The Battle of Ball's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Harrison’s Landing or the Battle of Leesburg, took place on October 21, 1861, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of Major General George B. McClellan's operations in northern Virginia during the American Civil War. It was the second largest battle of the Eastern Theater in 1861. The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Loudoun County, Virginia is part of the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Area. ... National Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God our Vindicator) Official language English de facto nationwide Various European and Native American languages regionally Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3–April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans... National Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God our Vindicator) Official language English de facto nationwide Various European and Native American languages regionally Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3–April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans... Charles P. Stone Charles Pomeroy Stone (September 30, 1824 _ January 24, 1887) was an officer in the U.S. Army who became a Brigadier General during the American Civil War. ... Edward Dickinson Baker (February 24, 1811 – October 21, 1861) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois, a Senator from Oregon, a Colonel during the American Civil War, and a close friend of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. ... Nathan George Shanks Evans (February 3, 1824 - November 23, 1868) was a U.S. Lieutenant in the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment who became a Brigadier General for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. ... Battle of Dranesville Conflict American Civil War Date December 20, 1861 Place Fairfax County, Virginia Result Union victory The Battle of Dranesville took place on December 20, 1861 in Fairfax County, Virginia as part of McClellans operations in northern Virginia during the American Civil War. ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Loudoun County, Virginia is part of the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Area. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was a Major General of the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ...

McClellan had recently been promoted to general-in-chief of all Union armies and, now, three months after the First Battle of Bull Run and considerable organizational activities and defensive preparations, he was being pressured by the Lincoln administration to take some offensive military action. He launched a reconnaissance in force in hopes of seizing Potomac River crossing sites and, ultimately, Leesburg, Virginia. The Union Army refers to the United States Army during the American Civil War. ... The First Battle of Bull Run, referred to as the First Battle of Manassas in the South, (July 21, 1861), was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. ... Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitter, and the Great Emancipator, was the 16th President of the United States (1861–1865), and the first president from the Republican Party. ... Upper part of the Potomac River The Potomac River flows into Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... Leesburg is a town located in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. ...

On October 19, 1861, McClellan ordered Brigadier General George A. McCall to march his division to Dranesville, Virginia, fourteen miles south of Leesburg, hoping to intimidate Confederate Brig. Gen. Nathan "Shanks" Evans into abandoning Leesburg. Evans did move out of the city, taking up 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 P. Stone to stage a demonstration at Edwards' Ferry to distract the Confederates and glean their location and intentions. In Stone's division was brigade commander Colonel Edward D. Baker, a sitting U.S. Senator who was a close political ally of Lincoln's; he was in the process of deciding whether to leave the Senate and accept a commission as a brigadier general. October 19 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... For other meanings of confederate and confederacy, see confederacy (disambiguation) National Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God our Vindicator) Official language English de facto nationwide Various European and Native American languages regionally Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Largest... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... Nathan George Shanks Evans (February 3, 1824 - November 23, 1868) was a U.S. Lieutenant in the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment who became a Brigadier General for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. ... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... Charles P. Stone Charles Pomeroy Stone (September 30, 1824 _ January 24, 1887) was an officer in the U.S. Army who became a Brigadier General during the American Civil War. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Colonel Colonel is a military rank, usually the highest below general grades, and just above Lieutenant Colonel. ... Edward Dickinson Baker (February 24, 1811 – October 21, 1861) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois, a Senator from Oregon, a Colonel during the American Civil War, and a close friend of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ...

On October 20, 1861, a patrol from Stone's division spotted what it thought was a Confederate encampment at Ball's Bluff. The bluff, named for the Ball family, was halfway between Edwards' Ferry and Conrad's Ferry (now known as White's Ferry), rose 100 feet above the Potomac, and overlooked Harrison Island, a narrow island about three miles in length in the center of the narrow river. Stone ordered the 15th Massachusetts Infantry to raid the camp the next morning. Finding that the patrol had been mistaken and there was no camp, the 300 Union soldiers nevertheless stayed on the southern bank of the river. They were soon discovered by the 17th Mississippi Infantry and forces gathered from both sides until each had approximately 1,700 men facing each other. October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... For other meanings of confederate and confederacy, see confederacy (disambiguation) National Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God our Vindicator) Official language English de facto nationwide Various European and Native American languages regionally Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Largest... State nickname: Bay State Other U.S. States Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney Official languages English Area 27,360 km² (44th)  - Land 20,317 km²  - Water 7,043 km² (25. ... State nickname: Magnolia State Other U.S. States Capital Jackson Largest city Jackson Governor Haley Barbour Official languages English Area 125,546 km² (32nd)  - Land 121,606 km²  - Water 3,940 km² (3%) Population (2000)  - Population 2,697,243 (31st)  - Density 23. ...

Stone was no expert military tactician and he improvidently kept his small command on the Maryland bank too long while he personally arranged logistical matters. And he failed to secure an open field on his left flank. The Confederate force directed murderous fire on his position from that flank. Many of the Union soldiers were driven over the steep bluff and into the river; a number of the casualties resulted from drowning and dead bodies floated as far downriver as Washington; more than 500 were captured. Senator/Colonel Baker was shot and killed around 5 p.m. State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd)  - Land 25,338 km²  - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000)  - Population 5,296,486 (19th)  - Density 165 /km² (5th) Admission into... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the...

This Union rout was relatively minor in comparison to the battles to come in the war, but it had an enormous impact. Due to the loss of a sitting senator, it had severe political ramifications in Washington. General Stone was treated as the scapegoat for the defeat, but members of Congress suspected that there was a conspiracy afoot to betray the Union. The outcry led directly to the establishment of the Congressional Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, which would bedevil Union officers (particularly those who were Democrats) for the remainder of the war and contribute to nasty political infighting among the generals in the high command. The scapegoat was a goat that was driven off into the wilderness as part of the ceremonies of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, in Judaism during the times of the Temple in Jerusalem. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War was a United States Congressional investigating committee created to handle issues surrounding the American Civil War. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ...

External links

• CWSAC Battle Summaries, National Park Service
• U.S. Army Online Bookshelp: Battle of Ball's Bluff Guide