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273:. From there, they turned westward and made their way along the riverbank to the base of Loudoun Heights. As the Rangers made their way up mountain, they were forced to dismount, given the steep grade. They stopped once they were within 200 yards (180 m) of the Union camp. Mosby sent a detachment of men under Stringfellow to capture Cole's headquarters in the rear of the camp, while he took the rest of the men further up the hillside, until they were directly west of the camp.
292:, Mosby ordered a general withdrawal. The Rangers escaped with 6 prisoners (pickets from Co. B of Cole's Cavalry, all taken from their post along the Hillsboro road at the crossing of Piney Run) and nearly 60 horses, but were forced to leave their dead and seriously wounded behind. A few miles beyond the Union camp, Mosby halted and sent two Rangers back under a flag of truce to exchange the prisoners for their dead and wounded, which included Billy Smith and
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237:. 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.
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At around 3 a.m., as Mosby prepared to order the attack, gunfire erupted from the direction of
Stringfellow's position, followed by the distant appearance of horsemen riding towards Mosby from the direction of the enemy camp. Thinking the unknown party was Federals who had discovered Stringfellow and
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Mosby's
Rangers suffered 14 casualties—4 dead, 4 mortally wounded, 5 wounded and 1 captured. Among the wounded was William "Willie" Mosby, John's brother. Of the dead, it was believed that 3 were victims of friendly fire. Cole suffered 6 dead, 14 wounded, and 6 captured. For their performance
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In the meantime, Cole's men were awakened by the gunfire. Led by
Captain George W.F. Vernon, of Company A, the men grabbed their weapons and hastily formed a dismounted battle line, though many were barely dressed. Despite the darkness, the Federals easily identified the Rangers, who stood out as
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his men, Mosby ordered a charge. His
Rangers descended upon the camp and attacked the horsemen, who turned out to be Stringfellow's squadron. It was several minutes before the two parties recognized each other in the darkness, but not before several Confederates had been hit by
265:, they met up with Stringfellow and his scouting party, who informed Mosby of the exact location and strength of Cole's camp. Spotting Federal pickets posted along the Hillsboro-Harpers Ferry Road, the Confederates turned and headed east toward the wooded western slope of
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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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On
January 9, Mosby ordered a rendezvous at Upperville, to which 100 Rangers responded. The partisan company set out for Loudoun Heights through deep snow and bitter cold, reaching
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in the fight, the first in which
Federals had bested Mosby's Rangers, Cole was promoted from major to colonel and Vernon from captain to lieutenant colonel.
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In the confusion of the 45 minute fight that followed, several
Rangers retreated and, soon afterward, with the sound of Federal infantry approaching from
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they were the only ones on horses. Their initial volley dropped several
Confederates, many of whom were caught out in the open along the road.
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Thomas Turner. Major Cole, however, declined the offer, and the
Rangers left and made their way back towards Mosby's Confederacy.
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had been discovered, thanks to the work of Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow, a staff officer under
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around 8 p.m. and stopping for 2 hours at the home of Ranger Henry Heaton. Just north of
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A. M. Hunter, entered the region colloquially known as "Mosby's Confederacy" around
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Mosby's Rangers: The True Adventure of the Most Famous Command of the Civil War
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201:. Cole's Cavalry successfully defended a night raid against their camp on
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333:"Battle in the Snow: Cole's Cavalry and Mosby's Men at Loudoun Heights"
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On January 1, 1864, eighty members of Cole's Maryland Cavalry, led by
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Major Henry A. Cole's 1st Potomac Home Brigade Maryland Cavalry
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1st Maryland Cavalry Battalion, Potomac Home Brigade
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828:Operations of the 43rd Virginia Cavalry Battalion
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622:Ball's Bluff Battlefield and National Cemetery
853:Battles of the American Civil War in Virginia
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833:Union victories of the American Civil War
823:Loudoun County in the American Civil War
374:Loudoun County in the American Civil War
627:Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
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538:43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry
533:35th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry
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240:Within a week, Cole's camp atop
229:. With Mosby off on a scout in
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16:Battle of the American Civil War
838:Raids of the American Civil War
135:43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry
321:, Simon & Schuster, 1990,
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169:The Battle of Loudoun Heights
101:Confederate States of America
774:Action at Mount Zion Church
478:Action at Mount Zion Church
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764:2nd Battle of Dranesville
754:Battle of Loudoun Heights
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514:George's Schoolhouse Raid
483:Battle of Loudoun Heights
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22:Battle of Loudoun Heights
784:Rout of Blazer's Command
759:Fight at Blackleys Grove
193:on January 10, 1864, in
88:United States of America
52:Loudoun County, Virginia
738:Warrenton Junction Raid
733:Skirmish at Miskel Farm
728:Raid on Herndon Station
463:Skirmish at Miskel Farm
448:Affair at Glenmore Farm
398:Battle of Harpers Ferry
388:Battle of Ball's Bluff
107:Commanders and leaders
779:Skirmish at Adamstown
548:8th Virginia Infantry
393:Battle of Dranesville
154:Casualties and losses
843:Blue Ridge Mountains
543:7th Virginia Cavalry
413:Battle of Upperville
408:Battle of Middleburg
339:, November 16, 1881.
227:Rectortown, Virginia
858:January 1864 events
698:Col John Mosby, CSA
488:Heaton's Crossroads
443:Battle of Mile Hill
267:Short Hill Mountain
769:Second Calico Raid
438:Fight at Waterford
180:American Civil War
29:American Civil War
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171:was a small
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74:Belligerents
27:Part of the
584:John Janney
178:during the
817:Categories
793:1865 Raids
747:1864 Raids
716:1863 Raids
637:Fort Evans
431:Skirmishes
309:References
253:The battle
235:Middleburg
223:Upperville
213:Background
300:Aftermath
263:Hillsboro
259:Woodgrove
207:partisans
199:Virginia
182:between
176:skirmish
141:Strength
47:Location
381:Battles
231:Fairfax
219:Captain
187:Rangers
173:cavalry
65:victory
691:Leader
600:Union
569:People
554:Union
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59:Result
615:Sites
523:Units
502:Raids
63:Union
323:ISBN
225:and
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39:Date
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146:300
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