An Encyclopedia of Early Civil War Virginia
A resident of Boonsboro, Maryland, Dr. Alexander B. Rossino earned his PhD in History at Syracuse University. In addition to being a frequent public speaker about Civil War history and regular contributor to Civil War News Magazine, Dr. Rossino is also the author of several books and articles, including Their Maryland: The Army of Northern…
Over the past month or two, I’ve been visiting early Civil War sites in Northern Virginia and have added new photos to our encyclopedia. While much has changed in the 160 years since the war, seeing these places in person offers a perspective you can’t get from books alone. The natural terrain—hills, valleys, streams—helps you…
Hidden in plain sight on George Mason University’s campus, a Civil War-era redoubt built by the 5th Alabama Infantry has been preserved as part of a public history trail. This overlooked site offers a rare glimpse into the early days of the war and the soldiers who once defended a quiet crossroads in Virginia. Colonel…
When a brief Civil War skirmish near Alexandria left two men dead, its aftermath sparked outrage on both sides. A Virginia woman’s diary captured the moment in gut-wrenching detail. Before sunrise on the morning of Sunday, June 30, 1861, a brief but deadly clash unfolded just southwest of Alexandria, Virginia, where Confederate scouts encountered Union…
Continue reading ➞ Account of the Action at Pike’s Creek in the Diary of Anne S. Frobel
At the end of June 1861, a small expedition of Alabama and Virginia troops scouted the southern approaches to Shuter's Hill and Alexandria, which Union forces had occupied since May. Captain Walter H. Weems’ force included 48 men from the 6th Alabama Infantry Regiment and 10 cavalrymen from the Governor’s Mounted Guard and Goochland Cavalry.…
Once an obscure Civil War outpost, the importance of Cloud’s Mill has resurfaced through original research, offering a rare glimpse into Northern Virginia’s lost wartime landscape. Earlier this year, we completely revised our entry on the Skirmish at Arlington Mills after original research revealed the action actually took place three miles south, at Cloud's Mill.…
In 1861, control of the Potomac River was critical to both Union and Confederate strategies, as it formed a key geographic boundary. While the Union secured the upper river and gained a foothold in northeastern Virginia, Confederate coordination between the Shenandoah and Manassas Junction led to victory at Bull Run and enabled a temporary blockade…
Continue reading ➞ Map and Overview of the Potomac Front, May 1-July 20, 1861
On July 17, 1861, as Union forces advanced on Fairfax Court House, Col. Robert E. Rodes' 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment engaged in a fierce skirmish at Farr's Crossroads, delaying Col. Dixon S. Miles' division long enough to secure a safe Confederate withdrawal behind Bull Run. While Brig. Gen. Milledge Bonham's retreat from Fairfax was widely…
Continue reading ➞ Holding the Line: Robert Rodes’ Stand at Farr’s Crossroads
Angus W. McDonald, Sr. (1799–1864) Colonel Angus William McDonald, Sr. (1799–1864) was born in Winchester, Virginia, on February 14, 1799. He was taken in by his grandmother at the family home of Glengarry after the death of his parents at a young age. As a teenager, he attended the United States Military Academy at West…
Continue reading ➞ The Forgotten Colonel: Angus McDonald’s Role in the Civil War
Fifty-eight. That’s how many days passed between the Union Army crossing the Potomac River into northeastern Virginia and the First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run). During those nearly two months, the Union and Confederate armies shadowboxed in that corner of Virginia, hampered by undisciplined and inexperienced soldiers while probing for enemy weaknesses. The exact number…
Spirit of '61 