Balls Bluff

[KianGaf]

A friend of mine didn't live too far from the battlefield the last time I visited Virginia. Its a small site but is well maintained.

 

[Seduzal]

Thanks for sharing these awesome photos!
Welcome to CWT from the Smoky Mountain side of North Carolina.

 

[KianGaf]

Interesting part of his story was his meeting with Lincoln shortly before getting killed.

 

[Claude Bauer]

A friend of mine didn't live too far from the battlefield the last time I visited Virginia. Its a small site but is well maintained.

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There used to be a lot more trees there--prior to the 150th anniversary of the battle, they really thinned out the woods, cutting down a lot of large trees in an effort to return the site to its appearance at the time of the battle. Some local residents complained, since it's pretty much surrounded on all but one side by suburban neighborhoods whose residents understandably enjoyed using the area as a heavily wooded park.

 

[Saint Jude]

Very nice photos!

 

[DixieRifles]

Great photos. I've always wanted to go see this battlefield. I had an ancestor in Company H, 17 Mississippi Regiment. The tactics of the battle seem quite interesting. Did you take any more photos of markers that show position of the companies of the 17th Mississippi? I have a book of maps but I wanted to see a clear image of the markers.

Another interesting fact about Ball's Bluff is that this battle resulted in the formation of the Congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War lead by Gooch and Wade. They were investigating why the Union lost and how a Congressman/General was killed. This is the same Committee who investigated the Battle of Fort Pillow. There were so many similarities in the two battles. However the Committee performed the investigation of Fort Pillow to find a way to lay blame on the Confederates and help get Lincoln re-elected. Funny how the goal of their investigation changed in 2 years.

 

[KianGaf]

Great photos. I've always wanted to go see this battlefield. I had an ancestor in Company H, 17 Mississippi Regiment. The tactics of the battle seem quite interesting. Did you take any more photos of markers that show position of the companies of the 17th Mississippi? I have a book of maps but I wanted to see a clear image of the markers.

Another interesting fact about Ball's Bluff is that this battle resulted in the formation of the Congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War lead by Gooch and Wade. They were investigating why the Union lost and how a Congressman/General was killed. This is the same Committee who investigated the Battle of Fort Pillow. There were so many similarities in the two battles. However the Committee performed the investigation of Fort Pillow to find a way to lay blame on the Confederates and help get Lincoln re-elected. Funny how the goal of their investigation changed in 2 years.

The only pic I seem to have that refers to the 17 Mississippi is the tactical display, on the right hand top corner you can see them.

 

[KianGaf]

 

[James N.]

My thread on the battle following a visit in 2015: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/the-battle-of-balls-bluff-october-21-1861.118672/

 

[JOHN42768]

Great photos and tour, thanks

 

[Kip124thNY]

Nice photos, thanks for posting.

 

[Ole Miss]

I have never been to see this battlefield and so appreciate you posting these photos. Great Job.
Regards
David

 

[captaindrew]

Nice photos, thanks for sharing