New Facts Found in Skirmish Near Alexandria

On Wednesday, I posted an article I came across in the Richmond Dispatch, July 4, 1861, which described a previously unidentified skirmish near Alexandria, Virginia. The article is full of inaccuracies and partial information, which means I had to do a deep dive to figure out what happened. Information on the Confederate force is scarce.…

Unknown Skirmish Near Alexandria?

I was searching through newspapers.com for casualty announcements in June and July 1861, and came across a previously unknown skirmish near Alexandria, Virginia that took place on or around June 30th. At first I thought it was referring to the Engagement at Arlington Mills, but that happened almost a month earlier. I haven't seen this…

Where did the Ambush at Greenbrier River take place?

The Ambush at Greenbrier River occurred on Friday, July 19, 1861 between Union forces commanded by Sgt. William D. Gault and an unknown Confederate irregular unit in present-day Pocahontas County, West Virginia. But where, exactly? It's hard to know for certain, but we can make an educated guess based on the primary sources. Most contemporary…

New Sources Found in Greenbrier Ambush

The Action at Greenbrier River is among those "minor" incidents in the early months of the American Civil War that got lost among more dramatic events. It occurred a few days after Confederate resistance collapsed in northwestern Virginia and a few days before the First Battle of Bull Run. In summary, Sgt. William D. Gault…

Updated Six Battle Pages

Last spring, I created a series of blog posts commemorating the 160th anniversary of events in Virginia in April, May, June, and July 1861. Many of these were battles and skirmishes that didn't have complete entries. I've since gone back and updated the battle pages, including: Skirmish at GlenvilleSkirmish at Bowman's PlaceEngagement at Mathias PointSkirmish…

160 Years Ago Today: The Battle of Corrick’s Ford

Soon after Virginia seceded from the Unites States in May 1861 with the intention of joining the Confederacy, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, as commander of the Department of the Ohio, invaded western Virginia. On June 3, he sent Confederate militia fleeing from the town of Philippi, and in July, he smashed a Confederate…

160 Years Ago Today: The Battle of Rich Mountain

Soon after Virginia seceded from the Unites States in May 1861 and joined the Confederacy, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, as commander of the Department of the Ohio, invaded western Virginia under the pretext of protecting unionists there. These western counties would later vote to secede from Virginia and form the state of West…