Heaton's Crossroads facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Heaton's Crossroads |
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| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States of America |
 Confederate States of America |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Col. William B. Tibbits | John C. Breckinridge Bradley T. Johnson |
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Heaton's Crossroads, also known as the Purcellville Wagon Raid, was a small battle during the American Civil War. It happened on July 16, 1864, near what is now Purcellville, Virginia. The fight was between Union (Federal) cavalry, led by Brig. Gen. Alfred N. Duffié, and Confederate infantry, led by Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge. This event was part of the Valley campaigns of 1864. The battle ended with no clear winner, meaning it was inconclusive.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
After the Battle of Fort Stevens on July 12, 1864, in Washington D.C., Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Early decided to pull his army back. He wanted to cross the Potomac River into Virginia and return to the Shenandoah Valley. The Confederates moved towards Poolesville and then crossed the river at Conrad's Ferry (now White's Ferry). They set up camp near Leesburg, Virginia.
About a day later, Union forces, led by Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright, started chasing Early. Wright had a large army with him. On July 15, Wright reached Poolesville. He learned that another Union army, the Army of West Virginia, had arrived at Harpers Ferry.
A small part of the Army of West Virginia, led by Brig. Gen. George Crook, had already crossed into Loudoun County. They had a brief fight with Confederate cavalry near Waterford and then moved to Hillsboro. Wright saw a chance to trap Early's army between his own forces and Crook's. He planned to cross the Potomac the next morning. However, Wright couldn't easily talk to Crook. John S. Mosby's Rangers had cut the telegraph wires between them a few days earlier.
The Battle Unfolds
Confederate Retreat and Union Scouting
On the morning of July 16, General Early broke camp at Leesburg. He headed for the Shenandoah Valley through Snickers Gap, about 20 miles away. His main army and wagon trains (wagons carrying supplies) used this route. To protect his army, Early sent cavalry units on different paths. Brig. Gen. Bradley Tyler Johnson's cavalry went north to protect the right side of the army. Brig. Gen. John McCausland's cavalry went south to protect the left side. The infantry (soldiers on foot) marched behind the wagons, and Brig. Gen. John D. Imboden's cavalry guarded the rear.
Later that morning, General Wright began crossing the river. His forces had a short fight with Confederate cavalry, who quickly pulled back. Wright spent the day getting his army across the river. By the end of the day, he was near Leesburg, where he had another small fight with Imboden's cavalry. While Wright was crossing, General Duffié sent out several cavalry patrols from Hillsboro. Their job was to find the Confederate army. One patrol found Confederate cavalry east of Purcellville. They pushed them back and discovered Early's long wagon train. The patrol then returned to Hillsboro to report what they had found.
As the Confederates moved across the Loudoun Valley, Johnson's cavalry stopped at Waterford to water their horses. They thought the army was safe. This delay allowed the main Confederate army to move ahead without its cavalry protection. Around noon, Duffié's patrols reported back. They told him about the Confederate wagon train and Johnson's cavalry at Waterford. General Crook immediately sent the 15th New York Cavalry, led by Col. George Wells, to Waterford to fight Johnson. He also sent the 21st New York with the 1st West Virginia Light Artillery, led by Col. William B. Tibbits, to attack the wagon train. Wells chased away the remaining Confederates at Waterford. Johnson's main force had already left.
Fighting at the Crossroads
Meanwhile, Colonel Tibbits arrived a mile north of Heaton's Crossroads. He saw the Confederate column, which had no cavalry guarding it. Tibbits left a small group of his soldiers there as a trick. He told them to wait for an artillery signal to attack. Then, he took his main force a mile west through a forest, using a small hill to hide from the Confederates. Tibbits set up his men and artillery (cannons) on top of the hill. At 2 p.m., he began his attack. He ordered the artillery to fire and his men to charge.
The surprise attack made the small infantry guard with the wagon train run away without a fight. The attacking Union soldiers then caused the Confederate teamsters (wagon drivers) to panic and stampede the wagons. Tibbits then turned his charge to the east. This allowed him to round up the wagons that were fleeing towards his decoy force on the Berlin Pike.
The attack soon became disorganized. The Union soldiers spread out among the fleeing wagons. Some left to take captured wagons back to Hillsboro. However, the Confederate leaders noticed the attack. Gen. Breckinridge ordered Brig. Gen. Gabriel C. Wharton to set up his infantry and artillery on a hill west of the town. Brig. Gen. Robert Ranson's cavalry also joined them. When the Union attack came into view, the Confederate infantry and artillery began firing. Ranson's cavalry rode around to Wharton's left, blocking the Union escape route.
The strong Confederate force made the Union soldiers flee. But because Ranson had blocked their main way back to Hillsboro, they left behind the captured wagons they hadn't taken yet. They tried to set them on fire before running away. In their hurry, the Union soldiers also left their artillery behind. Meanwhile, Ramseur's infantry approached the Crossroads from Leesburg. They met Tibbits' decoy force, which was quickly defeated by the Confederate cavalry.
After returning to Hillsboro, Lt. William Josyln of the 21st New York decided to get the abandoned artillery back. Gen. Duffié gave him permission. Josyln and 18 troopers arrived at Heaton's Crossroads. They found that the Confederates had already taken the cannons. They also met a small group of Confederate partisans (irregular soldiers), possibly from Mosby's Rangers. These partisans were dressed in Union uniforms. The Union troopers thought they were friendly soldiers. After gaining their trust, the Rangers killed the 18 enlisted men and took Josyln prisoner.
Fight at Woodgrove
As the day ended, most of Early's army, except Johnson's cavalry, crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River. They camped near Berryville. Johnson's cavalry camped at Woodgrove, southwest of Hillsboro, acting as a rear guard. The two Union armies, now able to communicate, planned to meet at Heaton's Crossroads. As Crook left Hillsboro, he told Duffié to take his cavalry on a western route. This was to protect against a possible Confederate attack. Duffié chose a route that went right through Woodgrove.
At 9 p.m., as it was getting dark, Duffié's cavalry entered Woodgrove. They completely surprised Johnson's cavalry because the Confederate guards were not alert. Most of the Confederates immediately ran away, many leaving their horses. However, the 8th Virginia Cavalry formed a line. Half of them got off their horses to fight on foot. They attacked Duffié's cavalry, which allowed their comrades to escape. The fight was short but fierce. By the time Duffié brought up his artillery, all the Confederates, including the 8th Virginia, had fled. They regrouped near what is now Round Hill.
What Happened Next
The Union cavalry managed to capture 37 wagons and burn 43 others. They also took 54 prisoners. However, they lost several cannons and had at least 18 casualties (soldiers killed or wounded). Because the two Union armies couldn't talk to each other well, they couldn't stop Early's retreat. They missed their best chance to trap him. The Confederates didn't gain much from the day, except for getting across the Blue Ridge Mountains and capturing a few cannons. However, General Johnson was embarrassed twice, first at Waterford and then again at Woodgrove.
