The Battle of Cockpit Point, the Battle of Freestone Point, or the Battle of Shipping Point, took place on January 3, 1862, in

Prince William County, Virginia Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manassas ...

, as part of the blockade of the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. After victory at

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

, the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

(CSA) established a defensive line from Centreville along the

Occoquan River The Occoquan River is a tributary of the Potomac River in Northern Virginia, where it serves as part of the boundary between Fairfax and Prince William counties. The river is a scenic area, and several local high schools and colleges use the r ...

to the

. The Confederates used the Potomac’s banks as gun positions to halt Union traffic on the river, protecting Manassas Junction to the west and Fredericksburg to the south and to close the Potomac River to shipping and isolate

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

. In October 1861, the Confederates constructed batteries at Evansport (now downtown Quantico, consisted of two batteries on the river bank, and another inland), a CSA field battery located at the mouth of

Chopawamsic Creek Chopawamsic Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 tributary of the Potomac River in Prince William and Stafford counties, Virginia. Chopawamsic Cree ...

where it empties to the Potomac (now the Marine Corps Air Facility), Shipping Point (now Hospital Point on Quantico, number of guns unknown), Freestone Point (a CSA four-gun battery on the shore of the Potomac River, now within

Leesylvania State Park Leesylvania State Park is located in the southeastern part of Prince William County, Virginia. The land was donated in 1978 by philanthropist Daniel K. Ludwig, and the park was dedicated in 1985 and opened full-time in 1992. History At the time ...

), and Cockpit Point (near the current asphalt plant, consisted of six guns (one heavy gun) in four batteries, a powder magazine, and rear rifle pits, on top of a high cliff known as Possum Nose). By mid-December, the Confederates had 37 heavy guns in position along the river. On September 25, 1861, the Freestone Point batteries were shelled by the (commanded by

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

Edward P. McCrea) and , commanded by Lieutenant Charles S. Norton. On January 1, 1862, Cockpit Point was shelled by (Lieutenant Oscar C. Badger commanding) and (Lieutenant Eastman commanding), with neither side gaining an advantage, though ''Yankee'' was slightly damaged.

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

ships approached the point again on March 9. A landing party from ''Anacostia'' and ''Yankee'' destroyed abandoned Confederate batteries at Cockpit Point and Evansport, Virginia, and found CSS ''Page'' blown up. The Confederates, in keeping with their general tactic of withdrawal from the sea coast and coastal islands, had abandoned their works and retired closer to

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, after effectively sealing off the Potomac River for nearly five months.

Legacy

Prince William County is in the process of establishing the Cockpit Point Battlefield Heritage Park at Cockpit Point to open in 2017. The park will preserve 113 acres, including a 93 acre natural area with a pond. The park area has a 16 acre gun battery site along the Potomac River, including cannon emplacements.

References

National Park Service battle description
hosted on the ''Son of the South'' website.

hosted on the ''Son of the South'' website.

information from American Forts Network, compiled by Pete Payette.
''Two Wars, an Autobiography of General Samuel G. French''Freestone Point Earthworks
Civil War Trails Historical Marker

External links

Cockpit Point Battlefield Heritage Park
at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cockpit Point, Battle of 1862 in Virginia Cockpit Point Cockpit Point Cockpit Point Cockpit Point Prince William County in the American Civil War Battles and conflicts without fatalities 1862 in the American Civil War Riverine warfare January 1862 events