|
| Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print | | Vienna in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic) |
Hunter’s Mill
Pennsylvania Reserve Corps Camp
|
| | | | 
By Craig Swain, September 24, 2009 | |
| | | 1. Hunter's Mill Marker | | |
Inscription. For four days in March 1862, the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps camped here. It left Camp Pierpont at Langley on March 10 for Hunter's Mill on orders of Union Gen. George B. McClellan, commander of the Army of the Potomac, who had heard that Gen. Joseph E. Johnson's Confederate army had evacuated northern Virginia for Richmond. The corps prepared for the Peninsula Campaign and remained here until March 14, when it broke camp and headed to Alexandria.
Gen. George A. McCall commanded the corps, which consisted of three brigades under Gens. George G. Meade, Edward O.C. Ord, and John F. Reynolds. Civil War correspondent George A. Townsend described the pullout on the rainy evening of March 14: "Although 15,000 men comprised the whole corps, each of its three brigades would have seemed as numerous to a novice. ... The country people gathered in fright at the cottage doors, and the farm dogs bayed dismally at the unwonted scene."
Behind you to your left stood Hunter's Mill, a grist mill and sawmill named for George W. Hunter, Sr., who acquired it in 1831. Townsend described it as "a storm-beaten structure that looked like a great barn." Only remnants of the millrace survive today.
The Hunter's Mill area changed hands several times during the war. The Alexandria, Loudoun, and Hampshire Railroad (just behind you) was completed | | | | 
June 26, 2009 | |
| | | 2. Close Up of the Map | | |
past this point in January 1860, allowing easy access between Alexandria and Leesburg. Abundant water, forage, and farm fields could sustain thousands of men and horses, but at an immense cost to the community, which took decades to recover.
Erected 2009 by Virginia Civil War Trails.
Marker series. This marker is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails marker series.
Location. 38° 55.957′ N, 77° 18.286′ W. Marker is in Vienna, Virginia, in Fairfax County. Marker is on Hunter Mill Road (County Route 674), on the right when traveling north. Click for map. The marker is approximately 20 feet from the road along the W&OD Trail. Marker is in this post office area: Vienna VA 22182, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, as the crow flies. Strategic Junction (here, next to this marker); Hunter Station (here, next to this marker); Crossroads to War (a few steps from this marker); Cartersville Baptist Church (approx. 0.8 miles away); Terror by the Tracks (approx. one mile away); The Springhouse (approx. 1.2 miles away); Cavalry Engagement near Hunter's Mill (approx. 1.9 miles away); Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (approx. 2.1 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in Vienna.
More about this marker. | | | | 
By Craig Swain, June 25, 2009 | |
| | | 3. Hunter's Mill Marker beside the W&OD Trail | | |
In the lower left is a photo of Company K, 1st Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps. Beside it is a map of the area indicating officer's headquarters in relation to Hunter's Mill. Across the upper right are portraits of Gens. George A. McCall, George G. Meade, Edward O.C. Ord, and John F. Reynolds.
Also see . . . Hunter's Mill Defense League. The League sponsored this marker. One of the organization's goals is to protect the scenic and historic character of the Hunter's Mill Road community. Their remarkably high quality DVD provides a detailed history of the Civil War activities in the area. (Submitted on June 25, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
|
| | | | 
By Craig Swain, June 25, 2009 | |
| | | 4. Location of Union Picket Post | | Federal forces maintained a picket post on the other side of the road from the marker. | | |
| | | | | 
By Craig Swain, June 12, 2009 | |
| | | 5. Angelica Run Farm | | View of the field just south of the marker location, on the opposite side of Difficult Run. During their stay in the area, the Pennsylvania Reserves drilled across this field, which is today part of a horse farm. | | |
|
Credits. This page originally submitted on June 25, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,459 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on September 24, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on June 27, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 3, 4. submitted on June 25, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 5. submitted on June 30, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
| | Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print |
|
Subscribe
— Privacy Policy
— Terms of Use
— About Us
— Contact Us
HMdb.org