The Burning Raid
Encyclopedia
The Burning Raid was a Union
military raid conducted in the Loudoun Valley
of Loudoun
and Fauquier
counties in Virginia
in November and December 1864 during the American Civil War
. It was aimed at destroying the forage on which Confederate partisans operating in the area, specifically Mosby's Rangers
, subsisted as well as at breaking the will of the citizens of the area for supporting the partisans.
, while General
Phillip Sheridan drove up the Shenandoah Valley
he faced a significant threat to his rear and supply lines from Mosby's Rangers based east of the Blue Ridge
in Loudoun and Fauquier. Subsequently he was forced to dedicate a significant resources to protecting his rear. Furthermore, Mosby and other partisans in Loudoun routinely raided Union garrisons in Fairfax
and along the Potomac River
in Maryland
.
In order to limit this threat, General Grant
wrote to Sheridan on August 16th suggesting
At the time, Sheridan was still battling Jubal Early for control of the valley and could not spare a large force for the task. On the 20th he dispatched 650 troopers of the 8th Illinois Cavalry into Loudoun to "break up and exterminate any bands or parties of Mosby's [Elijah V.] White's
, or other guerrillas which may be met", but the troopers were unable to find and capture the elusive partisans.
The failure of Sheridan to deal with Mosby did not go unnoticed by Grant, who wrote him again on November 9th insisting
Though Sheridan had by then defeated Early's army in late October at the Battle of Cedar Creek
, he feared such action might agitate anti-war advocates and negatively impact the reelection of Abraham Lincoln
. In late November, with Lincoln's reelection assured, Sheridan decided he could finally safely conduct operations against Mosby. On the 26th he wrote Union Chief of Staff Henry Halleck, likening his plans for Loudoun to The Burning of the Valley he was then conducting
The following day he ordered Major General
Wesley Merritt
and his 1st Cavalry Division to Loudoun
in the Blue Ridge and by midday had crossed the mountain and arrived at Paris
. The 1st Brigade under Colonel
Peter Stagg
was dispatched south to Piedmont Station (present day Delaplane
) and Markham
, while the 2nd Brigade under Brigadier General
Thomas Devin
covered the area between Paris and Upperville
. Late that evening the two brigades reunited in Upperville, where they spent the night.
The following morning, the 1st Brigade again headed south, through Rectortown
, Salem (present day Marshall
), White Plains (present day The Plains
) and then up to Middleburg
. The 2nd Brigade operated between Upperville and Snickersville (present day Bluemont
) along the foot of the Blue Ridge. Around midday, at the later location, the Reserve Brigade met up with the 1st, bringing the total number of Federals in the county to 3,000.
On the 30th, the 1st Brigade set out east on the Ashby's Gap Pike from Middleburg to Aldie
. At the latter village they then turned northwest up the Snickersville Turnpike through Philomont
, and Union (present day Unison
). Meanwhile the 2nd Brigade set out east on the Winchester pike from Snickersville through Purcellville
and Harmony (present day Hamilton
). They then turned to the north into the heart of Unionist Loudoun via Waterford
then up the Catoctin Creek
to the Potomac, whereupon they turned west and headed to Lovettsville
. The Reserve Brigade set out north from Snickersville through Woodgrove, Hillsborough and Between the Hills
valley to the Potomac. They then turned east and met up with the 2nd Brigade at Lovettsville.
The next day the 2nd and Reserve Brigades set out south from Lovettsville through Wheatland
back to Purcellville then onto Snickersville. The 1st Brigade meanwhile operated between Philomont and Middleburg, reuniting with the 2nd and Reserve a Snickersville that evening. The following morning, with the entire valley devastated, the Federals left the county via Snickers Gap
.
During the raid, Mosby did not call out the Rangers as the Federal force was far superior to his and fully expecting an attack by him. Instead the Rangers attempted to help local farmers by driving off their livestock ahead of the Federal columns, often bringing them into areas already put to the torch.
In the words of Charles Humphreys, who was with the reserve brigade
So complete was the destruction that neither the county's poor house nor its Unionist citizens spared. The only notable exception was the mill of James Downey, the county's representative to the House of Representatives of the Restored Government of Virginia
and speaker of that body. John Holland's Woolen Mill, which had supplied uniforms to the Union army, was not so fortunate.
Following the war, 208 loyal citizens of Loudoun filed claims with the government for losses from the raid. They claimed $199,228.24 in property damage and $61,821.13 in livestock losses.
The raid also resulted in the capture of 12 Rangers, though did little to stop Mosby or hurt the regard for which most citizens of the Loudoun Valley had for him.
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
military raid conducted in the Loudoun Valley
Loudoun Valley
The Loudoun Valley is a small, but historically significant valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains located in Loudoun County in northwestern Virginia in the United States.-Geography:...
of Loudoun
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
and Fauquier
Fauquier County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 55,139 people, 19,842 households, and 15,139 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 people per square mile . There were 21,046 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile...
counties in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in November and December 1864 during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. It was aimed at destroying the forage on which Confederate partisans operating in the area, specifically Mosby's Rangers
43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry
The 43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, also known as Mosby's Rangers, Mosby's Raiders or Mosby's Men, was a battalion of partisan cavalry in the Confederate army during the American Civil War...
, subsisted as well as at breaking the will of the citizens of the area for supporting the partisans.
Planning of the raid
During the Valley Campaigns of 1864Valley Campaigns of 1864
The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864. Military historians divide this period into three separate campaigns, but it is useful to consider the three together and how they...
, while General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Phillip Sheridan drove up the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
he faced a significant threat to his rear and supply lines from Mosby's Rangers based east of the Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
in Loudoun and Fauquier. Subsequently he was forced to dedicate a significant resources to protecting his rear. Furthermore, Mosby and other partisans in Loudoun routinely raided Union garrisons in Fairfax
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
and along the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
In order to limit this threat, General Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
wrote to Sheridan on August 16th suggesting
If you can possibly spare a division of Cavalry, send them through Loudoun County and destroy and carry off all the crops, animals, negroes and all men under fifty years of age capable of bearing arms. In this way you will get many if Mosby's men. All male citizens under fifty can be fairly held as prisoners of war, and not as citizen prisoners. If not already soldiers, they will be made so the moment the rebel army gets hold of them.
At the time, Sheridan was still battling Jubal Early for control of the valley and could not spare a large force for the task. On the 20th he dispatched 650 troopers of the 8th Illinois Cavalry into Loudoun to "break up and exterminate any bands or parties of Mosby's [Elijah V.] White's
Elijah V. White
Elijah Viers "Lige" White was commander of the partisan 35th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry during the American Civil War. His men became commonly known as "White's Comanches" for their war cries and sudden raids on enemy targets.-Early life:Elijah White was born in the area of Poolesville, Maryland...
, or other guerrillas which may be met", but the troopers were unable to find and capture the elusive partisans.
The failure of Sheridan to deal with Mosby did not go unnoticed by Grant, who wrote him again on November 9th insisting
There is no doubt about the necessity of clearing out that country so it will not support Mosby's gang . . . So long as the war lasts they must be prevented from raising another crop.
Though Sheridan had by then defeated Early's army in late October at the Battle of Cedar Creek
Battle of Cedar Creek
The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, October 19, 1864, was one of the final, and most decisive, battles in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. The final Confederate invasion of the North, led by Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early, was effectively ended...
, he feared such action might agitate anti-war advocates and negatively impact the reelection of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
. In late November, with Lincoln's reelection assured, Sheridan decided he could finally safely conduct operations against Mosby. On the 26th he wrote Union Chief of Staff Henry Halleck, likening his plans for Loudoun to The Burning of the Valley he was then conducting
Now there is going to be an intense hatred of [Mosby] in that portion of the Valley which is nearly desert. I will soon commence on Loudoun County, and let them know there is a God in Israel.
The following day he ordered Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Wesley Merritt
Wesley Merritt
Wesley Merritt was a general in the United States Army during the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War. He is noted for distinguished service in the cavalry.-Early life:...
and his 1st Cavalry Division to Loudoun
You are hereby directed to proceed, tomorrow morning at 7 o'clock, with two brigades of your division now in camp, to the east side of the Blue Ridge, via Ashby's Gap, and operate against the guerrillas in the district of country bounded on the south by the line of the Manassas Gap Railroad, as far east as White Plains; on the east by the Bull Run Range; on the west by the Shenandoah River; and on the north by the Potomac. . . To clear the country of these parties that are bringing destruction upon the innocent as well as guilty supporters by their cowardly acts you will consume and destroy all forage and subsistence, burn all barns and mills and their contents and drive off all livestock in the region, the boundaries of which are described above. This order must be literally executed, bearing in mind, however that no dwellings are to be burned and that no personal violence be offered the citizens . . .
The Raid
On the morning of the 28th, Merritt's 1st Cavalry Division set out for Ashby's GapAshby's Gap
Ashby Gap, more commonly known as Ashby's Gap is a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the border of Clarke County, Loudoun County and Fauquier County in Virginia. The gap is traversed by U.S. Route 50...
in the Blue Ridge and by midday had crossed the mountain and arrived at Paris
Paris, Virginia
Paris is a village in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. Located in Virginia's hunt country, it was established in a strategic spot at the eastern base of Ashby Gap along U.S. Route 17 and U.S. Route 50. Paris has a population of 51. There is one church in Paris, the Trinity United...
. The 1st Brigade under Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Peter Stagg
Peter Stagg
Peter Kidner Stagg is a former international rugby union player.He was capped twenty-eight times as a lock for Scotland between 1965 and 1970, including one cap as a replacement....
was dispatched south to Piedmont Station (present day Delaplane
Delaplane, Virginia
Delaplane is a small unincorporated village in Fauquier County, Virginia, located approximately due west of Washington, D.C.. Delaplane is situated along U.S. Route 17 and Interstate 66; bordering Upperville, Virginia to the north, Hume, Virginia to the south, Paris, Virginia to the west, and...
) and Markham
Markham, Virginia
Markham is a small, unincorporated community in Fauquier County, Virginia, along State Route 55 and off Interstate 66. It is home to the Naked Mountain Vineyard, its own post office, and ZIP Code of 22643. The Manassas Gap railway runs through the community....
, while the 2nd Brigade under Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Thomas Devin
Thomas Devin
Thomas Casimer Devin was an United States Army officer and general. He commanded Union cavalry during the American Civil War and during the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
covered the area between Paris and Upperville
Upperville, Virginia
Upperville is an unincorporated community in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States, located along U.S. Route 50 fifty miles from downtown Washington, D.C.. Founded in the 1790s along Pantherskin Creek, it was originally named Carrstown by first settler Josephus Carr...
. Late that evening the two brigades reunited in Upperville, where they spent the night.
The following morning, the 1st Brigade again headed south, through Rectortown
Rectortown, Virginia
Rectortown is an unincorporated community in Fauquier County, in the U.S. state of Virginia.-Reference:...
, Salem (present day Marshall
Marshall, Virginia
Marshall is an unincorporated village and census-designated place located in the hunt country of northwestern Fauquier County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 1,480. Marshall was originally known as Salem. The town became Marshall after a short-lived incorporation...
), White Plains (present day The Plains
The Plains, Virginia
The Plains is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 266 at the 2000 census. It is centered around Virginia Route 55 and Virginia Route 245...
) and then up to Middleburg
Middleburg, Virginia
Middleburg is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States with a population of approximately 976 as of July 2010.-History:The town was established in 1787 by American Revolutionary War Lieutenant Colonel and Virginia statesman, Levin Powell. He purchased the land for Middleburg at $2.50 per...
. The 2nd Brigade operated between Upperville and Snickersville (present day Bluemont
Bluemont, Virginia
Bluemont is an unincorporated village in Loudoun County, Virginia located at the base of Snickers Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountain. At 680 feet , it is the highest community in Loudoun County...
) along the foot of the Blue Ridge. Around midday, at the later location, the Reserve Brigade met up with the 1st, bringing the total number of Federals in the county to 3,000.
On the 30th, the 1st Brigade set out east on the Ashby's Gap Pike from Middleburg to Aldie
Aldie, Virginia
Aldie is an unincorporated village located on the John Mosby Highway between Gilbert's Corner and Middleburg in Loudoun County, Virginia. It is located in a gap between the Catoctin Mountain and Bull Run Mountain, through which the Little River flows...
. At the latter village they then turned northwest up the Snickersville Turnpike through Philomont
Philomont, Virginia
Philomont is a small unincorporated rural village in western Loudoun County, Virginia. The name is derived from the Greek word philo meaning "beloved" and the French word mont or "mountain"; Philomont means "Beloved Mountain."-History:...
, and Union (present day Unison
Unison, Virginia
Unison is an unincorporated village in Loudoun County, Virginia. It is located approximately five miles from Middleburg in the Loudoun Valley....
). Meanwhile the 2nd Brigade set out east on the Winchester pike from Snickersville through Purcellville
Purcellville, Virginia
Purcellville is a town in the Loudoun Valley of Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,584 at the 2000 census, but has undergone considerable growth since then. Purcellville is the major population center for western Loudoun and the Loudoun Valley...
and Harmony (present day Hamilton
Hamilton, Virginia
Hamilton is a town in the Loudoun Valley of Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. The population was 562 as of the 2000 census.-Geography:...
). They then turned to the north into the heart of Unionist Loudoun via Waterford
Waterford, Virginia
Waterford is an unincorporated village in the Catoctin Valley of Loudoun County, Virginia, located along Catoctin Creek. Waterford is northwest of Washington, D.C., and northwest of Leesburg...
then up the Catoctin Creek
Catoctin Creek (Virginia)
Catoctin Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River in Loudoun County, Virginia, with a watershed of . Agricultural lands make up 67 percent and forests 30 percent of Catoctin Creek's watershed...
to the Potomac, whereupon they turned west and headed to Lovettsville
Lovettsville, Virginia
Lovettsville is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. The population was 853 at the 2000 census. The 2005-2009 American Community Survey estimated the population at 1187.-History:Following the 1722 Treaty of St...
. The Reserve Brigade set out north from Snickersville through Woodgrove, Hillsborough and Between the Hills
Between the Hills
Between the Hills is a small valley in northwest Loudoun County, Virginia, distinct from, but associated with the greater Loudoun Valley.-Geography:...
valley to the Potomac. They then turned east and met up with the 2nd Brigade at Lovettsville.
The next day the 2nd and Reserve Brigades set out south from Lovettsville through Wheatland
Wheatland, Virginia
Wheatland is an unincorporated community in Loudoun County, Virginia located north of Purcellville and south of Lovettsville on Berlin Turnpike...
back to Purcellville then onto Snickersville. The 1st Brigade meanwhile operated between Philomont and Middleburg, reuniting with the 2nd and Reserve a Snickersville that evening. The following morning, with the entire valley devastated, the Federals left the county via Snickers Gap
Snickers Gap
Snickers Gap, originally William's Gap, is a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountain on the border of Loudoun County and Clarke County in Virginia. The gap is traversed by Virginia State Route 7. The Appalachian Trail also passes across the gap...
.
During the raid, Mosby did not call out the Rangers as the Federal force was far superior to his and fully expecting an attack by him. Instead the Rangers attempted to help local farmers by driving off their livestock ahead of the Federal columns, often bringing them into areas already put to the torch.
The Damage
According to the report of Merritt, which lacked detail, 5000-6000 heads of cattle, 3000-4000 heads of sheep, and 500-700 horses were driven off and 1000 hogs were slaughtered. In the report of the Reserve brigade 230 barns, 8 mills, 1 distillery, 10,000 tons of hay and 25,000 bushels of grain were reported burned.In the words of Charles Humphreys, who was with the reserve brigade
Some idea of the general destruction may be formed when I relate that in one day two regiments of our brigade burned more than 150 barns 1000 stacks of hay and 6 flour mills, besides having driven off 50 horses and 300 head of cattle. This was the most unpleasant task we were ever compelled to undertake. It was heart piercing to hear the shrieks of women and children, and to see even men crying and beating their breasts, supplicating for mercy on bended knees, begging that at least one cow - an only support - might be left. But no mercy was allowed. Orders must be obeyed. . .
So complete was the destruction that neither the county's poor house nor its Unionist citizens spared. The only notable exception was the mill of James Downey, the county's representative to the House of Representatives of the Restored Government of Virginia
Restored government of Virginia
The Restored Government of Virginia, or the Reorganized Government of Virginia, was the Unionist government of Virginia during the American Civil War. From 1861 until mid-1863 it met in Wheeling, and from 26 August 1863 until June 1865 it met in Alexandria...
and speaker of that body. John Holland's Woolen Mill, which had supplied uniforms to the Union army, was not so fortunate.
Following the war, 208 loyal citizens of Loudoun filed claims with the government for losses from the raid. They claimed $199,228.24 in property damage and $61,821.13 in livestock losses.
The raid also resulted in the capture of 12 Rangers, though did little to stop Mosby or hurt the regard for which most citizens of the Loudoun Valley had for him.