A Virginianâs long-held dream has begun to take shape at a Culpeper County crossroads.
Where Youngâs Lane meets Maddenâs Tavern Road near Lignum, allies recently broke ground for a monument to Black soldiers who marched into Confederate territory during the American Civil War, right past this spot.
The advance of the United States Colored Troops regiments, which crossed the Rappahannock River at modern-day Remington, marked Black troopsâ entry into Gen. Robert E. Leeâs area of operations.
A new nonprofit, The Freedom Foundation, and a much older one, the Piedmont Environmental Council, have teamed to commemorate that event and all it represents, as well as two nearby historic sites, Maddenâs Tavern and Ebenezer Baptist Church. The foundation has identified at least 120 USCTs who were born in Culpeper.