Battle of Balls Bluff

This small battlefield, owned by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, marks the site of an almost unmitigated catastrophe for the Union on October 21, 1861. An uncoordinated advance across the river towards Confederate positions resulted in the deaths of many Union troops, including Oregon senator Col. Edward Baker, a personal friend of President Lincoln. Outrage in Washington was so great that a congressional committee was formed to investigate the conduct of the war. To reach Ball's Bluff Battlefield Regional Park, take Whites Ferry across the Potomac and Route 15 South. Turn Left on Battlefield Parkway and left on Ball's Bluff Road. The park is located at the end of the street.