Community Corner
County Marks 150th Anniversary of Ox Hill Battle
On Sept. 1, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fairfax County will commemorate the sesquicentennial anniversary of the Battle of Ox Hill.
Civil War songs, bayonet and rifle drills, and artillery battery demonstrations will mark the sesquicentennial anniversary of the Battle of Ox Hill on Saturday, Sept. 1.
At 10 a.m. local officials will speak at Ox Hill Battlefield Park, which is located at 4134 West Ox Rd. in the Fair Lakes area. Presentation of 16 state flags will follow. The Federal City Brass Band will play at 1 p.m., followed by musket and cannon firings. At 4 p.m. there will be speeches about the Battle of Ox Hill and a wreath laid at the monuments. Reenactors will be on site to demonstrate what life was like for Civil War soldiers, and there will be activities for children.
The event is free and open to the public.
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Free shuttle service will be provided from the Fairfax County Government Center from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Parking will only be allowed at the Government Center. It takes about 15 minutes to walk to the park from there.
About 1,500 soldiers were killed or wounded during the two-hour long fight at Ox Hill. It was the only major Civil War battle fought in Fairfax County.
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Fairfax County's website for Ox Hill Battlefield Park recounts the history of the battle:
The events at Ox Hill were triggered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee's attempt to outflank the retreating Union army. After the battle of Second Manassas along Bull Run on August 28-30, 1862, the Federal Army retreated toward the well-protected capital city of Washington.
Two Union divisions under the command of General Isaac Stevens and Major General Philip Kearny engaged Confederate troops at Ox Hill on September 1. Both Stevens and Kearny were killed.
Historians differ in their estimates of the troops involved. Some 4,000 to 6,000 Union troops were in the area, and about 15,000 to 17,000 Confederate troops were nearby. Historians think at least 1,000 Union troops died or were injured. The Confederates counted 516 casualties.
For more information on the Battle of Ox Hill, visit the county's website.
Click here to read more articles from Patch about the sesquicentennial anniversary of the Civil War.
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