Battle of Loudoun Heights

Part of the American Civil War

Date	January 10, 1864
Location	Loudoun County, Virginia
Result	Union victory

Belligerents

United States of America

Confederate States of America

Commanders and leaders

Henry A. Cole

John S. Mosby

Strength

300

100

Casualties and losses

The Battle of Loudoun Heights was a small cavalry skirmish during the American Civil War between John Mosby's Rangers and Major Henry A. Cole's 1st Potomac Home Brigade Maryland Cavalry on January 10, 1864, in Loudoun County, Virginia. Cole's Cavalry successfully defended a night raid against their camp on Loudoun Heights. The fight was one of the first engagements in which Union forces held their own against Mosby's vaunted partisans.

On January 1, 1864, eighty members of Cole's Maryland Cavalry, led by Captain A. M. Hunter, entered the region colloquially known as "Mosby's Confederacy" around Upperville and Rectortown, Virginia. With Mosby off on a scout in Fairfax, Capt. William "Billy" Smith rounded up 32 Rangers and set off in pursuit of the Federals. The Rangers caught up with Hunter's force near Middleburg. Captain Hunter quickly deployed his men into battle line just as Smith ordered a charge. The Federal line soon crumbled when Hunter's horse was killed, tumbling the captain to the ground. The Union cavalry hastily retreated towards Middleburg, but not before losing 57 killed, wounded or captured, as well as 60 horses seized by the Rangers.

Within a week, Cole's camp atop Loudoun Heights had been discovered, thanks to the work of Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow, a staff officer under J.E.B. Stuart temporarily attached to Mosby's command. Angered by the audacity of Cole's Cavalry to raid so deep into Mosby's territory and encouraged by the enemy's woeful performance at Middleburg, Mosby decided to attack Cole's main force, hoping to catch them unaware in their camp.

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