Occoquan Historical Society
The Historical Society of the Town of Occoquan, Virginia
Special Exhibits
In addition to its permanent collection, the Mill House Museum also contains special exhibits created by staff to highlight a particular event or individual in Occoquan history. Information. on one such exhibit currently on display is contained below.
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John Underwood Exhibit
John Underwood was one of some sixty (60) Abraham Lincoln supporters in Occoquan, who on July 4, 1860, erected a pole with pennants bearing the names of Lincoln and his running mate, Hannibal Hamlin. On July 27, 1860, the Prince William militia entered town and chopped down the pole, to the jeers of the Lincoln supporters and cheers of others. Once the Civil War began, Underwood was viewed suspiciously by the Confederacy, and during a raid in December of 1860, was captured and imprisoned by Confederate forces. After his release, President Abraham Lincoln rewarded Underwood's loyalty by appointing him U.S. Marshal. The Underwood family went on to run one of Occoquan's two major shipyards after the war. Visit the Mill House Museum and view a display by Dolores Elder on the life of this prominent Occoquan resident.
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