Maryland Battery Is Focus Of Recovered Brandy Station Graffiti
By Deborah Fitts
April 2004

BRANDY STATION, Va. - A 2-foot section of plaster wall bearing the names of members of one of the Confederacy's most distinguished artillery batteries will go on public display in May for the first time.

The 16-member roster from the Maryland battery of James Breathed will be unveiled at a dedication ceremony May 22 at the Graffiti House, headquarters of the Brandy Station Foundation (BSF) located in the village of Brandy Station.

The names are listed on a drawing of a paper scroll, which is surmounted by the drawing of a banner that reads, "Rifle Gun No. 1, Stuart Horse Artillery, Breathed's Battery, on picket, March 16, 1863."

"I can't think of another relic of this magnitude" regarding Maryland in the Civil War, said BSF President Bob Luddy. "We were very, very lucky to get it back."

The 2-by-2-foot section of wall was removed from the Graffiti House in 1993, shortly after the then-owner peeled back wallpaper to discover a rich trove of Civil War writings and drawings. Luddy said photos that year indicate that more than a half-dozen sections of wall, presumably with the best examples of graffiti, were removed.

"To the best of my knowledge, they used a chain saw," he said.

The Breathed's Battery section and two other sections were returned to Luddy in late December, following what he termed "a passage of money." He declined to say how much was paid, citing concerns that it could affect "future negotiations for future drawings." But he said the money was quickly raised from members of the Breathed family and others with an interest in Maryland and the Civil War.

BSF purchased the Graffiti House in August 2002 for its headquarters and visitor center, and now highlights for visitors the graffiti that cover the plaster walls in the three upstairs rooms.

Luddy said the existence of the missing sections was learned in June 2003, during BSF's 140th anniversary reenactment. A man from Culpeper whom Luddy won't identify approached BSF member Jim Flanagan at the Graffiti House and asked Flanagan if he had seen the Breathed's Battery scroll, located in the basement of a local individual with an extensive Civil War collection.

A series of negotiations ensued with this "middleman," plus one meeting by Luddy with the owner himself. Eventually an agreement was struck.

Luddy said he has no idea where the remaining missing sections are.

Of the two other recovered sections, one, measuring 8 by 12 inches, is a portrait of a Confederate officer who may be Breathed but is not identified. It was drawn close to the scroll. The other section, 6 by 6 inches, is a small drawing of a Confederate trooper with a slouch hat and feather.

Initially the sections will go on exhibit apart from the wall.

Whether they will ever be placed back in the wall is questionable, Luddy said. The holes made upon their removal, including the wooden lath behind the plaster, were soon plastered back over. Breaking out the repaired section could damage the surrounding wall, or destroy graffiti hidden under the 1993 plaster.

"We need a trained conservationist to tell us how to preserve the wall," Luddy said.

Luddy has researched the 16 names on the scroll, which he believes may represent a gun crew. Seven were wounded during the war, including two at the battle of Brandy Station June 9, 1863. Four were killed, one at Brandy Station. Records indicate that the battery was in the Brandy Station area on the date of the drawing, March 16, 1863, the eve of the battle of Kelly's Ford. The house served as a hospital following the battle of Brandy Station.

BSF bought the Graffiti House for $100,000 and is currently paying down a mortgage. Luddy noted that the walls of graffiti "provide a history of Civil War activities in the Culpeper area," with references to the Sharpsburg Campaign in September 1862, Stoneman's Raid and the battle of Brandy Station in April and June 1863, and the winter encampment of the Army of the Potomac in 1863-64.

The house sits at the side of the railroad tracks in Brandy Station, which was a beehive of activity during the winter encampment and a crossroads of the war. The modest structure is also within eyesight of Fleetwood Hill, scene of the most intense fighting of the battle.

The May 22 dedication is scheduled for 1 p.m. Those seeking more information, or wishing to help pay off the Graffiti House mortgage, may contact the Brandy Station Foundation at P.O. Box 165, Brandy Station, VA, 22714, (540) 727-7718.