Historical Society Meets At Milton

Milton, the home of Mr. John Page Ball, was the venue of the Fall meeting of The King and Queen County Historical Society, on Sunday, October 22, 2017, at 3:00 p.m. Dr. Bruce M. Venter, author of Kill Jeff Davis, brought to life details of the Union Army’s famous cavalry raid on Richmond and the events that unfolded in King and Queen County in March 1864, where Union Colonel Ulric Dahlgren was killed and his men captured while on retreat from Richmond. Milton and its original owner, the Reverend and Home Guard Captain Richard H. Bagby, have a unique connection to the story. In March 1864, the day after Dahlgren was killed, a small band of escaped Federals from Dahlgren’s ranks unwittingly sought shelter at Milton, where they were subsequently captured. Captain Bagby kept his prisoners overnight in Milton’s parlor after nailing the windows shut. Ironically, Captain Bagby with others from the local Home Guard had led the successful ambush on Dahlgren and his men. Dr. Venter shared discoveries from his research, which served to answer questions debated for many years about the failed Kilpatrick-Dahlgren cavalry raid approved by President Lincoln. While a primary purpose of the raid was to rescue Federal prisoners from Libby Prison and Belle Isle, orders found on Dahlgren’s body pointed to a plot to capture or kill Confederate president Jefferson Davis and set Richmond ablaze. The book is a result of Dr. Venter’s major interest in Civil War cavalry with an emphasis on the career of Union general Judson Kilpatrick, who organized the raid. Dr. Venter is a past president of the Richmond Civil War Round Table, serves on the Board of the Goochland Historical Society, and has published articles in Blue and Gray, Civil War, Patriots of the American Revolution, Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, and the Washington Times. He is also the author of The Battle of Hubbardton: The Rear Guard Action that Saved America.

The original house at Milton, which was built by Captain Bagby in 1845, was vacant for many years and is no longer standing. The current house at Milton was built by owner John Page Ball in 1994. It stands in the same location and is of similar design to the original Milton owned by Captain Bagby.