Leesburg in Loudoun County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
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Ball’s Bluff National Cemetery
Photographed By Craig Swain, September 1, 2007
1. Ball's Bluff National Cemetery Marker
Inscription.
Ball’s Bluff National Cemetery. . The twenty-five graves here in one of America’s smallest national cemeteries contain the partial remains of 54 Union soldiers killed at the Battle of Ball’s Bluff, October 21, 1861. All are unidentified except Pvt. James Allen of Northbridge, Massachusetts, who served with the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry., The majority of Confederate dead were removed to Leesburg. Most of the fallen Union soldiers found on or near the battlefield were temporarily buried in shallow mass graves between the current cemetery and the Clinton Hatcher marker just to the west. Some of the dead from both sides were shipped to their homes for burial. , In the fall of 1865, Governor Andrew Curtin sought to have Pennsylvania’s dead removed and returned home. Individual remains could not be identified four years after the battle, so the U.S. Army decided to establish a cemetery here for the Union dead. Work was completed on December 18, 1865. , Cemetery Timeline, October 21, 1861: Battle of Ball’s Bluff, October 22, 1861: Under a flag of truce, a Union Burial detail inters 47 bodies and marks approximately 20 more that were later buried by the Confederates., Spring 1862: Examination of field by Union authorities and temporary reinterment in mass graves., Fall 1865: Authorization of national cemetery and beginning of permanent reinterments. , December 18, 1865: Completion of Ball’s Bluff National Cemetery., February 1871: Construction of first stone wall to replace picket fence., September 1901: Construction of current stone wall., August 1984: Cemetery and battlefield designated National Historic Landmark., June 1986: Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority assumes ownership of battlefield immediately surrounding cemetery., (Sidebar Quote): “Sir, I concur in this petition concerning the cemetery at Ball’s Bluff, Virginia so far as to hope that there will be no abandonment of what is there or has been done. As a local point of patriotic and romantic historical interest, it seems to me salient enough to deserve to be retained.” , Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., March 2, 1901, letter to Secretary of War Elihu Root. As a young man, Holmes fought at Ball’s Bluff with the 20th Massachusetts., Funds for this project were donated by the Loudoun County Civil War Round Table.
The twenty-five graves here in one of America’s smallest national cemeteries contain the partial remains of 54 Union soldiers killed at the Battle of Ball’s Bluff, October 21, 1861. All are unidentified except Pvt. James Allen of Northbridge, Massachusetts, who served with the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.
The majority of Confederate dead were removed to Leesburg. Most of the fallen Union soldiers found on or near the battlefield were temporarily buried in shallow mass graves between the current cemetery and the Clinton Hatcher marker just to the west. Some of the dead from both sides were shipped to their homes for burial.
In the fall of 1865, Governor Andrew Curtin sought to have Pennsylvania’s dead removed and returned home. Individual remains could not be identified four years after the battle, so the U.S. Army decided to establish a cemetery here for the Union dead. Work was completed on December 18, 1865.
Cemetery Timeline
October 21, 1861: Battle of Ball’s Bluff
October 22, 1861: Under a flag of truce, a Union Burial detail inters 47 bodies and marks approximately 20 more that were later buried by the Confederates.
Spring 1862: Examination of field by Union authorities and temporary reinterment in mass graves.
Fall 1865: Authorization of
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national cemetery and beginning of permanent reinterments.
December 18, 1865: Completion of Ball’s Bluff National Cemetery.
February 1871: Construction of first stone wall to replace picket fence.
September 1901: Construction of current stone wall.
August 1984: Cemetery and battlefield designated National Historic Landmark.
June 1986: Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority assumes ownership of battlefield immediately surrounding cemetery.
(Sidebar Quote): “Sir, I concur in this petition concerning the cemetery at Ball’s Bluff, Virginia so far as to hope that there will be no abandonment of what is there or has been done. As a local point of patriotic and romantic historical interest, it seems to me salient enough to deserve to be retained.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., March 2, 1901, letter to Secretary of War Elihu Root. As a young man, Holmes fought at Ball’s Bluff with the 20th Massachusetts.
Funds for this project were donated by the Loudoun County Civil War Round Table.
Erected by Ball’s Bluff Regional Park/Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
The current marker replaced this one in August 2007.
. In addition, it is included in the National Cemeteries, and the NOVA Parks series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1871.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 39° 7.908′ N, 77° 31.65′ W. Marker was in Leesburg, Virginia, in Loudoun County. Marker could be reached from Ball’s Bluff Road, on the left when traveling east. Located next to the stone wall enclosure for the Ball’s Bluff National Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Leesburg VA 20175, United States of America. Touch for directions.
sectionhead>More about this marker. The marker has a “View of cemetery from site where Baker fell, Early 1900s,” which shows the stone wall enclosure.
The “Bivouac of the Dead” plaque next to this marker a standard type placed at most National Cemeteries.
Regarding Ball’s Bluff National Cemetery. This marker is one of a set along the Balls Bluff Battlefield walking trail. See the Balls Bluff Virtual Tour by Markers link below for details on each stop.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has been replaced with the linked marker.
Also see . . . 1. Ball’s Bluff National Cemetery. US Department of Veterans Affairs website entry (Submitted on August 31, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
2. Ball's Bluff Battlefield and National Cemetery. Wikipedia entry:
Links to National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Submitted on May 10, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
3. Soldier's marker without memory. by Arthur Hirsch, The Baltimore Sun, May 29, 2006. Discusses the cemetery and James Allen. (Submitted on April 19, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.)
4. In Our Backyard: Ball's Bluff National Cemetery. Article by Jim Morgan in Leesburg Today, Tuesday, November 11, 2008. (Submitted on April 27, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.)
. Over twenty markers detail the action at Balls Bluff and related sites. Please use the Click to map all markers shown on this page option at the bottom of the page to view a map of the marker locations. The hybrid view offers an excellent overlook of the park. (Submitted on November 11, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Additional commentary. 1. 54 Bodies; 25 Graves The cemetery plaque indicates that there are 54 bodies buried here. But there are only 25 graves. Forty seven bodies were buried under a flag of truce after the battle in 1861 but when the cemetery was constructed in 1865 the bodies had been scattered about by animals and weather. Jim Morgan in an article in Leesburg Today quotes Leesburg Postmaster James Rinker describing the situation in an 1877 letter: "There are 25 Boxes - 24 of them contain the remains of 50 men - 1 contains a Body that is identified the only one in the lot - rest all unknown. The Bones were thrown in promiscuously - some Boxes containing Portions of 2 or 3 bodies - some not more than one except the scull or rather 2 sculls."
Photographed By Craig Swain, July 30, 2007
5. From The Bivouac of the Dead
— Submitted April 27, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, April 14, 2013
6. Cemetery Plaque
United States
National Military Cemetery
Ball's Bluff
Established 1865
Internments 54
Known 1
Unknown 53
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, April 14, 2013
7. Sons of the Confederate Veterans plaque on the back of the Cemetery Plaque
This Ball's Bluff National Military
Cemetery Plaque was replaced and the gate
restored in 1996 by the Clinton Hatcher Camp No. 21
Sons of the Confederate Veterans
Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia
to commemorate the battle fought here
October 21, 1861
with cooperation of the
Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority
and the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, April 14, 2013
8. James Allen
Co H 15 Regt
Mass Inf
October 21 1861
James Allen is the only identified person buried in the Cemetery. He was bootmaker and a member of Company H of the 15th Massachusetts Infantry.
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, April 14, 2013
9. National Register Plaque at the base of the flagpole
This National Cemetery
has been listed in
The National Register
of
Historic Places
by the
United States Department of the Interior
1996
Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 31, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,403 times since then and 86 times this year. Last updated on March 27, 2022, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. Photos:1. submitted on September 1, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on August 31, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 3. submitted on September 2, 2007, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 4, 5. submitted on August 31, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on April 19, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.