Battle of Mile Hill

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The Battle of Mile Hill was a

.

to occupy the town two days later on September 4, before crossing the Potomac north of town on September 6.

Background

After the failure of Army of Northern Virginia to deliver a decisive blow to the

.

At the time, Loudoun County was occupied by Federal troops operating from the Union garrison at

2nd Virginia Cavalry

, under the command of Col. Thomas T. Munford, was assigned to secure the town of Leesburg and the river crossings in its vicinity.

Battle

The following day, as Munford approached the eastern end of Leesburg, he split his command, sending a squadron under the command of Captain Jesse Irvine, Jr. directly through town, while he, with the rest of his regiment turned north off the Leesburg Pike (present day Route 7) towards the Edward's Ferry river crossing.

Irvine and his command rushed into town to find

, who were positioned to the north of town at the Big Spring (near present-day Tutt Lane), with Irvine's command in hot pursuit. Cole's dismounted command began to engage Irvine, but moments later Munford's command attacked from their rear flank, having been able to circumvent the Union position by riding around its left flank along the river and approaching its rear via Smart's Mill Lane, which Cole had foolishly left unguarded.

Cole attempted to mount his command to engage Munford, but many of his troops were killed or wounded before they could reach their horses. Those that did, briefly engaged Munford before retreating towards the Catoctin Mountain and the road to Waterford, which cut through a gap in the ridge. Munford gave chase for two miles, driving the Federals through the gap into Loudoun Valley before retiring, having successfully cleared Leesburg and the river crossings in its vicinity.

Of Munford's 163 troops on the field, he suffered 2 killed and 5 wounded, while of the Loudoun Rangers 30 or so men, 1 was killed, 6 were wounded and 4 captured. Cole's Cavalry, estimated at 150 strong, reported 6 killed, 27 wounded, and 11 captured, though a significant number of those casualties were officers.

The main portion of the battle started approximately where the present day

signs to the historical marker off of Tutts Lane, a good feel for the setting of the battle can be had.

Cole's initial position has been mostly obliterated by construction and widening of the Rt 15 highway system, as well as the partial condemnation of the Harrison Farm by the public school system to build

. Likewise, the approach Munford took up Smart's Mill Lane has become a housing development, though a piece of the old road survives within the modern subdivision.

References

• Turner, Fitzhugh (ed.), Loudoun County and the Civil War, Loudoun County Civil War Centennial Commission; Leesburg, Virginia, 1961.
• Phillips, John T. II. (ed.), The Bulletin of the Historical Society of Loudoun County, Virginia, 1957-1976. Goose Creek Productions: Leesburg, Virginia, 1997.
• Driver, Robert J., Jr. and Harold E. Howard, 2nd Virginia Cavalry. H.E. Howard, Inc., Lynchburg, Virginia, 1995.