This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Did You Know?

Little known facts, historical or current, about where we live and the people who live here.

Did you know that the ferryboat at White’s Ferry is named for staunch Confederate general, Jubal A. Early?

In 1816, Jubal Anderson Early was born in Franklin County, Virginia, at the foot of the Blue Ridge where his family managed a large tobacco plantation.

He graduated from West Point in 1837 and became a successful lawyer, practicing as a prosecuting attorney in his home county.

Find out what's happening in North Potomac-Darnestownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Interestingly, in 1861 Early fought to keep Virginia in the Union but once the state voted for secession, he was “all in” for the cause.

As a brigadier general he fought in a number of significant battles including the Battle of Gettysburg, but in 1864 General Lee appointed Early to head an army in the Shenandoah whose purpose was to divert Union attention away from the Confederate strongholds in Richmond and Petersburg.

Find out what's happening in North Potomac-Darnestownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He was so successful in driving the Union forces away that he made it all the way to the outskirts of Washington, D.C.

With attrition and lack of supplies, Early’s forces were eventually overtaken at Waynesboro and he was relieved of his command just weeks before Lee’s surrender.

Jubal A. Early never surrendered.

While he had a great reputation as a lawyer, his personality was not so highly regarded as he was reputed to have been “eccentric and outspoken” with a very foul mouth. It is reported that Lee referred to him as his “bad old man.”

President Andrew Johnson pardoned Early in 1868. He returned to Lynchburg, practiced law, and died there in 1894.

So why White’s Ferry? In 1871, a former Confederate army officer, Elijah White, purchased the ferry. White served under the command of, you guessed it, General Jubal A. Early and named the ferryboat after his commander.

(Historical information researched from jubalaearly.org, u-s-history.com and howderfamily.com/travel)

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from North Potomac-Darnestown