Balls Bluff

Home > ... > Places > United States and Canada > Miscellaneous U.S. Geography > ...

Balls Bluff

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | 2008 | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Balls Bluff hill on the south bank of the Potomac River, near Leesburg, Va. In the Civil War, Union troops who had crossed the river were severely repulsed there on Oct. 21, 1861. Dissatisfaction with that defeat and with the general inactivity of the Union armies led to the organization of a joint congressional committee on the conduct of the war.

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1E1-BallsBlu" title="Facts and information about Balls Bluff">Balls Bluff</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"Balls Bluff." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 25 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Balls Bluff." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (November 25, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-BallsBlu.html

"Balls Bluff." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-BallsBlu.html

Learn more about citation styles

Balls Bluff, Battle of

The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military | 2001 | © The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military 2001, originally published by Oxford University Press 2001. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Ball's Bluff, Battle of sometimes also known as Balls Bluff (October 21, 1861) a repulsed Union attempt to cross the Potomac River into Virginia. The Union brigade under Col. Edward Baker landed on the Virginia shore but was met by Confederate Gen. Nathan Evans's troops. The Union brigade, unable to maintain a defensive line, was forced to evacuate after losing about half its strength and its commander. Confederate losses were less than ten percent.

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O63-BallsBluffBattleof" title="Facts and information about Balls Bluff">Balls Bluff</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"Ball's Bluff, Battle of." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 25 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Ball's Bluff, Battle of." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (November 25, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-BallsBluffBattleof.html

"Ball's Bluff, Battle of." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved November 25, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-BallsBluffBattleof.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

Free Article Kilian, Michael. A killing at Ball's Bluff.(Book Review)(Young Adult Review)(Brief Article)
Magazine article from: Kliatt; 3/1/2002
Free Article The Bluffs on the Cape Fear is Top Selling Community in 2007.
Business Wire; 2/20/2008
Free Article Johnson leads Purdue past Ark.-Pine Bluff
News Wire article from: AP Online; 12/7/2008

Facts and information from other sites

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

Civil War Battlefield Is Brought Up to Date; Reenactment Marks Advances at Balls Bluff
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post; 6/24/1993; ; 700+ words ; ...battle dress, Civil War reenactors at Balls Bluff Battlefield near Leesburg fought...sweltering was all about. The battle at Balls Bluff is known to historians as the...for the national preservation of Balls Bluff. What's important to remember...
New Battles Fought Over Civil War Site; Leesburg Seeks to Buy 50 Acres to Finish Balls Bluff Tract
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post; 6/16/1994; ; 676 words ; ...officials have turned their attention to expanding the Balls Bluff National Battlefield Park. The 173-acre regional...encompasses most of the site of the 1861 Battle of Balls Bluff and the Balls Bluff National Cemetery. Leesburg officials want...
Leesburg Backs Bond to Buy Land Near Battlefield; Officials Say Housing Proposal Threatens Historic Balls Bluff
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post; 1/28/1999; ; 628 words ; ...that it hopes to use to add 50 acres to Balls Bluff Regional Park, where much of the famous 1861 Battle of Balls Bluff occurred. The property's owner...Regional Park Authority, which manages the Balls Bluff park. "It's not desirable to...
Stone becomes fall guy after Ball's Bluff fiasco.(Saturday)(The Civil War)
Newspaper article from: The Washington Times; 10/14/2000; ; 700+ words ; ...From First Manassas on July 21 to Ball's Bluff three months to the day later, little...set in motion events that led to Ball's Bluff. On Oct. 19, he had...80-foot high precipice known as Ball's Bluff. On Oct. 20, Stone conducted...
Fall foliage, history lesson highlight Ball's Bluff.(Family Times)(Events)(Field Trips)
Newspaper article from: The Washington Times; 11/2/1999; ; 700+ words ; ...Parkway, past the raw houses on Ball's Bluff Road, brings visitors to Ball's Bluff Regional Park - site...enactments of the battle along the bluffs and trails. We plan to expand...BOX WHEN YOU GO: LOCATION: Ball's Bluff Regional Park is located...
From the battle of Ball's Bluff.(What We Learned ...)(Event overview)
Magazine article from: Military History; 8/1/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...the Potomac at Edward's Ferry and Ball's Bluff. The ferry recon turned up nothing...Though a relative hiccup of a battle, Ball's Bluff prompted establishment...referred to the skirmish as "another Ball's Bluff." * Heads will roll...
Echoes of Wars Past; In Nearby Leesburg, Ball's Bluff Brings Cost of Battle Close to Home
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post; 3/12/2003; ; 700+ words ; ...daylight to spare, we drove to Ball's Bluff Regional Park, a 218- acre...Civil War. The Battle of Ball's Bluff was fought on Oct...steep and mean-looking; Ball's Bluff, it was called...soggy rim and looked over the bluffs to the muddy river and the fields...
Scientists See Threat To Ball's Bluff Stream; Findings Part of Development Impact Study
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post; 4/16/2000; ; 700+ words ; ...Hiking along a wooded nature trail in Ball's Bluff Regional Park near Leesburg this...scientists presented their findings about Ball's Bluff--and several other environmentally...and it's eroding the soil in Ball's Bluff park, and that's a problem...
Subdivision Grading Threatens Trench Near Ball's Bluff; Developer, Officials Working to Preserve Historic Earthworks
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post; 8/6/2000; ; 700+ words ; ...an even older roadbed southeast of Ball's Bluff Regional Park have prompted an eleventh...for Confederate troops defending Ball's Bluff from Union troops coming...safely in Leesburg Park, adjacent to Ball's Bluff. "That's when we went...
Subdivision Grading Threatens Trench Near Ball's Bluff
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post; 8/9/2000; ; 700+ words ; ...an even older roadbed southeast of Ball's Bluff Regional Park in Loudoun County have...for Confederate troops defending Ball's Bluff from Union troops coming...safely in Leesburg Park, adjacent to Ball's Bluff. "That's when we went...

Pictures from Google Image Search

Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture

For students and teachers!

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including:

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including:

Current Balls Bluff News:

Globe Union Rejects Pay Cut

(6/9/2009 4:31:04 AM)

Obama Urges Bush to Help Automakers

(11/11/2008 9:53:02 AM)