LOVETTSVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM
4 East Pennsylvania Avenue
Lovettsville, Virginia 20180
Phone: 540-822-5499

CIVIL WAR BATTLE NEAR LOVETTSVILLE, VA.

In late December , 1864, Brig. Gen Thomas C. Devin moved his brigade of six cavalry regiments to the Lovettsville area. This unit, 2nd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry regiments, in all about 2500 men and their horses. The reason for Devin leaving the Shenandoah Valley was two fold. Hay and grain could be obtained here, and both the B&O Railroad and the C&O Canal could be protected from Confederate Guerillas. Devin's picket line extended from the Lovettsville-Berlin Turnpike to the base of the Short Hill Mountains with the center of his line, and principal camp, near Georges Mill Schoolhouse

On the night of January 17th, 1865, Lt. Col. E. V. White 's Confederates attacked the camp of the 6th New York Cavalry near the base of the Short Hills. Union and Confederate accounts were made of this action, but since they are at such variance both are given without attempt to reconcile them.

The Union Account

January 18th, 1864 - Affair near Lovettsville, Va.

Report of Brig. Gen. Thomas C. Devin, U.S. Army, commanding Second Brigade, First Cavalry Division, Middle Military Division

"Your dispatch received at midnight of Tuesday, January 17th, Colonel White, Of Rosser's cavalry, with a force said by citizens to number 220 men, crossed the Short Hill by a mountain path within five miles of Harper's Ferry, and surprised the vedettes of Sixth New York on that road without a shot; charged the reserve, who were all on hand and resisted stoutly, but were forced back on the camp. The men of the Sixth turned out of the huts, formed in their streets, and in three minutes flanked and drove White out of the camp, killing 3 of his men, who were found, and wounding, more or less severely, 11, who were carried off. As soon as the Sixth could obtain permission they saddled and followed White to Purcellville, but could not overtake him."

"Two men of the Sixth were killed and five wounded. Lieutenant Carroll was mortally wounded by an officer who had surrendered to him; the fellow got away."

"The Sixth lost 8 horses; 11 of White's horses were found wounded on the road by the pursuing party. It was a Stormy night, and the tracks showed that the vedettes were surprised by dismounted men. The affair occurred just before my return to camp.

Respectfully,

Thos. C. Devin , Brigadier-General

The Confederate Account

In February, 1865, Colonel White came to Loudoun and taking a view of the situation, resolved to try a raid into the federal camp.

Mobberly, Lum Wenner and others who knew the Lovettsville country almost as well as if they had made it, scouted for him and with great difficulty obtained the information that the 6th New York Cavalry was encamped nearest the Short Hill and had about two hundred and fifty men in camp.

On the evening of the 17th, the Colonel quietly collected what force he could in that part of the county, and at Woodgrove found he had about eighty men all told, including Colonel R.P. Chew, of the famous "Horse Artillery," and a few of Mosby's Men, and about 9 o'clock the little squadron moved from the rendezvous and passing Neersville, crossed the Short Hill by a narrow path near St. Paul's.

On clearing the mountain a small advance guard, led by Mobberly, was sent out to capture the pickets, but very soon firing was heard, and dashing rapidly forward the Colonel found that Mobberly and Frank Curry had been compelled to shoot some of the enemy at the reserve of the post, and knowing that success depended on surprising the camp, he continued the charge.

On reaching the place the unwelcome discovery was made that instead of two hundred and fifty - which was considered about as many as White's eighty men wanted - the enemy's force had been increased that day by the addition of over three hundred new men, making fully six hundred, and it had something the appearance of fool-hardiness to attack them, especially as a large portion were in strong log huts; however, a good part of the new men were in tents along the side of the camp where the attack was to be made, and their canvas wails were not much protection against the bullets that White's charging command began to pour into them as soon as they became fairly headed for them.

Great confusion was the result of the attack, and fully one hundred and fifty prisoners, and as many horses, were captured at the first onset, and if the Colonel had now been content to retire, he would have had as much as he ought to have expected, but still ignorant of the new force, he judged from the confusion that he was in a fair way to become master of the camp, when, in fact, he had only captured the outskirts, and had not reached the real camp, which, as stated, was composed of huts, and under this wrong impression he remained too long, for a veteran officer, Capt. Bell coolly proceeded to rally such of his men as were not too much demoralized, and in a very brief space had about two hundred of them in line on the opposite side of the extensive ground, with whom he advanced very unexpectedly upon the raiders, who were compelled to retire very precipitately, only bringing out about fifty horses and a dozen prisoners; but the Colonel had lost nothing; only one of his men being wounded, and he very slightly, so that all he got was clear gain to his command.

On reaching Woodgrove again the command disbanded and prepared to "lie low" until the inevitable scouring of the country by parties from Deven's camp was accomplished, which sunrise would be the signal for commencing, and this was the last blow struck by the famous battalion against the enemy in Old Loudoun, whose hills and valleys were still darkened by the smoke of the burning barns and grain of her people, which had been fired by the vandal foe who the 35th battalion was organized to protect the Loudoun border against.