Saturday, June 1, 1861
In the early hours of June 1, 1861, Union Lieutenant Charles H. Tompkins led a chaotic and unauthorized cavalry charge through Fairfax Court House, firing blindly in the dark and scattering the poorly armed Confederate defenders. The reckless raid resulted in the death of Captain John Q. Marr, the first Confederate officer killed in action, earning Tompkins both a Medal of Honor and a reprimand.
Narrative
The First Battle of Fairfax Court House was fought on Saturday, June 1, 1861 between Union forces commanded by Lt. Charles H. Tompkins and Confederate forces commanded by Lt. Col. Richard S. Ewell and William Smith at Fairfax Court House, Virginia during the American Civil War. This small and inconclusive battle resulted in 17 total dead, wounded, or captured.
It was a calm, clear night. At 2 a.m. on May 23, 1861, under a bright moon, Lieutenant Charles H. Tompkins and Company B of the 2nd United States Cavalry crossed single-file over the Aqueduct Bridge into northern Virginia. They were followed by three New York infantry regiments and a company of engineers.
The cavalry advanced as far as the Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad, where Tompkins stopped a passenger train while U.S. Army engineers destroyed sections of track and burned two bridges over Four-Mile Run. Later that day, they, along with the 5th Regiment, New York State Militia, established Camp Union, half a mile west of Ball’s Crossroads near Falls Church. From there, they began patrolling the area for enemy activity.
On May 27, the same day that Irvin McDowell was appointed to command the new Department of Northeastern Virginia, U.S. cavalrymen surprised two Confederate soldiers—Privates Peyton Anderson and William Lillard of the Rappahannock Cavalry—who were on picket duty along the Falls Church Road, about two miles northeast of Fairfax Court House. Lillard was captured, while Anderson, though wounded, managed to escape.
Meanwhile, Major General Robert E. Lee, overseeing Virginia’s provisional army, inspected Brigadier General Milledge Luke Bonham’s defensive preparations at Manassas Junction. Bonham, a South Carolina congressman, had recently replaced Philip St. George Cocke as commander of the Alexandria Line. On May 29, Lee recommended that an advanced force be sent to Fairfax Court House under Lieutenant Colonel Richard S. Ewell, a former U.S. Regular Army officer.
The town, though strategically insignificant, served as the administrative seat of Fairfax County. It had about 300 residents, two churches, a hotel, and a jail. The Warrenton Rifles, Rappahannock Cavalry, and Prince William Cavalry, approximately 190 men in total, were stationed there, though both cavalry units were poorly armed and without ammunition. Further south, the Goochland and Hanover Light Dragoons were positioned at Fairfax Station, 3.5 miles away.
On May 31, William “Extra Billy” Smith, Virginia’s 30th governor, arrived at Fairfax Court House as a civilian to support “his boys” in the Warrenton Rifles. That evening, he briefly conferred with Ewell, who had just returned from reconnoitering the area, before they retired for the night.
Meanwhile, Col. David Hunter of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry, serving as a brigade commander in the Army of Northeastern Virginia, ordered Lt. Tompkins to conduct a reconnaissance mission toward Fairfax Court House. Tompkins took 50 men from his own company, 22 from the 2nd U.S. Dragoons under Lt. David S. Gordon, and three members of the 5th New York State Militia’s regimental staff. They advanced west along Falls Church Road.
At around 2:30 a.m. on June 1, just outside Fairfax Court House, Tompkins’ men surprised two Warrenton Rifles pickets, capturing one while the other escaped to warn his comrades. Instead of proceeding cautiously as ordered, Tompkins impulsively led his men on a reckless charge through the town. The cavalry rode through the dark streets, firing wildly in all directions, with only dim hotel lanterns illuminating the scene.
As the Union troopers stormed through, they encountered the Prince William Cavalry, capturing four of its members. Ewell, stepping out of his hotel to assess the commotion, was struck in the shoulder. The two Confederate cavalry companies, lacking ammunition, fled, as did part of the Warrenton Rifles. In the chaos, Captain John Q. Marr of the Warrenton Rifles became separated from his men and was killed—likely by a stray bullet. Tompkins later claimed credit for Marr’s death. His Medal of Honor citation, awarded in 1893, reads: “Twice charged through the enemy’s lines and, taking a carbine from an enlisted man, shot the enemy’s captain.”
After the initial charge, the Union cavalry rode out of town toward Germantown before doubling back. In the meantime, ex-Governor Smith rallied the leaderless Warrenton Rifles, attempting to block the Little River Turnpike between the courthouse and hotel. Ewell, bleeding from his wound, briefly joined them before leaving to find a courier to summon reinforcements from Fairfax Station.
Shortly thereafter, Tompkins and his men reappeared on the western side of town. The Warrenton Rifles fired a scattered volley, causing the cavalry to retreat. The Confederates then cautiously advanced toward Zion Episcopal Church, only to be met by another charge. This time, their volleys were more effective, mortally wounding nine Union horses and wounding six men, including Tompkins, who injured his foot when his horse fell on him. Three Union soldiers were taken prisoner, though one was mistakenly reported as dead.
By sunrise, Confederate reinforcements from Fairfax Station arrived, but the skirmish was over. Despite the chaotic nature of the fight, Marr was the only fatality.
Lt. Tompkins later wrote a self-serving report that grossly exaggerated the number of Confederate troops and their casualties. While his boldness earned him some praise, the Union leadership saw the engagement as a costly blunder. Irvin McDowell commended Tompkins’ courage but criticized his actions, writing that they had “frustrated unintentionally, for the time, a more important movement.” The skirmish at Fairfax Court House, though a minor engagement, revealed the inexperience of both sides in the opening months of the conflict.
Opposing Forces
Confederate
Lt. Col. Richard S. Ewell, Commanding
| Unit | Commander(s) | Strength | Killed | Wounded | Captured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warrenton Rifles | Capt. John Q. Marr | 90 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Rappahannock Cavalry | Capt. John S. Green | 40 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Prince William Cavalry (part) | Capt. William W. Thornton | 60 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 190 | 1 | 2* | 5 |
Union
Col. David Hunter, 3rd U.S. Cavalry, Commanding Brigade
| Unit | Commander(s) | Strength | Killed | Wounded | Captured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd U.S. Cavalry Regiment, Company B | Lt. Charles H. Tompkins | 50 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| 2nd U.S. Dragoons (part) | Lt. David S. Gordon | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5th New York State Militia | Adj. Paul Frank | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 75 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
Timeline
May 23, 1861: Virginia voters ratify their state’s Ordinance of Secession.
May 24, 1861: Union troops cross the Potomac River into northern Virginia, securing Arlington Heights and Alexandria. Col. Elmer Ellsworth of the 11th New York “Fire Zouaves” is shot dead by the proprietor of the Marshall House Hotel. Ellsworth is the first Union officer to die in the Civil War.
May 28, 1861: Robert E. Lee visits Manassas Junction to inspect Brig. Gen. Milledge L. Bonham’s command.
May 29, 1861: Lt. Col. Richard S. Ewell takes command of Confederate cavalry at Fairfax Court House.
May 31, 1861: Shortly before midnight, skirmishers exchange fire near Cloud’s Mill along the Little River Turnpike.
Battlefield
Though the 1799 Fairfax Court House still stands, modernity has changed practically everything around it. A town of 300 has grown to a city of over 24,000. The brick building has been updated and expanded in the intervening years, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. A 1904 granite monument to John Q. Marr, two Civil War-era cannon, and another historical sign explaining the 1861 skirmish were all removed in 2020. The Fairfax Historic Courthouse is located at 4000 Chain Bridge Road. The sign marking the spot where Marr was killed was located near the Massey Building at the Fairfax County Judicial Center, 4100 Chain Bridge Road.
Location
GPS Coordinates — 38.84562, -77.30726
Primary Sources
Reports and Letters
- June 1st Report of Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell, Commanding Department Northeastern Virginia
- June 1st Report of Lt. Charles H. Tompkins, Second U. S. Cavalry
- General McDowell’s Endorsement on Lt. Tompkins’ Report
- June 1st Report of Brig. Gen. M. L. Bonham, Commanding Department of Alexandria
- June 1st Reports of Lt. Col. R. S. Ewell
- June 2 Report of Brig. Gen. M. L. Bonham, Commanding Department of Alexandria
Secondary Sources
Bell, John W. Memoirs of Governor William Smith, of Virginia. New York: The Moss Engraving Company, 1891.
Connery, William S. Civil War Northern Virginia 1861. Charleston: The History Press, 2011.
Kettell, Thomas P. History of the Great Rebellion. Worcester: L. Stebbins, 1863.
Longacre, Edward G. The Early Morning of War: Bull Run, 1861. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2014.
Mingus, Scott L., Sr., Confederate General William “Extra Billy” Smith: From Virginia’s Statehouse to Gettysburg Scapegoat. El Dorado Hills: Savas Beatie LLC, 2013.
Musick, Michael P. 6th Virginia Cavalry. Lynchburg: H.E. Howard, Inc., 1990.
Pfanz, Donald. Richard S. Ewell: A Soldier’s Life. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1998.
Stiles, Kenneth. 4th Virginia Cavalry. Lynchburg: H.E. Howard, Inc., 1985.
Wallace, Lee A., Jr. 17th Virginia Infantry. Lynchburg: H.E. Howard, Inc., 1990.
Wenzel, Edward T. Chronology of the Civil War in Fairfax County, Part I. CreateSpace: By the Author, 2015.
Wise, George. History of the Seventeenth Virginia Infantry, C.S.A. Baltimore: Kelly, Piet & Co., 1870.
Updated: 30 November 2025
Created: 12 February 2021
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