Skirmish, Arlington Mills

Among the earliest clashes of the American Civil War, the fight at Arlington Mills unfolded on June 1, 1861, around 11:00 p.m., roughly a week after Union troops had taken up positions in that stretch of Virginia across from Washington, D.C. The engagement came just hours after fighting at Fairfax Court House.

Nightfall provided cover for a small band of nine Virginia soldiers, who opened fire on Union pickets from the 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry and the 11th New York Volunteer Infantry stationed at Arlington Mills, Virginia. At this point the Virginians remained, in a technical sense, militiamen of their state, even though Virginia's forces had already come under the command of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. This arrangement followed an agreement reached between Virginia and the Confederate States on April 24, 1861, and gained further legitimacy when Virginia voters ratified the secession ordinance on May 23, 1861, an ordinance the state legislature had originally passed on April 19, 1861.

The skirmish that followed was short and chaotic. One Union soldier lost his life and another suffered wounds, while a single Virginian was also wounded in the exchange. The episode revealed just how exposed Union forces could be to attack, even when stationed near the capital itself.

Background

Confederate forces acc

Aftermath

After the clash at Fairfax Court House, along with the fighting that same day at Arlington Mills, federal forces held their position and made no further push into northern Virginia for weeks. Not until June 17 did they advance again, when a reconnaissance in force brought about the engagement at Vienna, Virginia. According to historian Charles Poland, Jr., the skirmish at Arlington Mills and the fight at Fairfax Court House stood among the events that set the stage for the coming first clash at Bull Run. Poland also observed that because the conflict was still young, even minor engagements drew outsized press coverage and public attention.

The 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment took part in the fighting at First Bull Run on July 21. Led at the time by Major Bidwell, the unit was mustered out on August 7. Afterward, a new three-year version of the 1st Michigan came together in Detroit and entered federal service on September 16, remaining active until July 1865.

Also present at First Bull Run was the 11th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, known as the 1st New York Fire Zouaves. That day cost them heavily: numerous men fell as casualties, hundreds were captured, and others slipped away through desertion. The unit never managed a full and lasting reorganization afterward, and a good many of its soldiers went on to join other New York regiments instead.