Welcome to version 1.3 of the Spirit of ’61 Battlelog! After doing a deep dive into the Lower Potomac Front, this edition contains a complete overhaul of narratives for all seven military actions in northeastern Virginia prior to the Battle of Bull Run, plus a few additional edits. The most exciting update was the discovery…
Tag: battle
A Costly Lesson at Blackburn’s Ford
Though minor in comparison to the clash that would erupt at Bull Run days later, the fight at Blackburn’s Ford rattled Union confidence and emboldened Confederate troops. With McDowell now seeking another route forward, the war’s first major battle loomed just beyond the horizon. Confederate Brig. Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard arrived at Manassas Junction on…
In the Shadow of Shuter’s Hill: A Deadly Night on the Picket Line
As June 1861 dragged on with little progress in northeast Virginia, restless Union and Confederate troops found themselves locked in a brief but bloody skirmish near Alexandria. A late-night clash between Pennsylvania infantry and Southern cavalry left men dead on both sides, yet did nothing to alter the course of the campaign. June 1861 passed…
Continue reading ➞ In the Shadow of Shuter’s Hill: A Deadly Night on the Picket Line
The Union’s Failed Gamble to Control Mathias Point
In the summer of 1861, Union forces launched a desperate attempt to secure Mathias Point, a strategic bend in the Potomac River that Confederate troops used to disrupt shipping. What began as a routine landing quickly unraveled into a deadly ambush, claiming the life of Commander James H. Ward and forcing the Union to abandon…
Continue reading ➞ The Union’s Failed Gamble to Control Mathias Point
Rails, Rebels, and Ruin: The 1st Ohio Infantry’s Deadly Encounter at Vienna
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
What Happened to Fairfax County’s John Q. Marr Monument?
John Q. Marr’s fatal encounter with Union cavalry in Fairfax Court House on June 1, 1861, marked a bloody opening salvo of the Civil War, yet the debate over his legacy—and the monument that once bore his name—continues over a century later. For over a century, a granite monument stood near the old Fairfax County…
Continue reading ➞ What Happened to Fairfax County’s John Q. Marr Monument?
Confusion and Chaos: The Unplanned Skirmish at Fairfax Court House, 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,…
Continue reading ➞ Confusion and Chaos: The Unplanned Skirmish at Fairfax Court House, 1861
Chaos at Cloud’s Mill: Early Bloodshed in Civil War Virginia
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
Which Mills? Decoding an Early Civil War Skirmish
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
Fire on the Potomac: The Battle for Aquia Landing, 1861
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
Spirit of '61 