Loudoun County in the American Civil War facts for kids

Loudoun County, Virginia, was a very important place during the American Civil War. It was located on Virginia's northern border, right next to the Potomac River. When Virginia left the Union in 1861, Loudoun County became a border area between the North and the South.

The county had many bridges, ferries, and shallow river crossings (fords) over the Potomac. This made it a perfect spot for both the Union and Confederate armies to move into and out of Virginia. Also, the county had several gaps in the Blue Ridge Mountains. These gaps connected the Piedmont area to the Shenandoah Valley and Winchester. These mountain passes were very important for military movements.

Because of its location, armies crossed through Loudoun County many times during the war. This led to several small battles, like the famous Battle of Ball's Bluff. The rich Loudoun Valley was full of food and animals, which was vital for the Confederacy. It was also a good place for the Union army to find supplies.

People in Loudoun County were very divided about leaving the Union. This caused a lot of tension and fighting among neighbors. Even when the main armies were far away, small groups of fighters, called partisans, kept the conflict going. Because of its importance to the Confederacy and these partisan fighters, a large part of the Loudoun Valley was burned in The Burning Raid in 1864. Many say that no other county in Virginia, without a major battle, suffered as much as Loudoun.

Why Loudoun Was Important in the War

A Key Location for Armies

Loudoun County is only about 35 miles (56 km) west-northwest of Washington, D.C.. It sits on the south bank of the Potomac River and at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This made it a crucial link between northeastern Virginia and the lower Shenandoah Valley. It also connected northern Virginia with central Maryland. The Union army also saw it as a possible starting point for a Confederate attack on Washington.

Important Roads and River Crossings

Four main road systems crossed Loudoun County from east to west. These roads went through three gaps in the Blue Ridge Mountains. They connected Loudoun and Fairfax County to Clarke, Frederick, and Jefferson County (which became part of West Virginia during the war). Fighting often happened along these roads as both armies tried to control the important mountain gaps.

• Little River Turnpike/Ashby's Gap Turnpike – Ashby's Gap
• Little River Turnpike/Snickersville Turnpike – Snickers Gap
• Alexandria Pike/ Leesburg and Snickers Gap Turnpike – Snickers Gap
• Alexandria Pike/Charlestown Pike – Keyes Gap

During the war, Loudoun County had three bridges, three ferries, and at least three fords (shallow crossings) across the Potomac River into Maryland. These crossings were the only ways to cross the river above Great Falls and east of the Blue Ridge.

Here are some of the river crossings (from east to west):

• Rosner's Ford - Used by J.E.B. Stuart on his way to Gettysburg.
• Edwards Ferry - Used by the Union army during the Gettysburg Campaign.
• Conrad's (White's) Ferry - Used by J.E.B. Stuart returning from the Maryland Campaign.
• White's Ford - Used by the Army of Northern Virginia at the start of the Maryland Campaign.
• Cheek's Ford - Also used by the Army of Northern Virginia at the start of the Maryland Campaign.
• Noland's Ferry - Used by John G. Walker's artillery before the Battle of Harpers Ferry.
• Point of Rocks Bridge - Burned by General Thomas Jackson on June 9, 1861.
• Berlin Bridge (near present-day Brunswick) - Burned by General Thomas Jackson on June 9, 1861.
• Harpers Ferry Bridge - Burned by General Thomas Jackson on June 9, 1861.

The Carolina Road (today's U.S. Route 15) was the main north-south road. It crossed the river at Point of Rocks near Noland's Ferry. This road met the Alexandria Pike (today's Route 7) in Leesburg. It also met the Little River Turnpike (today's U.S. Route 50) near Aldie.

Besides roads, Loudoun was the end point of the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad. This railway ran between Leesburg and Alexandria. The C&O Canal and B&O Railroad also ran past Loudoun on the Maryland side of the Potomac. These were important links between Washington and the west.

Loudoun County area during the Civil War

Loudoun's Landscape and Loyalties

Two ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains run through Loudoun County. These mountains greatly influenced how the county was settled. This also affected how people felt about the war. Many mountains and tall hills were used as signal and spy stations by both sides. The ridges also created a perfect environment for partisan warfare.

The easternmost ridge is the southern end of Catoctin Mountain. It comes down from Maryland at Point of Rocks. This low ridge goes through the county just west of Leesburg to Aldie. There, it meets Bull Run Mountain at the Loudoun-Prince William County border. The fertile Loudoun Valley lies to the west of this ridge.

The northern part of the Loudoun Valley is split by Short Hill Mountain. This mountain stretches from the Potomac River to just south of Hillsboro. The Charlestown Pike (today's Route 9) went through the Hillsboro Gap in Short Hill at Hillsboro. It led into Jefferson County. The Winchester Turnpike ran south of the mountain. Short Hill Mountain is quite large, and it kept the area to its west, called Between the Hills, somewhat separate from the rest of the county.

How People Settled and Their Views on Slavery

Loudoun County was settled in two main ways. First, between 1725 and 1730, English settlers from the Tidewater region moved into areas east of Catoctin Mountain and the southern Loudoun Valley. They brought their traditional Virginia customs, large farms (plantations), and the use of slaves. Many of Virginia's important families, like the Masons, Lees, and Carters, were among these settlers. The Carters established Oatlands Plantation, the largest in the county. People in this part of the county generally supported the Confederacy when the war started, whether they owned slaves or not.

Then, between 1730 and 1735, Quaker and German settlers moved south from Pennsylvania. They settled in the northern Loudoun Valley, creating small farms in the Catoctin Valley. This area included Lovettsville, Waterford, and Lincoln. Their small, self-sufficient farms and religious beliefs meant they did not use slaves. During the Civil War, this region remained loyal to the Union.

Throughout the 18th century, Scotch-Irish settlers also came to the county. They settled in the more mountainous areas along the Catoctin and Blue Ridge Mountains, and in the Between the Hills valley. These settlers were often less wealthy and had smaller landholdings, with few or no slaves. However, they generally supported the Confederate cause.

In 1860, the census showed that 670 slave owners held 5,501 slaves in Loudoun County. The total population was 21,774 people, including 1,252 free black individuals. Only half of the slaveholders owned more than five slaves, and only 2% owned more than 20. Most farmers (71%) in the county did not own any slaves.

John Brown's Raid and Local Response

Loudoun County's connection to the Civil War began with John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859. Harpers Ferry was only about 1 mile (1.6 km) from Loudoun's border. The county's local militia was called to help capture, try, and execute Brown. This event showed that the county militia was not well prepared. After the raid, the county increased military training, bought new weapons and uniforms, and formed new units. These units patrolled the county's northern borders and river crossings until they joined the state army in 1861.

The Growing Conflict: 1860 Election and Secession

The 1860 Election

Before the Civil War, Loudoun County was mostly Whig in its politics. Even after the Whig party broke apart in the 1850s, Loudoun remained committed to keeping the Union together. In the 1860 presidential election, Loudoun strongly supported John Bell and the Constitutional Union Party. Bell received 2,033 out of 2,942 votes. John C. Breckinridge, the Southern Democratic candidate, came in second with 778 votes. Stephen Douglas, the Northern Democrat, received only 120 votes. Abraham Lincoln received 11 votes, even though his name was not officially on the ballot. These 11 votes came from the Lovettsville, Waterford, and Purcellville areas. Since voting was not secret then, those who voted for Lincoln reportedly came to the polls armed.

Even after Lincoln was elected, Loudoun still wanted to stay in the Union. On December 10, days before South Carolina left the Union, a public meeting was held in Leesburg. People discussed the growing tensions. They chose nine important citizens to write a statement about the county's position. This statement strongly supported Virginia staying in the Union. It also included 12 ideas on how to fix the problems between the North and South. The group approved the statement and all but one idea. By a vote of 92 to 65, they rejected the idea that said the federal government should not use force to stop states from leaving.

Virginia Decides to Leave the Union

On February 13, 1861, the Commonwealth of Virginia held a special meeting in Richmond. They met to decide Virginia's path in the fast-developing conflict. Special elections were held in Loudoun County to choose who would represent the county at this meeting. Seven candidates ran, most of whom wanted to stay in the Union or were moderates. Loudoun's two most important politicians, John Janney and John A. Carter, both strong Union supporters, won. Janney received 1,945 votes and Carter received 1,411 votes. John Carter, the only candidate who openly supported leaving the Union, received only 293 votes. Loudoun also strongly supported the idea that any decision to leave the Union had to be approved by the people in a public vote.

Janney, a respected lawyer and former Whig, was chosen as president of the convention. He wisely opened the meeting by saying they needed to discuss things calmly and wisely.

Even as this meeting was happening, Loudoun's opinion began to shift. Before the Battle of Fort Sumter, a meeting in Leesburg supported leaving the Union. Five days after Fort Sumter fell and Lincoln asked for 75,000 troops, the convention voted to leave the Union. Janney and Carter voted against it. However, once secession was approved, they loyally supported their state and changed their votes. As president of the convention, Janney had the honor of giving command of Virginia's forces to Robert E. Lee. He compared Lee to George Washington, saying that swords should only be drawn to defend one's country.

Although Loudoun first wanted to stay in the Union, the decision to leave was approved by Loudoun County on May 23. The vote was 1,626 for leaving and 726 against. The votes against leaving came mainly from the northwestern part of the county. Some areas there voted 7 to 1 against it. The southern and eastern parts strongly supported leaving, with some areas voting unanimously for it.

Loyalties in Loudoun: Red for Union; Grey for Confederate

Soldiers and Leaders from Loudoun

On April 18, 1861, Governor John Letcher called up the Loudoun Militia. This was one day after the decision to leave the Union, but a month before the public vote. He expected the state to take over the Federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. The militia trained for nine days. Then, they were ordered to Alexandria instead of Harpers Ferry, which was quickly given up without a fight. The militia moved to Manassas Junction, where they were organized into larger units.

Meanwhile, in Loudoun, efforts to recruit soldiers began. Men like William E. Harrison, James McCarty (both graduates of Virginia Military Institute), and Eppa Hunton set up recruiting offices in Leesburg. Harrison and McCarty recruited for the new professional Provisional Army of Virginia. Hunton recruited for the Volunteer army. Most Loudoun men were not interested in being professional soldiers. Only four regiments from Loudoun were formed for the professional army. Hunton, however, raised two more companies to add to the four militia units already in his regiment.

On the other side of the mountain from Leesburg, in the Catoctin Valley, things were different. When the militia was called up, only 60% of the 56th regiment from Goresville, which included men from both sides of the mountain, showed up from east of the Catoctin. Many strong Union supporters in Loudoun, facing threats of arrest and losing their property, began to cross the Potomac into Maryland. This included Samuel C. Means, Loudoun's richest mill owner. Many of these men joined border units, like the Maryland Home Brigades, forming on the north bank of the river.

Recruiting for partisan units continued in the county throughout the war. This was especially true in late 1861 and early 1862. During this time, Elijah White formed a Confederate group in Leesburg, and Samuel Means formed a Union company in Waterford. From 1863 until the end of the war, John Mosby often attracted Loudouners to his partisan command.

Confederate Units from Loudoun

Infantry:

• 8th Virginia Infantry,
  • Company A, Hillborough Border Guard (Volunteer Corps)
  • Company D
  • Company E, Captain Mandley Hampton's Company
  • Company F, Blue Mountain Boys
  • Company H
  • Company I, Captain James R. Simpson's Company
• 17th Virginia Infantry
  • Company C, Loudoun Guard

Cavalry:

• 1st Virginia Cavalry
  • Company H, Loudoun Light Horse (Carter's Company)
• 6th Virginia Cavalry
  • Company A, Loudoun Dragoons (The Dulany Troop)
  • Company K, Loudoun Cavalry
• 7th Virginia Cavalry
  • Company G, (Mason's Rangers)
• 11th Virginia Cavalry
  • Company H, Octavus T. Weems' Company

Artillery:

• Longstreet's Corps
  • Loudoun Artillery (Rogers')

Partisan (Guerrilla) Fighters:

• 35th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry- "The Comanches"
  • Company A, White's Rebels
• 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry – "Mosby's Rangers"
• John Mobberly's Gang

Besides these Loudoun units, men from Loudoun also served in other Confederate units. These included the Richmond Howitzers, Stuart's Horse Artillery, Chew's Battery, Stribbling's Artillery, Gilmore's Battalion, the 34th Virginia Artillery, 40th Virginia Infantry, and the 1st and 7th Georgia Infantry.

Union Units from Loudoun

Cavalry:

• 1st Maryland Cavalry

Partisan and Border Guards:

• The Loudoun Rangers – "Mean's Rangers"
  • Company A
  • Company B
• 1st Maryland Cavalry Potomac Home Brigade - "Cole's Cavalry"
• 1st Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade - "Maulsby's Brigade"
• Blazer's Scouts

Key People from Loudoun in the War

• John Janney – A delegate to and president of the Virginia Secession Convention.
• Robert Chilton – An aide to Robert E. Lee. He wrote down the famous "Lost Order."
• Eppa Hunton - A Colonel and leader of the 8th Virginia Infantry.
• Elijah V. White – A Colonel and leader of the 35th Battalion Virginia Cavalry. He was the last leader of the famous Laurel Brigade.
• Samuel C. Means – An important Union supporter from Loudoun. He founded and was the first commander of the Loudoun Rangers.
• John S. Mosby - A Colonel and leader of the 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry, known as "Mosby's Rangers."
• John Mobberly – A well-known partisan fighter.

Loudoun and the Eastern Theater of War

Confederate seizure of the Point of Rocks Bridge

Armies Moving Through Loudoun

Loudoun first served as an outpost for the Confederate army based in Winchester. From their base in Leesburg, Confederates launched raids and recruited soldiers in central Maryland. They took men and supplies, and threatened the C&O Canal, B&O Railroad, and Washington. To counter this, Federal troops were placed along the Loudoun-Maryland border, leading to many small fights at the important river crossings.

Later, after the Confederate outpost was left, Loudoun became a crossing point between the Piedmont and the Shenandoah Valley, and between Virginia and Maryland. The entire Army of Northern Virginia passed through the county on its way to Antietam. The Army of the Potomac crossed the county on its way back from that battle. Again in 1863, the Army of the Potomac used Loudoun to get to and return from Gettysburg. Finally, in 1864, Jubal Early and the Federal troops chasing him used Loudoun to move from the Washington D.C. area to the Shenandoah Valley after the Battle of Fort Stevens. In total, the county changed hands six times during the war. The movement of these armies led to many small conflicts in the county.

Confederate Control: June 1861 - March 1862

• Rockville Expedition
  • Skirmish at Conrad's Ferry, June 17, 1861
  • Skirmish at Edward's Ferry, June 18, 1861; July 29, 1861
• McClellan's operations in Northern Virginia
  • Battle of Ball's Bluff and Edwards Ferry, October 20–23, 1861
  • Battle of Dranesville, December 21, 1861
• Border skirmishes
  • Skirmish at River Mill, September 15, 1861

Union Invasion by Colonel John Geary: March 1862 - August 1862

View of Loudoun Heights from Harpers Ferry

In early 1862, the Union army gathered at Harper's Ferry. They were getting ready for operations in the Shenandoah Valley. A part of this force, led by Colonel John W. Geary, was ordered to secure Loudoun County. This would protect the army's left side as it operated in the Valley. On February 24, Geary started to cross the Potomac from Harpers Ferry. High water delayed his crossing, and his force was not fully in Loudoun until the 27th. Geary placed his artillery on a high point of Short Hill Mountain. He then moved his main force to occupy Lovettsville. This was a German settlement in the heart of Union-supporting Loudoun, where he set up his headquarters.

On March 6, Brigadier General D.H. Hill was ordered to leave Loudoun County. He was to join General Joseph E. Johnston in Richmond. Their goal was to stop McClellan's advance up the Virginia Peninsula. The next day, Geary's force left its camp at Lovettsville. As Hill retreated, his forces burned Confederate supplies, nearby food, and the Carolina Road's bridge over Goose Creek. By the end of the day, Union forces occupied Leesburg. They set up headquarters at Fort Johnston, which they renamed Fort Geary. They also put the town under military rule. Leaving a small group of soldiers in Leesburg, Geary set out the next day to chase the retreating Confederates.

By March 15, Geary's men had crossed the county and reached Upperville. All of Loudoun County was under Federal control. Two weeks later, E.V. White's Confederate cavalry challenged Geary's force near Middleburg. In this fight, Federal soldiers used the newly developed coffee mill gun. This was an early type of machine gun. The results were devastating. The Confederate line was shattered after being fired upon from 800 yards away. Those not immediately hit retreated, unsure of what had attacked them. However, the gun was considered too unsafe to use widely in the war.

• Skirmish at Loudoun Heights - February 27, 1862
• Skirmish at Lovettsville - February 28, 1862
• Skirmish at Wheatland and Waterford - March 7, 1862
• Skirmish at Middleburg - March 26–28, 1862
• Skirmish at Loudoun Heights - May 27, 1862

General Robert E. Lee's Maryland Campaign: September 1862

After winning the Second Battle of Manassas, General Lee decided not to attack the Union army behind its defenses near Washington D.C. Instead, he took his army into Loudoun County to find supplies and get ready for his planned invasion of Maryland. Fighting broke out in the county before the army arrived, as Confederate cavalry cleared the area of Union resistance. The army briefly stopped in Leesburg from September 4–6. There, it reorganized before crossing the Potomac into Maryland at Cheeks Ford and Conrad's Ferry. On September 9, General John G. Walker was sent back to the county. He was ordered to take Loudoun Heights as part of the plan to capture Harpers Ferry. Walker occupied the Heights from September 13–15. He then crossed the river into Harpers Ferry after it was captured.

• Battle of Mile Hill, September 2, 1861
• Battle of Harpers Ferry, September 12–15, 1862
• Skirmish at Leesburg - September 15, 1862

McClellan's Return to Virginia: October - November 1862

After the bloody Battle of Antietam, J.E.B. Stuart left Williamsport, Maryland. He rode north towards Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, then southeast. His goal was to go around McClellan's army for the second time in less than a year. He wanted to find out their strength and movements. On October 10, he crossed back into Virginia at White's Ford. There, he had a brief fight with the Federal troops chasing him. He brought with him about 1,200 captured horses. He rested for a day northeast of Leesburg. Then, he moved south to the town to take the Winchester Turnpike west into the Shenandoah Valley through Snickers Gap.

• Skirmish at White's Ford - October 10, 1862

On October 27, George B. McClellan and his Army of the Potomac finally re-entered Virginia, chasing Lee. The Union army crossed the Potomac River near Berlin (present-day Brunswick, Maryland) and Harpers Ferry. Then, they moved down the Loudoun Valley, taking supplies from local farms. While in Loudoun, McClellan set up headquarters in Wheatland, Purcellville, and Unison. As the Federal troops moved through the county, Colonel E.V. White and his Comanches attacked their supply wagons. They managed to capture 1,000 prisoners and 200 wagons. Likewise, General J.E.B Stuart and his cavalry fought with the advancing Federal columns. They tried to hide the movements of the Army of Northern Virginia below the Rappahannock River. Stuart's actions further delayed McClellan's chase. This contributed to McClellan eventually being removed from command of the army.

• Battle of Unison, October 29 - November 1, 1862

The Gettysburg Campaign: June - July, 1863

After the Battle of Chancellorsville, the Army of Northern Virginia marched north again to cross the Potomac. Lee's main army stayed west of the Blue Ridge Mountains this time. However, he sent the divisions of John Bell Hood and George Pickett east of the mountains through Loudoun County. Their job was to guard the mountain passes and protect his right side. Besides Hood and Pickett, J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry stayed east of the mountains. They were to prevent the Union cavalry from finding the Confederate Army's location. While moving through Loudoun County, Stuart fought a series of battles along the Ashby's Gap Turnpike. Union cavalry commander Brigadier General Alfred Pleasonton tried to break through Stuart's screen and find the Confederate army.

As the cavalry battle raged along the Ashby's Gap Turnpike, Major General Joseph Hooker began chasing Lee. He entered Loudoun County on June 17 and headed to Edwards Ferry. There, pontoon bridges had been built. Over the next eleven days, the entire Army of the Potomac came through the county and crossed the Potomac at Edwards Ferry. Besides securing Edwards Ferry, the Union army covered all major river crossings up to Harpers Ferry. As a result, when J.E.B. Stuart prepared to leave the county and join up with Ewell in Pennsylvania, he was forced to go around the Union army. He had to cross downriver, where the river is deeper and wider, at Rowsner's Ford at the far eastern end of the county. With much difficulty, Stuart and his three brigades crossed the river on June 27. This was several days behind schedule. It left Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia without information as they began their second invasion of the North.

• Battle of Aldie, June 17, 1863
• Battle of Middleburg, June 17–19, 1863
• Battle of Upperville, June 21, 1863

General Early's Valley Campaign and Washington, D.C. Raid: July, 1864

After his raid on the B&O railroad, central Maryland, and his failed attack on Washington D.C. at the Battle of Fort Stevens, Confederate General Jubal A. Early retreated to Virginia. He crossed the Potomac at Conrad's Ferry on July 14, and made camp at Big Springs, just north of Leesburg. On July 15, a group of Federal cavalry from Harpers Ferry, led by General George Crook, crossed into Loudoun from Berlin. They fought with Confederates at Lovettsville. Early's Federal pursuers, led by General Horatio Wright, reached Leesburg on July 16. They fought with Early's rear guard in Leesburg that morning. Crook's cavalry fought with Confederate cavalry at Waterford later that day. Late in the afternoon on July 16, Federal cavalry under Alfred N. Duffié, also operating from Harpers Ferry, raided Early's wagon trains. These wagons were traveling west towards Snickers Gap on the Leesburg and Snickers Gap Turnpike, just east of Purcellville at Heatons' Crossroads. That evening at dusk, Duffié's cavalry attacked and defeated a group of Confederate cavalry in camp at Woodgrove. Early safely withdrew across the Blue Ridge on July 17. He set up a defensive line near Berryville in the Shenandoah Valley. The Union infantry under Wright drove off a small force of Confederates holding Snickers Gap in the afternoon of July 17. They were later attacked in camp by parts of Mosby's Rangers. The next day, the intense Battle of Cool Spring, or Snickers Ferry, was fought on its western slope. Union infantry tried unsuccessfully to force a crossing of the Shenandoah River. On July 19, Mosby's Rangers fought a group of Federal cavalry that was sent south to Ashby's Gap to try a flanking movement on Early's lines. This short campaign was known locally as the Snickers Gap War.

• Heaton's Crossroads, July 16, 1864
• Skirmish at Woodgrove, July 16, 1864
• Battle of Snicker's Ferry, July 17–18, 1864
• Battle of Ashbys Gap, July 19, 1864

Partisan Warfare in Loudoun

Between and during the times armies passed through Loudoun, intense local fighting, called partisan warfare, happened in the county. Because of its divided loyalties and perfect landscape, various partisan groups on both sides often attacked each other. They also attacked nearby armies and preyed on the county's citizens.

Hardship and Destruction in Loudoun

"The Burning" in Loudoun County

Loudoun County suffered greatly during the war.

• The Confederate army left the area, causing changes.
• Leesburg was bombarded at one point.
• The Burning Raid by Major General Philip Sheridan caused widespread destruction.

Defenses in Loudoun

Main Forts and Strongholds

• Fort Evans - Built in the summer of 1861 on Edwards Ferry Road. It was meant to defend the eastern approaches to Leesburg after the Rockville expedition.
• Fort Johnston - Built on Catoctin Mountain in the winter of 1861-62. It defended the western approaches to Leesburg.
• Fort Beauregard - Partially built on a hill above Tuscarora Creek in the winter of 1861-62. It was to defend the southeastern approaches to Leesburg.

Gun Batteries and Earthworks

• Edwards Ferry Road - "The Masked Battery" - This was a 300-foot (91 m) long, 6-foot (1.8 m) deep trench across Edwards Ferry Road at Cattail Branch. It was an extra defense for Fort Evans. It was used during the defense of Leesburg in the Battle of Ball's Bluff and Edwards Ferry. You can still find signs of these defenses near Edwards Ferry Road and Battlefield Parkway.
• Potomac Trenches
• Goose Creek - A series of three gun pits with openings for cannons and trenches for infantry. These were on top of bluffs on the west bank of Goose Creek. They defended the eastern approach to Leesburg along the Alexandria Turnpike after the wooden bridge over the creek was burned during the Rockville expedition. You can still find signs of these defenses north of modern-day Route 7.
• Loudoun Heights - Loudoun Heights was first fortified in 1861 by Stonewall Jackson as part of the defenses of Harpers Ferry. In 1862, during the Battle of Harpers Ferry, Brigadier General John G. Walker built gun openings on top of the mountain for his cannons. This helped in the siege of the town (see the Maryland Campaign section above). After the Battle of Antietam, the Union army took control of the mountain and made its defenses stronger. They added rifle pits, trenches, and more blockhouses. Cole's Maryland Cavalry manned these defenses during the winter of 1863-1864. They were attacked by Mosby's Rangers during the Battle of Loudoun Heights.

Headquarters

• Harrison House: This was Robert E. Lee's headquarters during his short stay in Leesburg in September 1862. In this house, he met with his top generals, including Jackson and Stuart. He oversaw the reorganization of the Army of Northern Virginia before the Maryland Campaign began.

Virginia's Restored Government

On December 5, 1864, the Restored Government of Virginia met for the first time. This was after West Virginia officially separated from Virginia. Loudoun County was one of the twelve counties and three cities represented. These were areas under some Federal control. James Madison Downey of Loudoun was chosen to be the speaker of the House of Delegates. In this role, he proposed a law for a Constitutional Convention to be held that January. Downey would be one of three representatives from Loudoun in that group. Among other things, this convention would approve West Virginia's separation. This got around the rule against forming a new state from an existing one. It also officially ended slavery in Virginia. When the legislature met again the next December, Downey was again chosen as speaker of the House. Even though Loudoun was represented in the Restored Government, and elections for its offices were held in the county, the government's power in the county only went as far as the Union army's control.

Visiting Civil War Sites

You can visit these Civil War sites in Loudoun County:

• Ball's Bluff Battlefield and National Cemetery
• Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
• Confederate Statue, Courthouse Square
• Union Cemetery
• Civil War Trails