US ResearchConflictsCivil WarBattle of Thoroughfare Gap (Virginia)
Civil War

Battle of Thoroughfare Gap (Virginia)

1862
Virginia
Era
Civil War
Year
1862
Location
Virginia
Status
Verified engagement
The Combatants

Who Fought

Forces
Not recorded in historical accounts
VS
Victor
Confederate
Outcome
Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. James Longstreet successfully drove back Union forces under Brig. Gen. James B. Ricketts and Col. Percy Wyndham, allowing Longstreet's corps to advance through Thoroughfare Gap and unite with Thomas J. Jackson's corps prior to the Second Battle of Bull Run.
The Battle

History & Significance

Thoroughfare Gap Battlefield is a historic American Civil War battlefield located at Thoroughfare Gap, Broad Run, Prince William County, Virginia. It was the site of the Battle of Thoroughfare Gap. The property includes a number of resources present at the time of the battle including the separately listed Beverley Mill, a five-story, coursed-rubble stone building set into the north side of Thoroughfare Gap.

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

~200 total

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Battle of Thoroughfare Gap (Virginia) take place?
Battle of Thoroughfare Gap (Virginia) took place in 1862.
Where was Battle of Thoroughfare Gap (Virginia) fought?
Battle of Thoroughfare Gap (Virginia) was fought in Virginia, United States.
What was the outcome of Battle of Thoroughfare Gap (Virginia)?
Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. James Longstreet successfully drove back Union forces under Brig. Gen. James B. Ricketts and Col. Percy Wyndham, allowing Longstreet's corps to advance through Thoroughfare Gap and unite with Thomas J. Jackson's corps prior to the Second Battle of Bull Run.
What was the significance of Battle of Thoroughfare Gap (Virginia)?
Thoroughfare Gap Battlefield is a historic American Civil War battlefield located at Thoroughfare Gap, Broad Run, Prince William County, Virginia. It was the site of the Battle of Thoroughfare Gap. The property includes a number of resources present at the time of the battle including the separately
Protected heritage nearby

Historic Sites near Battle of Thoroughfare Gap (Virginia)

Hopefield
Early Republic · 1.1 mi
Yorkshire House
Civil War · 2.4 mi
New Baltimore Historic District
Early Republic · 2.6 mi
More from this era

Other Civil War Engagements

Battle of First Bull Run – Chinn Ridge
1861
Virginia
Centreville Earthworks Occupation
1861
Virginia
Leesburg Occupation (Confederate, 1861)
1861
Virginia
Accotink Creek Skirmish
1861
Virginia
Aldie Skirmish (1861)
1861
Virginia
Vienna Skirmish (June 17, 1861)
1861
Virginia
Martinsburg — Skirmish (July 2 1861)
1861
Virginia
Battle of Opequon Creek (First)
1861
Virginia
Potomac Flotilla — Aquia Creek Operations
1861
Virginia
Skirmish at Drummondtown (Accomac Court House)
1861
Virginia
Harpers Ferry — First Union Occupation and Confederate Seizure
1861
Virginia
Action at Dranesville
1861
Virginia
Pohick Church Skirmish
1861
Virginia
Battle of Munson's Hill
1861
Virginia
Battle of Balls Bluff
1861
Virginia
Bunker Hill — Skirmish (November 1861)
1861
Virginia
Battle of Big Bethel
1861
Virginia
All battles in Virginia
Source

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

Aubrey Research

Explore the history around Virginia

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in the US, drawing on NRHP records, battlefield archives, census history and geological data to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near VirginiaView a free sample report
All Civil War Battles