The Battle of Dranesville was a small battle 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 ...
that took place between
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
forces under Brigadier General
J. E. B. Stuart and Union forces under Brigadier General
Edward O. C. Ord
Edward Otho Cresap Ord (October 18, 1818 – July 22, 1883) was an American engineer and United States Army officer who saw action in the Seminole War, the Indian Wars, and the American Civil War. He commanded an army during the final days of the ...
on December 20, 1861, in
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...
, as part of
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...
's operations in northern Virginia. The two forces on similar winter time patrols encountered and engaged one another in the crossroads village of
Dranesville. The battle resulted in a Union victory.
Background
![Approximate site of the Battle of Dranesville](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Approximate_site_of_the_Battle_of_Dranesville.jpg)
Following the
Battle of Ball's Bluff
The Battle of Ball's Bluff was an early battle of the American Civil War fought in Loudoun County, Virginia, on October 21, 1861, in which Union Army forces under Major General George B. McClellan suffered a humiliating defeat.
The operation was ...
on October 21, major offensive action was halted in the eastern theater, as both armies went into winter quarters. Small detachments were still occasionally sent out to probe the enemy's position and to obtain forage. Such was the case early on the morning of December 20 when General Stuart, with a mixed brigade of
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
comprising the regiments of the 6th South Carolina, 1st Kentucky, 10th Alabama, and
11th Virginia, 150 of his
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
troopers and
Allen S. Cutts's four-gun Georgia battery, set out north from their position near
Centreville to escort the army's wagons trains on a foraging expedition into
Loudoun County
Loudoun County () is in the northern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. In 2020, the census returned a population of 420,959, making it Virginia's third-most populous county. Loudoun County's seat is Leesburg. Loudoun C ...
. Meanwhile, General Ord, leading the 10,000 strong 3rd Brigade of Pennsylvania Reserves set out west from
Langley Langley may refer to:
People
* Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name
* Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer
* Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perfor ...
to clear the south bank 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 ...
of Confederate pickets and partisans in Fairfax and Loudoun. At
Colvin Run Mill
Colvin Run Mill is in Great Falls, Virginia. Built c. 1811, Colvin Run Mill is the sole
surviving operational 19th-century water-powered mill in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and its restored mechanism is a nationally significant examp ...
, Ord left half his force to protect his rear and prevent his force from being cut off from their base at Langley.
Opposing forces
Union
![Eord](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Eord.jpg)
Commander: Brigadier General
Edward O. C. Ord
Edward Otho Cresap Ord (October 18, 1818 – July 22, 1883) was an American engineer and United States Army officer who saw action in the Seminole War, the Indian Wars, and the American Civil War. He commanded an army during the final days of the ...
Regiments
*
6th Infantry, Pennsylvania Reserves (a.k.a. 35th Pennsylvania Volunteers): Lt. Col. William M. Penrose
*
9th Infantry, Pennsylvania Reserves (a.k.a. 38th Pennsylvania Volunteers): Col.
Conrad Feger Jackson
Conrad Feger Jackson (September 11, 1813 – December 13, 1862) was a businessman and soldier from the state of Pennsylvania. He served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and was killed in action during the ...
*
10th Infantry, Pennsylvania Reserves (a.k.a. 39th Pennsylvania Volunteers): Col. John S. McCalmont
*
12th Infantry, Pennsylvania Reserves (a.k.a. 41st Pennsylvania Volunteers): Col. John H. Taggart
*
Kane's 1st Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment (a.k.a. 42nd Pennsylvania Volunteers): Lt. Col.l
Thomas L. Kane
*
1st Pennsylvania Reserve Cavalry (a.k.a. 44th Pennsylvania Volunteers): Lt. Col.
Jacob C. Higgins
*1st Pennsylvania Reserve Artillery (a.k.a. 43rd Pennsylvania Volunteers): Lt. Col.
Charles T. Campbell
**
Battery A: Cpt. Hezekiah Easton
**
Battery F: Cpt. Ezra Matthews
Confederate
![J](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/J._Gurney_%26_Son_-_J.E.B._Stuart.jpg)
Commander: Brigadier General
J. E. B. Stuart
Regiments
*
11th Virginia Volunteers: Col.
Samuel Garland, Jr.
Samuel Garland Jr. (December 16, 1830 – September 14, 1862) was an American attorney from Virginia and Confederate general during the American Civil War. He was killed in action during the Maryland Campaign while defending Fox's Gap at the B ...
*6th South Carolina Volunteers: Lt. Col. Andrew J. Secrest
*
10th Alabama Volunteers: Col.
John Horace Forney
John Horace Forney (August 12, 1829 – September 13, 1902) was a farmer, civil engineer, and major general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Being promoted to the rank of major general on October 27, 1862, Forney part ...
*
1st Kentucky Volunteers: Col. Thomas A Taylor
*1st North Carolina Cavalry (100 man detachment): Maj.
James B. Gordon
*
2nd Virginia Cavalry
The 2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia.
The unit was organized by Colonel Jubal E ...
, Company C: Cpt. Andrew L. Pitzer
*Sumter Flying Artillery (Georgia): Capt.
Allen S. Cutts
Battle
![Battle of Dranesville map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Battle_of_Dranesville_map.png)
At about noon, Ord arrived at the intersection of the Georgetown Pike and Leesburg Pike in the village of
Dranesville, where he encountered Stuart's advance cavalry pickets, which were quickly driven off by the Union force. Ord then began to lead his command west, down the Leesburg Pike. At around 1 p.m. Stuart, with the main body of his force approached Dranesville from the south, whereupon he encountered the rear of the Union detachment.
Ord halted his infantry and wheeled it around to meet the Confederate threat, forming a line on the north side of the Leesburg Pike. He then deployed his artillery on an eminence near the intersection. Stuart deployed his infantry on the south side of the pike and his artillery 300 yards south of the federal position. While the Confederate infantry was deploying, the 1st Kentucky mistook the 6th South Carolina for Union troops and opened fire, which was quickly returned by the Carolinians. The
11th Virginia advanced, supported by the
10th Alabama but were stopped by heavy fire. The colonel of the 10th Alabama, John Forney, was wounded, and the lieutenant colonel, James B. Martin, was killed.
Hearing the sound of gunfire, the
9th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment
The 9th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment also known as the 38th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army as part of the Pennsylvania Reserves infantry division during the American Civil War.
Organizatio ...
charged across the turnpike but were quickly driven back. The artillery then began to duel, but owing to the strength of the Union position, the Confederate guns were quickly knocked out. Ord deployed his infantry in a skirmish line and sent it across the Pike at Stuart and the two sides squared off for nearly 2 hours. At 3 p.m., with his wagons safely away and secure from capture, Stuart ordered a withdrawal. Ord pursued for a half mile, ensuring his line of retreat was safe, before breaking off the attack and returning to Langley.
The following day Stuart returned with reinforcements, but the battle was already over.
Results
Though the battle was small, of no strategic importance and resulted in only light casualties, it marked the first time in the east that a Union force had bested their Confederate enemy, inflicting 230 casualties while suffering only 71, and was able to drive them from the field.
Notes
References
*Salmon, John S. ''The Official Virginia Civil War Battlefield Guide.''Stackpole Books; Mechanicsburg, Pa. 2001.
*Evans, Thomas J and James M. Moyer. ''Mosby's Confederacy:A Guide to the Roads and Sites of Colonel John Singleton Mosby.'' White Mane Publishing Company, Inc. Shippensburg, Pa. 1991. p. 46.
External links
National Park Service battle descriptionCWSAC Report
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Dranesville
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Dranesville
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1861 in Virginia
1861 in the American Civil War
December 1861 events