The Civil War Battle of Ball’s Bluff was fought near Leesburg, Virginia, on 21 October 1861. Compared with later battles such as Antietam or Gettysburg, the casualty count was small. But because it occurred early in the war, and because it was a debacle that followed other Union defeats, the impact of this fight would be felt throughout the war. This presentation will outline the military situation in northern Virginia in the late summer and early fall of 1861 that set the stage for the battle, then describe how an erroneous scouting report initiated the fight. The battle itself will be detailed, to include the death of the only sitting US Senator ever to be killed in combat. Lastly, the long-term result of Ball’s Bluff will be addressed, specifically the formation of a Congressional committee that would first destroy the career of a Union brigadier general and later try to usurp Abraham Lincoln’s role as Commander-in-Chief.


LLI Coordinator: Mike Ahern