An Encyclopedia of Early Civil War Virginia
In June 1861, a Union reconnaissance mission along the AL&H Railroad took a deadly turn when Confederate forces ambushed a troop train near Vienna, Virginia. The surprise attack exposed the vulnerability of Union operations, forcing a hasty retreat and reinforcing the caution of military leaders as the conflict escalated. By mid-June 1861, the Union’s rapid…
Continue reading ➞ Rails, Rebels, and Ruin: The 1st Ohio Infantry’s Deadly Encounter at Vienna
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,…
Continue reading ➞ Confusion and Chaos: The Unplanned Skirmish at Fairfax Court House, 1861
In the early days of the Civil War, a nighttime skirmish near Cloud’s Mill led to confusion, tragedy, and one of the first Union casualties of the conflict. What seemed like an enemy ambush may have been something far more chaotic—a fatal case of friendly fire. On May 23, 1861, Virginia voters ratified secession, and…
Continue reading ➞ Chaos at Cloud’s Mill: Early Bloodshed in Civil War Virginia
Did the so-called "Skirmish at Arlington Mills" really happen? Learn how a simple newspaper error sparked a century-long myth about one of the Civil War’s first land engagements. Primary sources reveal conflicting accounts, misidentified locations, and a puzzling lack of Confederate testimony—raising questions about how historical narratives take shape and why verifying sources is essential…
Continue reading ➞ Which Mills? Decoding an Early Civil War Skirmish
In late May and early June of 1861, Union gunboats of the newly formed Potomac Flotilla clashed with Confederate shore batteries at Aquia Landing, a key rail terminus on Virginia’s Potomac River. Over three days of bombardment, the USS Thomas Freeborn and supporting vessels attempted to silence the Confederate defenses, but despite sustaining damage, the…
Continue reading ➞ Fire on the Potomac: The Battle for Aquia Landing, 1861
In the twilight hours of May 24, 1861, Union forces crossed the Potomac into Virginia, marking the first federal invasion of Confederate territory. As troops secured key locations in Alexandria, Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth, a rising star and personal friend of President Lincoln, led his Fire Zouaves into the city—only to meet a tragic fate…
Continue reading ➞ Crossing into Conflict: The Union’s First Movements into Virginia in 1861
In the spring and summer of 1861, James H. Ward and the Union’s Potomac Flotilla faced the daunting task of enforcing a blockade, securing safe passage for friendly river traffic, and countering Confederate shore batteries along the Potomac River. He would not live to see it succeed. At the start of the American Civil War,…
Amid the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain, a deadly ambush at Hanging Rock left soldiers on edge as Confederate guerrillas vanished into the wilderness. This small but impactful action marked a dramatic moment in the struggle for control over northwestern Virginia’s strategic mountain passes. The death of Brigadier General Robert S. Garnett and the crippling…
In a tense twilight skirmish at the covered bridge over Middle Fork River, Union and Confederate forces traded deadly volleys, with bullets tearing through the darkness. This fierce encounter would prove to be the critical opening move that cleared the Union’s path to a decisive victory at Rich Mountain just days later. Following the Confederate…
Continue reading ➞ Bullets Over Middle Fork: How a Bridge Fight Opened the Path to Rich Mountain
When the departure of Lew Wallace’s 11th Indiana left the B&O Railroad exposed in July 1861, Pennsylvania Reserves faced off against Confederate raiders in another fierce skirmish at New Creek Station. In early July, Colonel Lewis “Lew” Wallace and his 11th Indiana Infantry Regiment, stationed in Cumberland, Maryland, along the Potomac River, were ordered to…
Continue reading ➞ The Bucktail’s Stand at New Creek: A Detailed Account of the July 1861 Skirmish
Spirit of '61 