Existing comment:
Fields of Ruin:
Collateral damage is a prevalent modern term, but it easily could be applied to the thousands of noncombatants in Virginia who found themselves in the paths of the army in the 1860s. The destruction to their homes, their property, and their way of life is beyond calculation.
Isaac and Richard Sykes were brothers who farmed adjacent fields. Some of the heaviest fighting at Glendale occurred around their houses, which were devastated. The brothers filed damage claims after the war, hoping to offset their extensive losses. The "colored" designation on both the map and the claim are reminders of that era. Neither man had been a slave; both were born free in the first decade of the 1800s.
The Whitlocks (Richard and Virginia) are thought to have occupied the basement of their house during the battle. The building was "completely riddled" on June 30, but they were not harmed. Soon after the battle the Whitlocks sold the ruins of their farm to a man named McDowell.
The Nelson farm -- formerly known as Frayser's -- gave its name to the battle. Union generals Sumner and Sedgwick had their headquarters there during the battle, and a large field hospital soon filled the house to overflowing. The Nelson moved to North Carolina for the rest of the war because of the damage to their property. |