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The Burning Raid was a Union raid conducted in the
Loudoun Valley The Loudoun Valley is a small, but historically significant valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains located in Loudoun County in Northern Virginia in the United States. Geography The lush and fertile valley lies between Catoctin Mountain and the Bu ...
of
Loudoun Loudoun () is a parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland and lies between five and ten miles east of Kilmarnock. The parish roughly encompasses the northern half of the Upper-Irvine Valley and borders Galston parish, Galston Parish (which encompasses ...
and Fauquier counties in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
in 1864 during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. It was aimed at destroying the forage on which
Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
partisans Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Itali ...
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.


Planning of the raid

During the Valley Campaigns of 1864, while General
Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with General-i ...
drove up the
Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the east ...
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 significant resources to protecting his rear. Furthermore, Mosby and other partisans in Loudoun routinely raided Union garrisons in
Fairfax County Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. With a population of 1,150,309 as of the 2020 census, it is the most populous county in Virginia, the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington ...
and along the
Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...
in
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
. In order to limit this threat, General Grant wrote to Sheridan on August 16 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 of Mosby's men. All male citizens under fifty can be fairly held as prisoners of war, 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 Jubal Anderson Early (November 3, 1816 – March 2, 1894) was an American lawyer, politician and military officer who served in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. Trained at the United States Military Academy, Early resigned his ...
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 lijah 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 9, 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 The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, was fought on October 19, 1864, during the American Civil War. The fighting took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Northern Virginia, near Cedar Creek, Middletown, and the Valley Pike. D ...
, he feared such action might agitate anti-war advocates and negatively impact the reelection of
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
. 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 Henry Wager Halleck (January 16, 1815 – January 9, 1872) was a senior United States Army officer, scholar, and lawyer. A noted expert in military studies, he was known by a nickname that became derogatory: "Old Brains". He was an important part ...
, 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
osby Osby () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Osby Municipality, Scania County, Sweden with 7,157 inhabitants in 2010 and 13,238 inhabitants in 2022. It is the birthplace of the toy manufacturer BRIO, whose museum, the BRIO Lekoseum, ...
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
Wesley Merritt Wesley Merritt (June 16, 1836December 3, 1910) was an American major general who served in the cavalry of the United States Army during the American Civil War, American Indian Wars, and Spanish–American War. Following the latter war, he becam ...
and his 1st Cavalry Division to Loudoun:
You are hereby directed to proceed, to-morrow morning at 7 o'clock, with the 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 their 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 Gap in the Blue Ridge and by midday had crossed the mountain and arrived at
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. The 1st Brigade under
Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
Peter Stagg was dispatched south to Piedmont Station (present day Delaplane) and
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, while the 2nd Brigade under Brigadier General
Thomas Devin Thomas Casimer Devin (December 10, 1822 – April 4, 1878) was a United States Army officer and general. He commanded Union cavalry during the American Civil War and during the Indian Wars. Early life Born in New York City to Irish immigr ...
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 Marshall may refer to: Places Australia *Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria ** Marshall railway station Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Is ...
), 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 The ‘’‘Snickersville Turnpike’’’ (formerly known as the ‘’‘Snicker’s Gap Turnpike’’’) is a historic road in the northern part of the U.S. state of Virginia. While part of the original route is now maintained as State Ro ...
through Philomont, and Union (present day
Unison Unison (stylised as UNISON) is a Great Britain, British trade union. Along with Unite the Union, Unite, Unison is one of the two largest trade unions in the United Kingdom, with over 1.2 million members who work predominantly in public servic ...
). Meanwhile, the 2nd Brigade set out east on the Winchester pike from Snickersville through Purcellville and Harmony (present day
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). They then turned to the north into the heart of Unionist Loudoun via
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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 Between the Hills is a small valley in northwest Loudoun County, Virginia, distinct from, but associated with, the greater Loudoun Valley. Geography The Between the Hills valley encompasses the area of Loudoun that lies west of Short Hill Mount ...
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 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 one hundred and fifty barns, a thousand stacks of hay, and six flour mills, besides having driven off fifty horses and three hundred 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.
So complete was the destruction that neither the county's poor house nor its Unionist citizens were 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 The Restored (or Reorganized) Government of Virginia was the Unionist government of Virginia during the American Civil War (1861–1865) in opposition to the government which had approved Virginia's seceding from the United States and join ...
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.


See also

* Loudoun County in the American Civil War


References

*Williams, Harrison. ''Legends of Loudoun.'' Garrett an Massie, Inc. Richmond, Virginia, 1938. *Head, James W. ''History and Comprehensive Description of Loudoun County, Virginia.'' Hard press. *Poland, Charles P. Jr. ''From Frontier to Suburbia: Loudoun County, Virginia, One of America's Fastest Growing Counties.'' Heritage Books, Westminster, Maryland, 2005. *Wert, Jeffery D. ''Mosby's Rangers.'' Simon and Schuster, New York, 1990. {{DEFAULTSORT:Burning Raid Loudoun County, Virginia, in the American Civil War Fauquier County, Virginia, in the American Civil War Cavalry raids of the American Civil War Battles and conflicts without fatalities Military operations of the American Civil War in Virginia November 1864 December 1864 1864 in Virginia