An Encyclopedia of Early Civil War Virginia
Photographic Portrait of Orlando B. Willcox. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Orlando Bolivar Willcox (1823–1907) was born on April 16, 1823, in Detroit, Michigan Territory. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1847. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Artillery, Willcox served at the end…
Continue reading ➞ Thank God for Michigan: Orlando B. Willcox (1823–1907)
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 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 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
Spirit of '61 