March 17, 1863: Herndon Station Raid
Click here for Info on the March 15, 2003 Reenactment!
At Herndon station a few days ago,
A Major was placing his pickets, when lo!
Mosby came rushing up with a small squad,
And captured the Major and all of his guard.
An Irish Perspective on the St. Patrick's' Day Raid:
"I went creepin' home, expectin' to see dead men at every step, but I found none; an' meetin' Pat the Irishman, I asked him 'bout it. He jes' began to laugh an' said: 'Indade there ain't nobody hurt much, ma'am, but they's scared a-plenty!"-- Reminiscences of Kitty Kitchen Hanna
On Tuesday, March 17th, Mosby's men attacked the reserve picket post of the First Vermont Cavalry based at Herndon Station, (also called "Hendrick's Station in some accounts) on the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad. By this time, the AL&H had been under Federal army control for nearly two years, making it a natural target for partisan ranger activity. However, by this time, the railroad was nonfunctional west of Vienna as rebels had torn up the tracks in various places. The depot at Herndon had been converted to a store, and the town was a union picket post merely because of its geographical positioning.
The 40 Rangers took the Vermonters totally by surprise, as they arrived at roughly the same time that the Yankee relief detachment was expected, and were coming from the direction of Dranesville, where the main cavalry camp was located.
The net result was the capture of 4 officers, 21 men, 26 horses and associated equipment. (and four hot lunches -- read on!) Casualties were light, with one of the Vermonters -- Sgt. Jonathan Blin Atchison of Co. A wounded. One Ranger, John deButts, was also wounded but only slightly.
Background on the Raid:
This was the first operation scheduled by Mosby after the hugely successful raid on Fairfax Court House and kidnapping of General Stoughton the week before. Whereas Mosby had 29 men with him for the Fairfax Raid, 40 showed up for his next rendezvous at Rector's Cross Roads in Fauquier County on March 15.Mosby read to his men JEB Stuart's congratulatory order for the capture of Stoughton and they headed east. In keeping with Mosby's insistence on tight security only their guide, Ranger John Underwood, and Mosby himself knew their ultimate destination.
After splitting into two groups and overnighting with local residents northeast of Middleburg. Early the next morning, they reassembled and rode towards Dranesville.
Links: On this Site:
Herndon Raid
Reenactment,
March 15 2003Accounts of the Raid
from Various Primary and Secondary
SourcesMosby's Men Who
Took Part in the
Herndon RaidFederal Soldiers
Captured by Mosby's
Men at HerndonBiography of Major
William WellsMosby's Rangers
History of the
CommandOther Sites:
The Alexandria,
Loudoun
and Hampshire
Railroad
During the Civil War
(From the W&OD trail website)History of Herndon
(From the W&OD trail website)
The Herndon Raid:
Mosby's Men Approach Herndon:
Around noon, Mosby's men crossed the Alexandria Loudoun and Hampshire railroad about three miles northwest of Herndon Station.
They rode through a pine forest along the rail bed and then circled east, coming to the station via the road from Dranesville.
Mosby's first action was to send two men to capture the vedette, who was absorbed with reading a newspaper and had assumed that Mosby's men were the First Vermont's relief column. By the time he realized the truth, he had been captured.
As the Rangers emerged from the woods they saw about 50 troopers from the 1st Vermont cavalry lounging about the station and a nearby sawmill. They apparently also assumed that Mosby's men were fellow Federals, come to relieve them. No alarm had been sounded as the vedette had been captured.
Some accounts suggest that Mosby's' men were wearing Federal uniforms but Mosby strenuously denied that his men ever did done this. More likely, many of them were wearing captured Federal greatcoats over their regular clothing, primarily for reasons of warmth. There was snow on the ground and it was cold. Mosby undoubtedly realized the advantage of the potential for mistaken identity and probably put the men with Federal coats to the front.
Go to Herndon Station Raid, Part TWO:
For the account of the raid itself and aftermath
Visit MosbysRangers.comFor information on the event, contact:
Richard Downer: mosbysraid@HRIAssociates.com
(general information, logistics, civic involvement)
Kathryn Coombs: MosbyWeb@aol.com
(reenactors, living history program, website)