The Brandy Station Foundation is pleased to announce the purchase and preservation of eight acres of riverfront land along the Rappahannock River near Kelly’s Ford in northern Culpeper County. The land was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Steve Walker, owners of the Rappahannock River Campground.

The Foundation would like to thank the Civil War Preservation Trust and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation for providing the majority of the funding that made this purchase possible. BSF also obtained a loan from the Second Bank and Trust of Culpeper to cover part of the cost and is seeking tax deductible donations from its members and the community to cover the loan.

The historic property is located beside Route 620 (Edwards Shop Road) on the south side of the Rappahannock River. Hundreds of thousands of troops crossed Kelly’s Ford during the Civil War, making it perhaps one of the most significant river crossings of the war.

Early in the morning of June 9^th, 1863 Colonel Alfred Duffie, 2^nd Cavalry Division, crossed the Rappahannock River at Kelly’s Ford, headed towards the conflict that would become known as the Battle of Brandy Station. The infantrymen, "some of who splashed and frolicked as they waded through the waist-deep water", followed him. Brigadier General Gregg, Commander of the 3^rd Cavalry Division, crossed last. The successful crossing of Kelly’s Ford played a pivotal role in the outcome of the Battle of Brandy Station. Other major battle actions occurred at the Ford on March 17 and November 7, 1863.

The Foundation would like to make improvements to the land that would make the property more accessible to visitors, including a walking trail loop, passing the remnants of the Civil War rifle pits and the old millrace from the Kellysville Mill.

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