Packet Boat Marshall Preservation

Commissioned in 1861, no one knew what a significant role in history this packet boat would play in its lifetime.

After 70 years, with renewed energy and interest from the Foundation and community this significant monument will be preserved. The remains of this passenger boat not only carried the body of Stonewall Jackson to Lexington for burial, it also is a tribute to both the thousands of workers who built the canal and worked on it and built the canal boats and worked on them. It is a monument to the James River that helped Lynchburg develop using its waters for commercial navigation, its water power for industry and its vital water for drinking during drought years. Commissioned in 1861 the Marshall was known as “The Queen of the James” being the finest packet to ever float on the James River & Kanawha Canal.

In May, 1863, after the battle of Chancellorsville, the Marshall performed its most significant role in the Civil War. It carried the body of General Stonewall Jackson from Lynchburg to Lexington.

In 1864 the Marshall was partially burned in Lexington by General Hunter, as General Hunter was in route to Lynchburg. Repairs were made in the spring of 1865 and James A. Wilkinson and his son James P. Wilkinson became Captain and Mate. They were the last to operate the Marshall. Robert E. Lee and his son Custis, Former Governor John Letcher, VMI Superintendent Francis C. Smith, and William D. Branch, Mayor of Lynchburg were some of the distinguished guests that rode the Marshall. Between 1877 and 1900, the beached Marshall was bought and sold five times. The Marshall’s final days were as the residence of Corbin Spencer and his sister Mary.

The Marshall was torn apart by the flood of 1913, its hull buried in 2.5 feet of mud in the James.

In August, 1936, the Sesquicentennial Association recovered the hull of the Marshall and in October, 1936, the Marshall was unveiled in Riverside Park. In attendance was Byron Miller Wilkinson, great-grandson of the Marshall captain James Wilkinson

In 1962: a group of citizens decided to build a replica of Marshall. Effort to raise funds ended in 1970. From 1970 to 2003 nothing but deterioration of what was left of the Marshall occurred. In 2003 the Lynchburg Historical Foundation (LHF) formed a committee to determine a course of action. LHF partnered with Lynchburg Parks and Recreation Department and other organizations to preserve the remaining hull, remove the existing fence, construct a building to enclose the Marshall, provide mural/history within the enclosure, secure a place on the Civil War Trails Landmark Map, and hired C. L. Lewis & Company, Inc. as General Contractor for the building.

The Foundation has received in-kind donations from, C.L. Lewis & Co., Arm and Hammer Company, Pearson Equipment Co., Bailey Spencer Hardware, Master Engineers, Lynchburg Restoration, Melinda’s, Dixie Outfitters and Mort Kunstler. Many other organizations have contributed to the fundraising for this project, Lynchburg Save Outdoor Sculpture!, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Civil War Roundtable, Sons of Confederate Veterans – Garland Rodes Camp, and Dixie Outfitters – Madison Heights and many citizens of Lynchburg.