Battle of Ball's Bluff

Overview

The Battle of Ball's Bluff was an early battle of the American Civil War fought in Loudoun County, Virginia, on October 21, 1861, in which Union Army forces under Major General George B. McClellan suffered a humiliating defeat.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Ball's Bluff resulted in a humiliating defeat for Union forces under Major General George B. McClellan early in the American Civil War. With Union casualties of 1,002 out of a force of 1,720 engaged against a roughly equal Confederate force of 1,709, the engagement represented a severe loss in both men and prestige. Occurring in the war's opening phase, the defeat underscored the difficulties facing Union commanders in translating numerical parity into battlefield success and contributed to broader Northern anxieties about the conduct of the war in the Eastern Theater.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)