X. SPIES
Little is known of Laura Ratcliffe's activities but she was often called "Mosby's pet" and was the heroine subject of many poems dedicated to her by Mosby and J. E. B. Stuart. She was devotedly attached to the Confederate cause and sought every opportunity to become possessed of the secrets and movements of the Union Forces. She is reported to have been a maiden lady of great intelligence and high accomplishments and was very well spoken of by people who knew her. She resided near Fairfax during the entire war, communicating with Mosby whenever he came through this section, and it is a mystery that she succeeded in eluding the vigilance of Union Scouts.
Not so fortunate was her contemporary, Antonia Ford, who spent many months in Old Capitol Prison, as the result of a raid made on her home after Mosby's successful capture of Stoughton. Union officers felt so strongly that she had had a part in this affair that her home was ordered searched and they found a commission from J. E. B. Stuart which read as follows:
"TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
KNOW YE:
That reposing special confidence in the patriotism, fidelity and ability of Antonia J. Ford, I, James E. B. Stuart, by virtue of the power vested in me as brigadier general in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States of America, do hereby appoint and commission her my honorary aide-de-camp, to rank as such from this date.
She will be obeyed, respected and admired by all true lovers of a —— nature. Given under my hand and seal at the headquarters of the Cavalry Brigade at Camp Beverly the 7th October, A. D., 1861, and the first year of our independence.
| (signet ring seal) | (signed) J. E. B. Stuart |
| (X true copy) | (signed) L. L. Lomax" |
Antonia was an attractive, young, dark-haired lady, charming to talk with, witty, and well received in both Washington and Virginia Society.
Extracts from a pamphlet written by Alice M. Coates read:
"In the advance of Federal Troops to Bull Run, some of the Federal officers stopped overnight with Mr. Ford at Fairfax.
His daughter, Antonia, a heroic young lady of 22 intensely loyal to the South, listened at the keyhole and heard the plans proposed. Next morning she asked for a pass to visit a sick aunt, a few miles South, which was granted.
She immediately reported these plans to the Southern troops."
Antonia aroused no suspicion on this venture in August of 1862, but only after March 8, 1863, was she questioned and by March 17th, Major Willard of the Union Army arrived to take Antonia to the Old Capitol Prison.
Although Major Willard was quite a few years older than Antonia, he had been to the Ford home quite frequently as a visitor and had found Miss Ford most charming. She, in turn, had been attracted to him.
How wretched this Union officer must have felt when he was given the responsibility of personally arresting her and her father and taking them to prison.
He fulfilled his duty, however, and then dedicated himself to securing her release and before many months had passed Antonia and her father were free again. Evidently they harboured no hard feelings towards Col. Willard, for they, at a later date, smuggled him through Confederate lines when they were taking him back to Washington by wagon after one of his frequent visits to their home.
In March of 1864 Col. Willard and Antonia were married. Seven years later Antonia died (some think due to malnutrition suffered from her stay in prison) and left one son, Joseph.
This son lived with his grandmother at Fairfax until his marriage when he built the beautiful large home on the original Willard estate, which now includes Layton Hall Subdivision, University Drive extended, the Belle Willard School, the Joseph Willard Health Center. (His father before him owned the Willard Hotel in Washington).
Joseph and his wife lived a life of luxury, traveling abroad and entertaining in their large spacious home. The fireplace in their dining room is framed with beautiful blue and white tiles which they bought in Holland on their wedding trip abroad.
Many of the schools, churches, and private homes in this area are landscaped with American and English boxwood which the Willards grew as a hobby. When the land was bought for development, hundreds of boxwood bushes became dispersed throughout the town and its environs.
Joseph Willard became a lieutenant-governor of Virginia and an Ambassador to Spain during the administration of Woodrow Wilson. He had married Belle Layton Wyatt from Middlesex County who was a distinguished hostess. Their home became the scene of many brilliant affairs.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943 attended the wedding of Mrs. Willard's grand-daughter, Belle Wyatt Roosevelt, to John Palfrey of Boston. Secret service men swarmed around the Willard home and a special ramp was built from the flag-stone walk at Truro Episcopal Church onto the sill of the church door, so the President could attend the wedding in his wheel-chair.
The United Daughters of the Confederacy (Fairfax Chapter) dedicated the chimes in the cupola of the Fairfax Methodist Church to Antonia Ford, commemorating a small Southern girl who left a heritage of unselfish love and devotion to the South in general, and to the Town of Fairfax, in particular.
