Battle of Ball’s Bluff

Dates:

October 21, 1861

Other Names:

Harrison’s Landing, Leesburg

Location:

Ball’s Bluff, Virginia

Key Individuals Involved in the Battle of Ball’s Bluff:

Union: Brigadier General Charles P. Stone and Colonel Edward Baker
Confederate:Brigadier General Nathan G. Evans

Outcome:

Confederate Victory. 1,070 casualties of which 921 were Union soldiers.

Overview of the Battle :

Confederate Brig. Gen. Nathan “Shanks” Evans stopped a badly coordinated attempt by Union forces under Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone to cross the Potomac at Harrison’s Island and capture Leesburg. A timely Confederate counterattack drove the Federals over the bluff and into the river. More than 700 Federals were captured. Col. Edward D. Baker (a U.S. Senator) was killed. This Union rout had severe political ramifications in Washington and led to the establishment of the Congressional Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War.
Source: CWSAC Battle Summaries