Battle of Ball's BluffEdit This Page

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Also known as Battle of  Harrison's Landing or Battle of Leesburg, in Virginia 21 October 1861.

U.S. Senator Edward Dickinson Baker, of Oregon, was killed in the battle.

Confederate Brig. Gen. Nathan “Shanks” Evans stopped a badly coordinated attempt by Union forces under Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone to cross the Potomac at Harrison’s Island and capture Leesburg. A timely Confederate counterattack drove the Federals over the bluff and into the river. More than 700 Federals were captured. Col. Edward D. Baker (a U.S. Senator) was killed. This Union rout had severe political ramifications in Washington and led to the establishment of the Congressional Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War.

Known regiments involved in the battle:

Union Forces: Stone's Division, Army of the Potomac, USA (Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone) 1st Brigade (Brig. Gen. Willis A. Gorman)

2d New York State Militia (later redesignated 82d New York Infantry)
 1st Minnesota Infantry
 15th Massachusetts Infantry
 34th New York Infantry
 42d New York Infantry (also known as the Tammany Regiment)
 2d Brigade (Brig. Gen. Frederick W. Lander)
 19th Massachusetts Infantry
 20th Massachusetts Infantry (also known as the Harvard Regiment)
 7th Michigan Infantry
 1st Company, Massachusetts Sharpshooters (also known as the Andrew Sharpshooters)

3d Brigade (Col. Edward D. Baker)

1st California Infantry (later redesignated 71st Pennsylvania Infantry)
 2d California Infantry (later redesignated 69th Pennsylvania Infantry)
 3d California Infantry (later redesignated 72d Pennsylvania Infantry)
 4th California Infantry (later redesignated 106th Pennsylvania Infantry)

Cavalry

3d New York Cavalry (six companies)
 Putnam Rangers (District of Columbia volunteers, later redesignated Company L, 
 1st Maryland Cavalry)

Artillery

Battery I, 1st United States Artillery
 Battery B, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery
 Battery K, 9th New York State Militia (later redesignated 6th Independent Battery, 
 New York Light Artillery)

Confederate Forces: 7th Brigade, First Corps, Army of the Potomac, CSA (Col. Nathan G. Evans)

13th Mississippi Infantry
 17th Mississippi Infantry
 18th Mississippi Infantry
 8th Virginia Infantry

Cavalry (Lt. Col. Walter H. Jenifer)

Companies B, C, and E, 4th Virginia Cavalry
 Company K, 6th Virginia Cavalry

Artillery

1st Company, Richmond Howitzers

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