Ball's Bluff, VA
[Death of Col Edward D. Baker: At the Battle of
Balls Bluff near Leesburg Va.
Oct. 21st 1861 by Currier & Ives (1861?)- Courtesy
of Wikipedia]
Date(s): October
21, 1861
Location:
Please click on link below for map.
Balls Bluff Regional Park (park), Leesburg, Virginia, United States
Campaign(s):
McClellan’s Operations in Northern Virginia [October-December 1861]
Battles in
Campaign:
Situation:
-
Major General George B.
McClellan had recently been
promoted to general-in-chief of all Union armies.
-
Three months after the First Battle of Bull
Run and after some considerable organizational activities and defensive
preparations, he may have felt pressure from the Lincoln administration to
take offensive military action.
-
McClellan
chose to launch a reconnaissance in force in hopes of seizing Potomac
River crossing sites and, ultimately, Leesburg, Virginia.
-
On October 19, 1861,
McClellan ordered Brigadier General
George A. McCall to march his division to Dranesville,
Virginia, fourteen miles southeast of Leesburg, hoping to intimidate
Confederate
Brig. Gen. Nathan "Shanks" Evans into abandoning
Leesburg.
-
Evans moved out of the city
and took a defensive position on the Leesburg Turnpike.
-
McCall's
orders were to leave the area that night.
-
Meanwhile, McClellan
was uncertain
Evans had actually evacuated, and ordered
Brigadier General Charles Pomeroy Stone
to stage a demonstration at Edwards' Ferry to distract the Confederates
and glean positions and intentions.
Commanders:
-
Union:
Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone and Col. Edward Baker
-
Confederate:
Brig. Gen. Nathan G. Evans
Principal Forces:
-
Union:
2,000
-
Confederate:
1,600
Description:
-
Confederate Brig. Gen.
Nathan “Shanks” Evans stopped a badly coordinated attempt by
Union forces under Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone
to cross the Potomac at Harrison’s Island and capture Leesburg.
-
A timely Confederate counterattack drove the Union
troops over the bluff and into the river.
-
More than 700 Union troops were captured and
Col. Edward D. Baker (a U.S. Senator) was
killed.
-
This Union rout had severe political ramifications
in Washington and led to the establishment of the Congressional Joint Committee
on the Conduct of the War.
Slide Presentation:
None
Classification2:
B
Casualties3:
-
Union:
921
-
Confederate:
149
Results:
 Confederate
Victory
Battlefield Websites:
Recommended
Resources:
1National Park
Service summary.
2 Classification:
-
A
- having a decisive influence on a
campaign and a direct impact on the course of the war
-
B -
having a direct and decisive influence on their campaign
-
C -
having observable influence on the
outcome of a campaign
-
D
-
having a limited influence on the
outcome of their campaign or operation but achieving or affecting important
local objectives
3 Casualties are
someone killed, injured, wounded, captured or missing.
Revised
01/02/2009 |
