Greenwich is an

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

Prince William County Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manassas ...

, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

American Revolution

In January, 1779 captured British and Hessian troops were led through Greenwich on their way to prisoner of war camps located near

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...

. Later on June 5, 1781 General Anthony Wayne brought his brigade of the Pennsylvania Line over the same route on his way to support Lafayette in the final campaign of the Revolutionary War.

Civil War

Although several engagements occurred nearby, Greenwich escaped unscathed, in part because of the creative actions of resident Charles Green, an Englishman. Green flew the British flag over his Carpenter's Gothic Home, The Lawn, built in 1855 (burned 1924). Three years later, he donated land for Greenwich Presbyterian Church. During the war, when Union troops threatened to appropriate it for a hospital, Green claimed it was neutral British property for use only as a church. The Federals relented and left it untouched. Both Union and Confederate forces passed by here several times in 1862-63. On August 27, 1862, just before the

Second Battle of Manassas The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

, Federal divisions under Gens. Jesse Reno and Isaac Stevens, as well as Col. Orlando Poe's brigade, bivouacked here. They marched to Manassas Junction the next day in pursuit of Confederate Gen. Thomas J.

Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...

's force. Federal cavalry chased Maj.

John S. Mosby John Singleton Mosby (December 6, 1833 – May 30, 1916), also known by his nickname "Gray Ghost", was a Confederate army cavalry battalion commander in the American Civil War. His command, the 43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, known as Mosb ...

's rangers through Greenwich on May 30, 1863, after he raided Catlett Station. Mosby made a stand two miles west with a lightweight mountain howitzer but lost the cannon and several rangers including Bradford Smith Hoskins, a former British officer. Hoskins, carried to The Lawn, died of his wounds and was buried in the church cemetery. Confederate Gens. A.P. Hill and

Richard S. Ewell Richard Stoddert Ewell (February 8, 1817 – January 25, 1872) was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. L ...

led their corps through Greenwich on October 14, 1863, pursuing the Union army as it withdrew toward the defenses of Washington. Because Hill occupied the direct road to Bristoe Station, Ewell diverted his column to a farm road he knew well, past his childhood home, Stony Lonesome. Hill's attack on the Union rear at the station resulted in a bloody Confederate defeat.

Greenwich Church

The Greenwich Presbyterian Church and Cemetery was established around 1833 on land gifted from Charles Green, owner of an adjacent estate known as The Lawn. The adjacent cemetery has over 500 headstonesGreenwich Church
/ref> and includes the graves of several American Civil War soldiers, including Captain Bradford Smith Hoskins, a colorful Englishman who rode with Colonel John S. Mosby.

Greenwich in modern times

Greenwich is a residential community with only two public places. Mayhugh's Grocery is a general store offering a variety of food items plus gasoline pumps. The other public place is the Greenwich Presbyterian Church. Both are located at the intersection of Vint Hill Road (VA Route 215) and Greenwich Road (VA Route 603).

References

External links

* {{authority control Unincorporated communities in Virginia Unincorporated communities in Prince William County, Virginia Washington metropolitan area