MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. – Patchwork 250 is a new initiative from WSLS 10 that tells Virginia’s story, one piece at a time. Like a quilt made of many patches, every person, story, and tradition adds something special to our history. Join us as we celebrate 250 years by sharing the stories that make our region unique, one patch at a time.
During the Revolutionary War, danger didn’t always come from the battlefield - sometimes it followed soldiers home.
William Strother Madison was a young lieutenant serving in what would become the Montgomery County militia, under the command of his own father-in-law.
“They’re kinda sweet and romantic,” Education Director at Wilderness Road Regional Museum April Martin said.
Madison and his wife Elizabeth had two young daughters, when prisoners of war were brought into Montgomery County late in the conflict.
“Towards the end of the war, prisoners of war - British prisoners of war - were ordered to come to Montgomery County,” Martin said.
Madison escorted some of those prisoners back, unknowingly exposing himself to disease.
“He contracted smallpox and came home and was very sick,” Martin said.
To protect his family, Madison isolated in a small shed along the Roanoke River.
Recovery wasn’t going well, but Elizabeth came every evening.
“She would come down every evening and bring him food, then she would sit and sing for him while he ate dinner,” Martin said.
William Strother Madison died in 1782.
Elizabeth never remarried - raising their children and managing the plantation on her own.
“Women technically didn’t have power, but you still see it come through in these instances,” Martin said.
As Virginia approaches its 250th anniversary, their story reflects the personal cost of the Revolutionary War, far from the front lines.
Want to discover more stories that make Virginia unique? Visit the Patchwork 250 page to explore the full quilt of our region’s history, one patch at a time.