US ResearchConflictsCivil WarRockville Skirmish
Civil War

Rockville Skirmish

1864
Maryland
Era
Civil War
Year
1864
Location
Maryland
Status
Historical record
The Combatants

Who Fought

Forces
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
Confederate: Early's advance cavalry under McCausland
VS
Victor
Confederate
Forces
Union: 8th Illinois Cavalry detachment
Outcome
Confederate cavalry swept through Rockville, capturing a Union wagon train of some 400 wagons on the Georgetown Pike.
The Battle

History & Significance

Part of Early's Raid on Washington. The capture of the wagon train was a notable Confederate coup, though it slowed Early's advance on the capital.

Historical context

The American Civil War (1861–1865) was the deadliest conflict in American history, killing an estimated 620,000 to 750,000 soldiers and an unknown number of civilians. The Confederate States of America, formed by eleven seceding Southern states, faced the Union in four years of warfare across 23 states and territories. Major engagements included First and Second Bull Run, Antietam (the bloodiest single day in American history, September 17, 1862), Chancellorsville, Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), Vicksburg (surrendered July 4, 1863), and Sherman's March through Georgia and the Carolinas (1864–1865). President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, transforming the war's stated purpose to include the abolition of slavery and enabling the enlistment of approximately 180,000 Black men in the United States Colored Troops. Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. The war resolved the question of secession and ended American slavery, though Reconstruction would face sustained resistance in its attempt to secure civil rights for formerly enslaved people.

Casualties & Losses

Light; ~400-wagon train captured

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Rockville Skirmish take place?
Rockville Skirmish took place in 1864.
Where was Rockville Skirmish fought?
Rockville Skirmish was fought in Maryland, United States.
What was the outcome of Rockville Skirmish?
Confederate cavalry swept through Rockville, capturing a Union wagon train of some 400 wagons on the Georgetown Pike.
What was the significance of Rockville Skirmish?
Part of Early's Raid on Washington. The capture of the wagon train was a notable Confederate coup, though it slowed Early's advance on the capital.
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Source

Content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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