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Milville on Rt. 27
On April 5,1865 the newly formed company H of Mosby’s Rangers made a
surprise attack upon their old adversaries the Loudoun Rangers, the only
unit from Virginia to fight in the Union army. The Loudoun Rangers were
camped here at Keye’s Switch (Milville). Mosby’s Rangers charged into this
camp, killing 2, wounding 4, and capturing 65 prisoners while only having
1 man wounded |
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Loudoun Heights Clash marker
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Loudoun Heights Clash
On January 9, 1864 Mosby ordered a rendezvous at Upperville, to which
100 Rangers responded. The partisan company set out for Loudoun Heights
through deep snow and bitter cold. They stopped once they were within 200
yards of the Union camp. Mosby sent a detachment of men under Stringfellow
to capture Cole's headquarters in the rear of the camp, while he took the
rest of the men further up the hillside, until they were directly west of
the camp. As Mosby prepared to order the attack, gunfire erupted from the
direction of Stringfellow's position, followed by the distant appearance
of horsemen riding towards Mosby from the direction of the enemy camp.
Thinking the unknown party was Federals who had discovered Stringfellow
and his men, Mosby ordered a charge. His Rangers descended upon the camp
and attacked the horsemen, who turned out to be Stringfellow's squadron.
It was several minutes before the two parties recognized each other in the
darkness, but not before several Confederates had been hit by friendly
fire. In the meantime, Cole's men, awakened by the gunfire, grabbed their
weapons and hastily formed a dismounted battleline, though many were
barely dressed. Despite the darkness, the Federals easily identified the
Rangers, who stood out as they were the only ones on horses. Their initial
volley dropped several Confederates, many of whom were caught out in the
open along the road. In the confusion that followed, several Rangers
retreated and, soon afterwards, Mosby ordered a general withdrawal. The
Rangers escaped with 6 prisoners and nearly 60 horses, but were forced to
leave their dead and seriously wounded behind. A few miles beyond the
Union camp, Mosby halted and sent two Rangers back under a flag of truce
to exchange the prisoners for their dead and wounded, which included Billy
Smith and First Lieutenant Thomas Turner. Captain Cole, however, declined
the offer, and the Rangers left and made their way back towards Mosby's
Confederacy |
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Saint Paul's
Lutheran Church Cemetery
Located about three miles north of the Old Salem Church, on Rt. 671
(Harpers Ferry Road). This site is famous as a meeting point for Mobberly's
band prior to several attacks on the enemy, most notably the Georges School
house Raid in the winter of 64-65 when, from this point the group traveled
east over the Short Hill Mountain and into onto the farmland adjacent to
Lovettsville to attack camping New York Calvary and becoming known as the
Georges Schoolhouse Raid. Additionally, the Lutheran Cemetery holds the
graves of several of the men that rode with Mobberly, most notably, a man by
the name "Tribby" who some say was almost as notorious as Mobberly himself |
