An Encyclopedia of Early Civil War Virginia
Before Virginia voters cast their ballots on secession, cannon fire echoed across the York River. In May 1861, at Gloucester Point, Virginia militia fired on the USS Yankee, marking the first shots of the Civil War in Virginia and an almost-forgotten opening clash between the state and the U.S. government. On April 17, 1861, the…
Continue reading ➞ Gloucester Point and the First Shots Fired by Virginia in the Civil War
It was the first time Virginia militia opened fire on federal forces during the American Civil War, weeks before the state’s secession referendum. One private left behind a detailed recollection of this fateful moment, but there is reason to question its accuracy. It serves as a cautionary tale about why all sources should be carefully…
Accidental deaths of soldiers often receive less attention than battlefield casualties. However, for these soldiers of the First Virginia Regiment, sworn to fight for the Union, their fates marked some of the earliest losses of the Civil War. Were it not for a handful of brief newspaper articles and a sparse pension file, their stories…
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,…
Was Stephen Roberts the first Confederate officer killed during the Civil War? By the time Virginia voters ratified the decision of its secession convention on May 23, 1861, Richmond was named the Confederate capital and militia units were mobilizing. As commander of all Virginia forces, Robert E. Lee directed Col. George A. Porterfield to proceed…
Largely forgotten today, Thornsbury Bailey Brown was among the first Union casualties of the Civil War.
Spirit of '61 