The Harmony Skirmish

The Harmony Skirmish
Part of The American Civil War
Date March 21, 1865 Location Loudoun County, Virginia 39°08′N 77°40′W / 39.13°N 77.66°W / 39.13; -77.66 Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
United States of America	Confederate States of America
Commanders and leaders
Marcus Reno	John S. Mosby
Units involved
Loudoun Rangers 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry 1st United States Infantry	43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry
Strength
1000	128
Casualties and losses
34 (9 killed, 20 wounded, 5 captured)	11 (2 killed, 5 wounded, 4 captured
Location of the skirmish in Virginia

The Harmony Skirmish was a small engagement of the American Civil War between Confederate forces under Colonel John Mosby and Union forces under Colonel Marcus Reno on March 21, 1865 near the village of Harmony (present day Hamilton) in Loudoun County, Virginia. A union raiding party, that was sent into Loudoun County to eliminate Confederate partisans, was ambushed by Mosby's Rangers near the village of Harmony. After inflicting light casualties on the Federals, the Rangers were unable to drive off the numerically superior and better equipped force and were compelled to withdrawal. The skirmish, which was the last major action of the war within Loudoun, was tactically inconclusive.

On the afternoon of March 20 Col. Reno, commanding a 1000 man expedition, consisting of the Loudoun Rangers, 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry, 1st United States Infantry and 2 pieces of light artillery, set out from Harpers Ferry into Loudoun County on a mission to obtain forage and clear the Loudoun Valley of partisans. The column entered Loudoun in the Between the Hills valley and marched through Hillsboro and Woodgrove, reaching Purcellville on the morning of the 21st. The column was under near continuous sniping fire from Confederate partisans during the march, 5 of which were captured at Hillsboro.

The Federal incursion did not go unnoticed by John Mosby's scouts and accordingly he ordered a rendezvous of his Rangers the following morning. On the 21st Mosby, with 128 Rangers, set out north from upper Fauquier to confront the Federals.