Lewinsville-1861 June 19, 1861
Crossroad, & Riley's or Upton's Hill, half a mile east of Taylor's Tavern, on the Leesburg & Alexandria Turnpike, Fairfax County, Virginia, Companies A, B (1st), D, & G, 27 August, 1861: The 13th Virginia Infantry, Companies A, B (1st), D, and G, under the command of Major J B Terrill, and the 1st Maryland Infantry, Companies G and I, under the command of Major B T Johnson, were engaged in a skirmish at Munson's Hill, east of the Leesburg & Alexandria Turnpike, one and a quarter miles northwest of Bailey's Crossroad, and Riley's or Upton's Hill, half a mile east of Taylor's Tavern, on the Leesburg & Alexandria Turnpike, Fairfax County, Virginia, on 27 August, 1861 (See the 1st Maryland Infantry).
Killed, etc, 13th Virginia Infantry, Companies A, B (1st), D, & G, at Munson's Hill, east of the Leesburg & Alexandria Turnpike, one & a quarter miles northwest of Bailey's Crossroad, and Riley's or Upton's Hill, half a mile east of Taylor's Tavern, on the Leesburg & Alexandria Turnpike, Fairfax County, Virginia, 26 August, 1861: Company A, k 1, w 1, t 2; Company G, w 1, t 1; Killed 1, wounded 2, total 3
Skirmish at Lewinsville, Fairfax County, Virginia, four companies, 11 September, 1861: Four companies of the 13th Virginia Infantry, under the command of Major J B Terrill, were engaged in a skirmish at Lewinsville, Fairfax County, Virginia, on 11 September, 1861.
The First Battle, June 19, 1861
The 13th Virginia Infantry Regiment was initially a part of the Confederate forces at Harpers Ferry, commanded by General Joseph E. Johnston, and the Regiment was mainly on sentry duty along the Potomac River.
The first time the Regiment was sent into the "storm" of action against the until now "unseen" enemy was a day in May 1861, when the Regiment reacted on an alarm issued because of Union forces approaching Shepherdstown. Nothing came of the alarm and instead of a storm of Yankee bullets, the Regiment experienced a most ferocious hailstorm. On June 15th 1861 Confederate forces under A. P. Hill were ordered to Romney to check a Union advance in that direction. The new soldiers found rapid marches a very difficult experience and there was considerable straggling. This would change however, as they later became part of Stonewall Jackson’s foot cavalry. The first real action of the Regiment took place on June 19th 1861, when at New Creek Depot on the Potomac River, companies B and I together with the 3rd Tennessee charged 250 Federals across the river and captured two cannons and a stand of colors. On June 21st the Regiment was sent back to Winchester and more sentry duty and inactivity.
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Battle of 1st Manassas - July 21, 1861
The battle of (1st) Manassas was a big disappointment for the soldiers as the Regiment missed it altogether, arriving at Manassas Junction late in the afternoon on July 21st, and then being directed towards the right of the Confederate line (away from the battle) to protect the lower fords of Bull Run.
The Regiment had waited impatiently at the Piedmont Station on July 20th as brigade after brigade except theirs was sent to Manassas. When the Regiment finally boarded the train, there was only room for six companies (under A. P. Hill), so the other four companies (under James A. Walker) boarded another train. The cars were delayed due to several derailings and false alarms about A. P. Hill in the first train being captured. At one point the engineer and train-crew of Walker’s train fled, all the while everyone could hear the sounds of the battle. The Regiment arrived too late. To add to the misery, the two parts of the Regiment were sent to different parts of the battlefield, rejoining the next day.
The men were, of course, disgusted that they had been deprived of taking part in the glorious victory that most people, at the time, believed would be the decisive and conclusive battle of the war.
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Lewinsville, September 11th 1861
SEPTEMBER 11, 1861.--Union reconnaissance from Chain Bridge to Lewinsville, Va., and action at that place.
No. 15. -- Report of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, C. S. Army, with congratulatory orders.
HEADQUARTERS NEAR FAIRFAX CROSS-ROADS.
Near Fairfax Stations, September 14, 1861.
SIR: Herewith I inclose two reports (of Brigadier-General Longstreet and of Colonel Stuart) of the affair of Lewinsville [Nos. 16 and 17]. I am much gratified at having this opportunity of putting before the Department of War and the President this new instance of the boldness and skill of Colonel Stuart and the courage and efficiency of our troops.
Connected with this communication and these reports is a recommendation from General Longstreet, General Beauregard, and myself for forming a cavalry brigade and putting Colonel Stuart at its head. A new organization of the cavalry arm of our service is greatly needed, and greater strength as well as an effective organization. Our numbers in cavalry are by no means in due proportion to our infantry and artillery, yet without cavalry in proper proportion victory is comparatively barren of results; defeat is less prejudicial; retreat is usually safe.
You will observe that I propose that Colonel Stuart shall be withdrawn from the immediate command of the First Regiment of Virginia Cavalry. Should this be done, as I hope it will be, other arrangements are necessary in the regiment. As they have served immediately under my eye, and as I thus know them thoroughly, I feel it my duty to make further suggestions.
The regiment so far is exclusively Virginian. By all means keep it so, where it can be done without prejudice in other respects. State pride excites a generous emulation in the Army, which is of inappreciable value in its effect on the spirit of the troops. I therefore recommend that Capt. William E. Jones, who now commands the strongest troop in the regiment and one which is not surpassed in discipline or spirit by any in the army, be made colonel. He is a graduate of West Point, served for several years in the Mounted Rifles, and is skillful, brave, and zealous in a very high degree. It is enough to say that he is worthy to succeed J. E. B. Stuart. For the lieutenant-colonelcy I repeat my recommendation of Capt. Fitzhugh Lee. He belongs to a family in which military genius seems an heirloom. He is an officer of rare merit, capacity, and courage. Both of these officers have the invaluable advantage at this moment of knowledge of the ground which is now the scene of operations.
I do not recommend Maj. Robert Swan of that regiment for promotion in it, because, though personally known to me as a capable and gallant officer, yet his service and experience in the Army heretofore have been in the infantry. I am informed that he would prefer that branch of the service. I therefore recommend his transfer to it. Being a Marylander, it would be preferable to place him in a Maryland regiment. He would be likely thus to serve our cause most effectively.
Most respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. E. JOHNSTON,
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