The Battle of Arlington MillsThe followins sources use the title Battle of Arlington Mills (plural) for this engagement. Long, E. B. The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac, 1861–1865. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1971. . p. 81; Connery, William S. Civil War Northern Virginia 1861. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2011. . p. 54; Poland, Jr., Charles P. The Glories Of War: Small Battles and Early Heroes Of 1861. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2006. , pp. 35, 43. was one of the first military engagements of the American Civil War, a week after the Union occupation of that part of Virginia opposite Washington, D.C. It occurred on June 1, 1861, at about 11:00 p.m., a few hours after the Battle of Fairfax Court House.
Under cover of darkness, a squad of just nine Virginia soldier fired at troops of the 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry and the 11th New York Volunteer Infantry, who were performing picket duty at Arlington Mills, Virginia. The Virginians were technically still Virginia militiamen although Virginia forces had been acting under the direction of Confederate President Jefferson Davis after an agreement on April 24, 1861, between Virginia and the Confederate States as well as after approval on May 23, 1861, by Virginia voters of the ordinance of secession enacted by the Virginia legislature on April 19, 1861.
During a brief and confused exchange of fire, one Union soldier was killed and another was wounded, while one Virginian was wounded. It demonstrated that Union forces were vulnerable to enemy attacks, even when close to the capital.
Background The U.S. Army surrendered Fort Sumter in the harbor Charleston, South Carolina, to Confederate forces on April 14, 1861.Long, 1971, p. 59. The next day, President Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to serve for 90 days to reclaim federal property and to suppress the rebellion begun by the seven Deep South states which had formed the Confederate States of America (Confederacy). Four Upper South States, including Virginia, refused to furnish troops for this purpose.Long, 1971, p. 60. Instead, political leaders in these states began the process of secession from the Union with the intent of joining the Confederacy.Hansen, Harry. The Civil War: A History. New York: Bonanza Books, 1961. . p. 48 On April 17, a convention for the purpose of considering the secession of Virginia began in Richmond, Virginia. The convention immediately passed an ordinance of secession and authorized the governor to call for volunteers to join the military forces of Virginia to defend the state against Federal military action. Despite scheduling a popular vote to ultimately determine whether Virginia would secede from the Union, the actions of the Virginia Secession Convention and of the state government, especially Virginia Governor John Letcher, effectively took Virginia out of the Union.Detzer, David. Dissonance: The Turbulent Days Between Fort Sumter and Bull Run. New York: Harcourt, 2006. (pbk.) p. 49.
Governor Letcher appointed Robert E. Lee, who had just resigned as a colonel in the U.S. Army, as commander in chief of Virginia's army and navy forces on April 22, at the grade of major general. On April 24, Virginia and the Confederate States agreed that the Virginia forces would be under the direction of the Confederate President, Jefferson Davis, pending completion of the process of Virginia joining the Confederate States. On April 27, 1861, Virginia formed the Provisional Army of Virginia in addition to its actively maintained state militia.Hearn, Chester G. The Civil War State by State. Devon: BlueRed Press, 2011. Maps by Mike Marino. . p. 401. The Provisional Army of the Confederate States was organized beginning on the same date.Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 70.About 1,650 men and officers were enrolled in the Army of the Confederate States of America, the planned Regular Army, but it was never raised, only establishing ranks for career officers. Eicher and Eicher, p. 70. Confederate States Army soldiers, except for state militiamen, were in this organization.
The 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, under the command of Colonel Orlando Willcox, was a three-month regiment, the only such regiment from Michigan.'The Civil War Archive, Michigan Regimental Histories'. Retrieved January 13, 2013.Three–month regiments were committed to serve only for a three–month period of time, the length of time for which President Lincoln originally called for volunteers to suppress the rebellion. The unit was organized at Fort Wayne, Detroit, Michigan, and mustered into United States service on May 1.Dunbar, Willis Frederick and George May. Michigan: a history of the Wolverine State. Grand Rapids, MI: Erdmann, 1980. . Retrieved June 15, 2011. p. 321. The regiment left the State of Michigan for Washington, D.C., on May 13, reached Washington on May 16, and occupied Arlington Heights, Virginia, and Alexandria, Virginia, on May 24. Willcox was soon given brigade command."The Opposing Armies at the First Bull Run." p. 194. In Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, vol. 1, edited by Robert Underwood Johnson and Clarence C. Buel. New York: Century Co., 1884-1888. . With Willcox in command of the brigade, the regiment was commanded by Major Alonzo F. Bidwell. The 1st Michigan Infantry (90-day) was attached to Orlando Willcox's Brigade, Samuel Heintzelman's Division, Irwin McDowell's Army of Northeastern Virginia. A three–year regiment with the same regiment number replaced the 90–day 1st Michigan Infantry Regiment after the original 1st Michigan Infantry Regiment was mustered out of the Union Army at the end of its term of service.Dunbar, 1980, p. 322.
On May 7, the 11th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment (1st New York Fire Zouaves) was mustered into Federal service to serve for the duration of the war, not just for three months or a limited period of time. Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth commanded the regiment. The secession of Virginia was ratified by a popular vote on May 23.Long, 1971, p. 77.
Despite the presence of Virginia forces in league with the Confederacy in Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., President Lincoln did not wish to make a provocative military move into Virginia until after the popular vote on secession of the state had taken place.Detzer, 2006, p. 317. In the early morning hours of May 24, the day after the vote, the 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment and the 11th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment crossed the Long Bridge into Arlington and occupied Arlington Heights.Lossing, Benson John and William Barritt. Pictorial history of the civil war in the United States of America, Volume 1. Philadelphia, George W. Childs, 1866. . Retrieved May 1, 2011. p. 482.Poland, Jr., Charles P. The Glories Of War: Small Battles and Early Heroes Of 1861. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2006. . p. 19. Part of the 1st Michigan Infantry, along with part of the 11th New York Infantry, continued to Alexandria while the other companies of the 11th New York Infantry crossed the Potomac by boat and occupied the town. It was during this operation that Colonel Ellsworth took down a secessionist flag at the Marshall House hotel and was killed by its proprietor James W. Jackson.Eicher, David J. The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001. . pp. 73–74. Jackson, in turn, was immediately killed by Private Francis E. Brownell of Ellsworth's regiment.Poland, 2006. p. 20. The 69th New York State Militia, a 90-day regiment, later the 69th Infantry New York State Volunteers (NYSV), under Colonel Michael Corcoran, also participated in the operation, crossing the Potomac River over the Chain Bridge.Lossing, 1866, p. 480.United States War Dept, Robert Nicholson Scott, et al. The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I - Volume II. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1880. . Retrieved January 13, 2013. pp. 40–41.
Virginia Governor Letcher issued a proclamation officially transferring Virginia forces to the Confederacy on June 6.United States. War Dept, Robert Nicholson Scott, et al. The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies Series I, Volume II. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1880. . Retrieved May 14, 2011. pp. 911–912. Major General Robert E. Lee, commanding the state forces, issued an order in compliance with the proclamation on June 8. The Virginia soldiers at Arlington Mills were technically Virginia militia men (or Provisional Army of Virginia soldiers) although they were acting in accordance with the April 24, 1861, agreement between Virginia and the Confederate States, the Virginia forces would be under the direction of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, pending completion of the process of Virginia joining the Confederate States.
The Union regiments established camps, performed picket duty and later built part of the defenses of Washington on high ground near the river and up to about away from the river.Lossing, 1966, pp. 484–485. Companies from both the 1st Michigan Infantry under Captain Brown and the 11th New York Infantry under Captain Roth performed picket duty and camped at Arlington Mills (or Arlington Mill as later named), Virginia, about from the Long Bridge at Washington.Hannings, Bud. Every Day of the Civil War: A Chronological Encyclopedia. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2010. . p. 47. Retrieved May 30, 2011Arlington Mills, is at Columbia Turnpike as it crosses Four Mile Run. The road had already been built as a through road from the Long Bridge over the Potomac River at Washington, D.C. past the mill to Little River Turnpike. The Arlington Mill - Virginia Historical Markers on Waymarking.com Retrieved June 2, 2011.
Battle On the night of June 1, Arlington Mill was a grist mill that had been built in 1836 by George Washington Parke Custis on the Arlington estate where Columbia Turnpike crossed Four Mile Run.A brief article in the New York Commercial of June 2, 1861 says the affair took place "shortly before midnight last night." Company E of the 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment was on picket duty at Arlington Mills. The Official Records and other sources use the plural "Mills" in reference to the battle. George Washington had built mills on Four Mile Run in this vicinity and some of them still may have been in existence. United States War Dept, Robert Nicholson Scott, et al. The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I - Volume II. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1880. . Retrieved January 13, 2013. p. 3; pp. 40–41. Company G of the 11th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment (1st New York Fire Zouaves), was in a nearby house, preparing to relieve the Michigan company.Connery, William S. Civil War Northern Virginia 1861. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2011. .p. 54. At about 11:00 p.m., nine Virginia militia men, according to contemporary accounts, fired a volley on the Union sentinels. At least one newspaper reported that in the confusion the Michigan men and the New York Zouaves fired on each other as well as at the Virginia soldiers.Poland, 2006, p. 84. In any event, the Virginians were driven off or withdrew after the brief exchange of fire. The Union forces suffered one killed and one wounded among the New York men while the Virginians (soon-to-be Confederates) suffered one man wounded. The web site of a re-enactor group as well as William S. Connery's book state with respect to the picket duty performed by the regiment in the early days of the war: "21-year-old Henry S. Cornell of Company G, a member of Engine Co. 13, was killed and another man wounded one night on the picket line."
Aftermath