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Fauquier County and Warrenton

For information about Fauquier's Civil War sites, stop at the visitor center located just off Route 17 in Warrenton. More info: 800-820-1021.

The following sites in Warrenton and Fauquier County are marked by Civil War Trails interpretation unless otherwise noted:

Warrenton Cemetery, across the street from the visitor center off Route 17 – A dramatic new memorial to more than 600 Confederate soldiers who died in nearby makeshift hospitals stands near the grave of Confederate raider John S. Mosby. [No Trails sign.]

Spilman-Mosby House
Trails signs located at the house (173 Main St, Warrenton VA 20186) and the Warrenton/Fauquier County visitor center.
 Road map 
   Constructed 1859-1861 by Judge Edward Spillman, this home was owned by the famed Confederate cavalryman John S. Mosby, who bought the house in 1875. When his wife died Mosby sold the home to another famous Confederate Eppa Hunton.

Old Jail Museum, Warrenton – Good Civil War displays, with some great Mosby items, are included in the excellent small museum. Jail dates to 1808. 10 am–4 pm Tuesday-Sunday. Free. Trails sign begins a walking tour of the town. 540-347-5525.

Thoroughfare Gap – Major route through the Bull Run Mountains was the site of dramatic Civil War events including those leading up to the Second Battle of Manassas. Trails sign located on Route 55 between The Plains and Haymarket.

Sky Meadows State Park (Mount Bleak)
On Route 17
540-592-3556
    Beautiful vistas and the historic Mount Bleak, home of the Abner Settle family, are highlights in the park. Stonewall Jackson's troops camped here before leaving for the Battle of First Manassas. Many Mosby associations. Trails sign at house. Park open 8 am–dusk. Inquire about house tours at the visitor center.

Rappahannock Station, Business Route 29 just outside Remington – The Orange and Alexandria Railroad crossed the Rappahannock River here, making this place a strategic goal for both armies. Fighting Nov. 7, 1863, put the crossing under Union control for the rest of the war. Driving tour information at the Fredericksburg National Park visitor center.

Catlett's Station, Catlett – J.E.B. Stuart's cavalrymen attacked this Union supply depot Aug. 22, 1862, capturing, among other things, Federal commander John Pope's cloak, hat and dispatch book. Intelligence gathered here helped Stonewall Jackson plan his Second Manassas campaign.

Delaplane (Piedmont Station) – Stonewall Jackson's Confederate troops boarded trains here July 19, 1861, to travel to Manassas. It was the first time in history railroads were used to move soldiers to an impending battle. Many of the buildings here date to that time.

Buckland Races, Trails sign at the commuter parking lot near the junction of U.S. 17 and 29 – Trap sprung by Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry on approaching Union counterparts Oct. 18-19, 1863, resulted in precipitous Federal withdrawal. Part of the end of the Bristoe Station campaign.

Marshall (historic Salem) – Trails sign features John Singleton Mosby's Confederate raiders who fought (Oct. 5, 1864) and finally disbanded (April 21, 1865) here. Stonewall Jackson marched through here and was cheered silently on his way to the Battle of Second Manassas. More information at the nearby Fauquier Heritage Society.

Rectortown, near intersection of Route 713 and 710, north of I-66 – Sprawling Union campground around the small railroad town where Federal commander Gen. George McClellan was relieved of command, replaced by Gen. Ambrose Burnside, Nov. 7, 1862.

Town of The Plains – Located on the Manassas Gap Railroad and the Warrenton Turnpike, The Plains was a busy place during the war. Spies of all sorts reported on the movements of campaigning armies (including Second Manassas) as they marched through. Trails sign at intersection of Routes 55 and 626.

See also Upperville in the Route 50 Corridor tour.

Jump back to Fauquier County and Warrenton

Loudoun County

Loudoun Museum
16 Loudoun St., Leesburg
703-777-7427
   Exhibits cover history of this rapidly changing area. Much Civil War content including information about Ball's Bluff and the county's role in the no-man's-land of the war. Changing Civil War exhibits. Walking tours of Leesburg available May-October. Open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 10 am–5 pm; Sunday 1–5 pm. Adult admission $3.

Morven Park
Trails sign located at the mansion, 17263 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg VA 20176
703-777-2414
 Road map 
    Confederate troops used the land surrounding the mansion Swan’s Castle as a training ground from the summer of 1861 to March 1862. The soldiers were stationed here and elsewhere in Leesburg to guard the many Potomac River fords in the area. They built log structures here that winter. More than 50 of those sites have been located on the property. See the website or call about visiting the site.

Ball's Bluff Battlefield
Park located west of the Route 15 bypass north of Leesburg (route takes you through a large housing development)
703-737-7800
   A tiny National Cemetery and a 173-acre park represent this small but significant battle fought Oct. 21, 1861. Federal troops tried to cross the Potomac River here but were overwhelmed. Pushed off the bluffs on the Virginia side, the Union soldiers made easy targets for Southern guns as they tried to recross the river. Bodies floated downstream to Washington. Lincoln's good friend Edward Baker was killed in the battle. Walking tours of the battlefield are given May–October on Saturday at 11 am and 2 pm and Sunday at 1 and 3 pm. In addition to the park, a Civil War Trails sign locates a concealed Confederate battery that controlled the approaches to Leesburg. The battery was defended successfully during the battle and the road to Leesburg remained open to the Confederates. The sign is located about 3/4 mile from the bypass on Edward's Ferry Road.

Town of Leesburg, interpretation at the visitor center – Trails sign here offers a chronology of Leesburg-area events including stories about the Antietam campaign and the adventures of Mosby's Rangers and their pursuers. More information at the Loudoun Museum.

Mile Hill, at Morven Park, north of downtown Leesburg – A surprise attack led by Confederate Col. Thomas Munford on Sept. 2, 1862, routed Federal forces. Trails sign at Tutt Lane, 1/4 mile west of Route 15, north of Leesburg.

Guilford Signal Station
Site in Claude Moore Park (north section) in Sterling, entrance on Cascades Parkway just south of Route 7
571-258-3700
   The First Corps of the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Gen. John Reynolds camped here June 18-24, 1863, keeping a Federal force between Washington and the Confederate army then known to be on the move. The armies collided a few days later at Gettysburg. A telegraph/flag signal station was located on high ground here with a commanding view of the Potomac River Valley. Information about the Civil War history is available at the visitor center. The site of the signal station, its view still commanding, is a short hike away. Free. Visitor center open 9 am–5 pm daily.

Oatlands, south of Leesburg on Route 15 – Confederate troops preparing for another Union attack after the Battle of Ball's Bluff in October 1861 concentrated on the grounds here. Gen. Nathan "Shanks" Evans made the house his headquarters. Civil War Trails interpretation planned.

Ambush at Heaton's Crossroads, Trails sign at the Loudoun Valley High School, 340 N. Maple Ave., Purcellville – Union cavalry attacked a column of Confederates under Gen. Jubal Early here July 16, 1864, after the Southerners ended their campaign into Maryland, which briefly threatened Washington DC. The attack captured or destroyed dozens of Confederate wagons, many of which were filled with booty from the campaign.

For more Loudoun County sites, see Mosby Country, Route 50.