July 16, 1864 - Early Attacked at Purcellville

July 16, 1864

Early Attacked at Purcellville

Purcellville, VA 

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=159199

Attacked at Purcellville

"We found in the road many broken down and burned wagons"

—Early's 1864 Attack on Washington—

In June 1864, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee sent Gen. Jubal A. Early's corps from the Richmond battlefields to the Shenandoah Valley to counter Union Gen. David Hunter's army. After driving Hunter into West Virginia, Early invaded Maryland to attack Washington, D.C., draw Union troops from Richmond, and release Confederate prisoners held at Point Lookout. On July 9, Early ordered Gen. Bradley T. Johnson's cavalry brigade eastward to free the prisoners. The next day. Johnson sent Maj. Harry Gilmor's regiment to raid the Baltimore area. Union Gen. Lew Wallace delayed Early at the Battle of Monocacy on July 9, Federal reinforcements soon strengthened the capital's defenses. Early attacked there near Fort Stevens on July 11-12 and then withdrew to the Shenandoah Valley with the Federals in pursuit. He stopped them at Cool Spring on July 17-18. Despite failing to take Washington or free prisoners. Early succeeded in diverting Federal resources.

On Saturday, July 16, 1864, Confederate Gen. Jubal A. Early's army passed through this crossroads as it marched west to the Shenandoah Valley after the attack on the northwestern defenses of Washington. Union forces doggedly pursued Early through Leesburg that morning. Col. William B. Tibbett's 21st New York Cavalry, riding from Harpers Ferry, found Early's wagon train passing by here in midafternoon. Tibbetts divided his regiment and attacked furiously all along the train. The Federals captured 200 wagons and 150 prisoners in a matter of minutes. Confederate Gens. Robert E. Rodes and Stephen D. Ramseur, whose infantry had already marched past here, returned on the double-quick when they heard the firefight and counterattacked with cavalry and artillery support. Before long, the Confederates successfully reclaimed 118 of their wagons and all but 54 of the prisoners. The Federals still sent to Harpers Ferry 37 wagons of booty taken by Early in Maryland.

After the last of Early's forces passed by, curious Purcellville residents flocked to view the damage to his train. Capt. Elisha Hunt Rhodes, 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, described the scene in his diary two days later: "We found in the road many broken down and burned wagons which the Rebels had abandoned in their retreat when hard pressed by our cavalry." It was evidence of a war come home to roost.

The north-south Berlin Grade Road (present-day Hatcher Avenue) intersected here with the Leesburg & Snicker's Gap Turnpike (now Main Street) at the flyspeck crossroads named Purcellville, a stagecoach stop. Buildings included rodney Purcell's store and post office, still standing across Hatcher Avenue; Purcell's Hotel, still located across Main Street; a livery stable, and Asa Janney's blacksmith and wheelwright shops where the stone Purcellville Library now stands. At the store on May 23, 1861, local residents voted 82-31 for secession. Both Asa Janney and Rodney Purcell voted in favor—Janney's son had just enlisted in the Blue Mountain Boys (Co. F, 8th Virginia's Volunteer Infantry). Joe Janney would lose a leg in his first battle at Manassas on July 21.

I do love/hate that Early/Gilmore/Johnson raid of 1864 that hits close to home. So as of Summer of 2025, I've been to all these places (in some cases, multiple times) with the exception of Cool Spring: Winchester (64), Harpers Ferry (64), and of course Monocacy and Fort Stevens.