Smalls, a South Carolinian (photo above) who escaped slavery by commandeering a Rebel steamship.

At the start of the Civil War, the enslaved Smalls was a pilot on the CSS Planter. On the morning of May 13, 1862, he led a takeover of the ship by its slave crew, sailed past Charleston Harbor's formidable defenses and surrendered the vessel to the Union blockade fleet. His wife and children were among those on board who gained freedom.

Crew of then-USS Chancellorsville with banners from Spotsylvania

Smalls, 23 at the time, was celebrated across the North for his daring ride to freedom and he served as a ship’s pilot for the rest of the conflict. After the war, he returned to his hometown Beaufort and bought his former master’s home.

Following a stint in South Carolina’s Legislature, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served several terms.

The congressman fought against the disenfranchisement of black voters across the South, according to the American Battlefield Trust. He also fought against segregation within the military.

The Spotsylvania County Museum is located at 6159 Plank Road, Fredericksburg, Va. It features 1,800 square feet of exhibits that provide visitors insight into the county’s 300-plus-year history. The area is buffered by land under the control of the American Battlefield. The museum is free to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 4.p.m., except major holidays.

A first: Sign in Korean and Spanish at Ox Hill (Chantilly) battlefield park reaches target audiences in a very diverse Virginia county

Before the Civil War sesquicentennial began 10 years ago, officials in Fairfax County, Va., put up 18 signs in a park that recalls the Battle of Ox Hill, or Chantilly. The signs detail an attempt by Confederates led by Maj. Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson to cut off a Union retreat from Manassas on Sept. 1, 1862.

The text -- typical of the time-- was all in English. But something interesting has happened since they were erected.

The suburban Washington, D.C., community became more and more diverse and, as of this year, an estimated 30-38 percent of residents in neighborhoods near the green space speak a language other than English at home.

Ox Hill Battlefield Park recently got a new sign – written in Korean and Spanish – that speaks to these relative newcomers to the area. The unveiling in early May was linked to Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Virginia-based Civil War Trails, which has 1,350 markers across six states, installed its first bilingual sign at the site, which is surrounded by apartments, townhomes and commercial development.

“The onus is on us to write signs that are exciting, inclusive and popular,” Executive Director Drew Gruber told the Picket. “People need to find themselves in that story.”

And immigrants are a big part of the Civil War story. A staggering one in four soldiers in the Union army were immigrant. They fought for a variety of reasons.

Sign is in Spanish and Korean (Photos courtesy of Civil War Trails, click to enlarge)

Civil War Trails worked with the county, the Old Baldy Civil War Round Table in New Jersey, the Bull Run Civil War Round Table nearby and other partners on the project.

They took an old sign and crowd sourced text in Korean and Spanish for a brief summary of the battle. There also is a “sidebar” on the marker describing the percentage of immigrants in the country in 1860.

It’s important for the international visitors to relate to the 4.8-acre park and that local history be accessible, said Gruber.

“Very much like them, there were soldiers on both sides who did not speak English,” he said.

Civil War Trails got a big boost from rich, deep demographic information that Fairfax County keeps. Fairfax County has about 400,000 residents with Hispanic/Latino or Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity, according to online data.

It then worked with local consultants on the language to be sure it was conversant and the marker used culturally appropriate terms. An example: Camp was used rather than the term bivouac, Gruber said.

Fanciful depiction of Kearny's charge (Augustus Tholey, Wikipedia)

Jeremy Suh, a Korean translator and interpreter in the area, contributed to the project.

“The DC metro area, known for memorials and historic sites, has almost no Korean signs nor translations available. The area has 150,000 Koreans. I grew up in Korea, moving here at the age of 26, living here since,” he told the Picket.

“As a first-generation immigrant, I heard about the Civil War and my knowledge and understanding remained very superficial. I believe this is common with other Korean immigrants. But this sign, located in the very heart of Korean community, explains the Civil War in their own language (and) will connect them, allowing them to appreciate the rich American history and give them a sense of pride for this country.  I hope this is just the beginning of similar efforts for the future.”

Lindsey Baker with Baker Cruz Services said the company was “thrilled to be able to provide a translation for the sign and increase accessibility for visitors who prefer Spanish. We love contributing to projects that are dedicated to expanding everyone's understanding of our shared history."

The Bull Run Civil War Round Table ensured an accurate narrative of the battle and the Fairfax County Park Authority approved the final content and location of the pedestal to capture visitors as they enter the park, Civil War Trails said.

Monuments to generals Kearny and Stevens (Fairfax County Park Authority)

Each Civil War Trails sign has a sponsoring member. The nonprofit group uses technology that allows for piecemeal interpretation updates or repairs.

Civil War Trails hopes the new sign gets the attention of those who come to Ox Hill Battlefield Park for a walk or exercise. Perhaps the Korean- or Spanish-speaking visitor will spend a few minutes learning about the only major Civil War engagement in Fairfax County.

The National Park Service provides this summary of the Battle of Chantilly, where there were about 2,000 casualties and an “indecisive” outcome.

“Making a wide flank march, Jackson hoped to cut off the Union retreat from (Second) Bull Run. On September 1, beyond Chantilly Plantation on the Little River Turnpike near Ox Hill, Jackson sent his divisions against two Union divisions under (Phil) Kearny and (Isaac) Stevens. Confederate attacks were stopped by fierce fighting during a severe thunderstorm. Union generals Stevens and Kearny were both killed. Recognizing that his army was still in danger at Fairfax Courthouse, Maj. Gen. Pope ordered the retreat to continue to Washington. With Pope no longer a threat, Lee turned his army west and north to invade Maryland, initiating the Maryland Campaign and the battles of South Mountain and Antietam.”

New sign at park (Civil War Trails)

Most of the battlefield has been swallowed by development but the site does have some important portions. “Ox Hill Battlefield Park today is a calming refuge amid a heavily commercial area,” the county says.

“It's a lovely place for a thoughtful stroll. Interpretive kiosks at the park present information about the battle and its significance and offer insights into some of the men who were wounded on this land.”

Gruber said Civil War Trails has seen a growth in members who help sponsor and pay for signs and brochures. And the messages and audience are getting more diverse.

They are looking into putting a sign in Frederick, Md., in Spanish. “The idea has to come from the locality and work for municipal residents and the traveler.”

Interest in the program has picked up since violence in Charlottesvillle, Va., and Charleston, S.C.

Gruber cites the  “Road to Freedom” partnership with the American Battlefield Trust that highlights Virginia’s African-American Civil War experience as an example of expanding the audience.

Most of the battlefield is developed except for this green space

Remembering historian Bud Robertson: Civil War experts, authors tell the Picket why he had such an impact on the public

Bud Robertson was instrumental in naming Virginia's state song (Va. Tech)

James I. “Bud” Robertson Jr., professor emeritus of history at Virginia Tech, is being remembered for his legacy of vivid books, engaging lectures, battlefield tours and media appearances about the Civil War. Robertson, 89, died Saturday after a long illness, the school announced.

The author of 40 books about the Civil War, Robertson is best known for one about Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. It won eight national awards and was a key source for the 2003 movie “Gods and Generals.” During the 100th anniversary of the Civil War, President John F. Kennedy asked Robertson to serve as executive director of the United States Civil War Centennial Commission.

“For fully six decades Bud Robertson was a dominant figure in his field, and a great encouragement to all who would study our turbulent past during the middle of the 19th century,” said William C. “Jack” Davis, former director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies. “Moreover, amid a conversation that can still become bitter and confrontational, his was a voice for reason, patience, and understanding.”

Robertson had other interests, including football. He was an Atlantic Coast Conference football referee for 16 years.

The Picket reached out to historians, authors and others to talk about Robertson’s legacy. Their responses have been edited for brevity.

GORDON JONES, senior military historian and curator, Atlanta History Center

Gordon Jones

He was one of the greats, one of the names that will live on in Civil War historiography for many years. He led a magnificent life, filled with many and varied experiences that gave him a sort of “every man” perspective in his work and teaching. Perhaps because of this, his was a voice of calm, rational thought, full of practical insight into human nature. 

   

He once told me in detail what he had done to organize John F. Kennedy’s funeral in 1963. Mrs. Kennedy (“Jackie”) had requested that the funeral replicate many of the elements of Lincoln’s funeral 98 years earlier. Bud was much more closely involved in researching the historical precedents for Kennedy’s funeral than I think anybody realizes. In this instance especially, his historical work literally made history.   

Personally, I think I enjoyed his football stories as much as anything else. What a great guy -- he was just fun to be around.

JIM OGDEN, historian, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Dr. Robertson was, is, one of the giants.  Amazon or Worldcat him. The lists of books and works you get back will certainly show you that. How many people did his history of the Stonewall Brigade or biography of T. J. Jackson or volume on soldier life in the Time-Life series shape?  A lot.

But even beyond the shelf of books he's left those who are interested in the Civil War, for several generations of Civil War buffs, it is his accessibility that stands out. He wasn't an academic hiding away in some closet on their campus writing only for other academics. He was engaged with the general history public.

Jim Ogden

He was a regular speaker on the Civil War round table circuit for decades and not just at the "big" ones. The Virginia Tech Civil War Weekend he started has been one of the most successful Civil War conferences there has been. A "Civil War" group might have had him on the Delta Queen but other passengers often heard his lectures, his talks, his conversations with those to whom he was speaking as well.

He was one of the best Civil War speakers -- organized, clear, pointed, concise. For more than 50 years, from before the Centennial to after the Sesquicentennial, Bud Robertson helped shape the history of the Civil War and countless Civil War historians professional, avocational, incidental and even accidental.  He has set a fine standard to emulate.

  

D. SCOTT HARTWIG, author and former National Park Service ranger and historian

I found him to be a kind, good man, always approachable, and with a great sense of humor.  He was one of the giants in the Civil War field and kindled an interest in the era in thousands of students and others. We will long value his scholarship on the war but one of his greatest legacies will be the work he did to advocate for understanding the war and preserving its memory on the nation's landscape.  

CHARLIE CRAWFORD, president, Georgia Battlefields Association

Charlie Crawford

I was grateful to meet Dr. Bud Robertson over 20 years ago and interact with him several times since.  He always greeted me with a smile, and it made me feel good that an eminent historian seemed to remember me, though I suspect he probably greeted everyone with the same warmth.

As was noted in the official announcement, he was selected as a young historian (in his early 30s) by President Kennedy in 1961 to be executive director of the Civil War Centennial Commission in an effort to overcome racial tensions generated by the refusal of some hotels and restaurants to accommodate African-American members of the Commission. That Bud, a Virginian, was able to salvage the commission’s work is one testament to not only his credibility as a historian but also his ability as a manager and conciliator.

Bud served for many years as a college football official, which showed his versatility beyond the classroom. This led to a long association with many coaches, including Vince Dooley, himself a student of history with academic credentials. On several occasions, I saw the two of them share conversations about the capabilities of Civil War leaders mixed seamlessly with reminiscences of coaches, teams and specific games.

Robertson at a 2015 talk (Gould Hagler)

More than once, I heard Bud say that anyone who asserts that slavery was not the root cause of the Civil War is the F student of history. He was obviously well aware of the ancillary causes, such as the rights of states versus the power of the federal government, the divergent economic systems of the north and the south, the radicalization of political leaders of both sections, the failure of the founding fathers to resolve the slavery issue in the Constitution, etc.; but Bud always pointed to slavery as underlying it all. 

Bud was ordained in the Episcopal Church, and at one historical conference I attended, he conducted a Sunday morning service wearing his clerical collar and illustrating how the prayers and services of the 1860s reflected that ministers both north and south believed that God was on their side. This also demonstrated Bud’s versatility as a teacher, as he was willing and able to employ techniques other than a standard lecture format.

Many of his books received excellent reviews, and I can testify that his biographies of Stonewall Jackson and A.P. Hill strongly influenced my perceptions of both. His presentations about Jackson’s character, personality, and idiosyncrasies were particularly memorable.

Robertson (second from right) with JFK in 1962 (Va. Tech)

Bud lost his first wife, Libba, to illness in 2008. He attributed his recovery from his own subsequent serious illness to the care and support he received from his second wife, Betty. His devotion to both of them was often manifested in the credit he gave them during his presentations. Bud was a gentleman, courteous and personable, in his interactions with me, and I witnessed the same consideration in his interactions with others over the years.

DAVID EVANS, historian and author of "Sherman's Horsemen"

David Evans

His contributions to Civil War historiography were both numerous and noteworthy and his iconic biographies of “Stonewall” Jackson and A. P. Hill will stand as lasting monuments to his diligent scholarship his discerning analysis of people and events and his passion for Civil War history.

He was an accomplished writer, much sought-after public speaker, and an inspiring teacher. Rarely does one man so successfully combine the gifts of talent and modesty, but Dr. Robertson did.

The skills he brought to the study and understanding of our Civil War will be sorely missed and not easily replaced.

AARON ASTOR, author and associate professor of history, Maryville College

Aaron Astor

I never knew Bud personally but I know many people who did, and everybody spoke of him as a warm and friendly teacher and scholar. His books were uniformly excellent. In fact, he was one of the most important military historians of the Civil War that bridged the divide between public and academic history.

As a public historian from the Centennial to the Sesquicentennial, he really embodies the development of the field of Civil War history.

His biographies were especially sharp, both in assessing the military decision-making and the pre-war backgrounds of Confederate generals. I used his book on AP Hill for my research into Gettysburg.

WILLIAM GARRETT PISTON, Professor Emeritus, Missouri State University

Bud Robertson was one of the foremost scholars in his field, one of a generation of giants in Civil War literature who inspired those of us who grew up during the Civil War centennial.

Tim Smith

TIM SMITH, author and faculty member at University of Tennessee Martin
(His books) obviously are the staples of his career, especially the Jackson biography. Amazingly, that continued on for years, including his recent editing of the (J.B.) Jones diary and other books. In fact, I use the edited Jones diary (a Confederate war department clerk) very often. Yet there was so much more to his body of work, including his efforts in the centennial, his work in film and his teaching at Virginia Tech. That's just the academic portion of it, there being so much more to him such as sports and charitable work. Still, I think the thing that most stood out to me was the voice and accent. He was a lecturer's lecturer.