June 1, 1861: Skirmish at Fairfax Courthouse

Sometimes called the first skirmish of the Civil War, although I do not think that is accurate, the skirmish at Fairfax Courthouse on June 1, 1861 was certainly one of the earliest of the approximately 10,000 skirmishes of the Civil War.

On May 31, 1861 at 10:30 PM, Lieutenant Charles Henry Tompkins of the 2nd US Cavalry led a reconnaissance party from Camp Union in Falls Church Virginia to scout out the Confederate force at Fairfax Courthouse.  Tompkins’ force consisted of 50-86 regular cavalrymen and dragoons and a few volunteers.

The Confederate force at Fairfax Courthouse consisted of about 120 cavalry and 90 infantry.  Lieutenant Colonel Richard Ewell, who would rise to fame as one of Lee’s corp commanders, was in command of the force.

The Union reconnaissance party encountered Confederate pickets outside of Fairfax Courthouse at 3:00 AM.  Tompkins decided to lead his men into the village.  Panic ensued among the raw and untrained Confederate cavalry in the village, and they fled after exchanging a few shots with the Union force.  Confederate Captain John Marr was killed, and he is thought to be the first Confederate officer killed in the War.  Ewell was wounded and thus obtained the unwanted distinction of being the first field grade Confederate officer wounded in the War.  The Union force went through the town shooting and then withdrew as the Confederates rallied.

Total casualties were pretty even:  One Union and one Confederate killed;  four Union and two Confederate wounded;  and three Union and five Confederate captured.  Later in the War this type of skirmish would have received almost no attention, but this early in the War it made front page reading for both sides.  Lieutenant Tompkins received a considerable amount of attention from the press for this action and  32 years later would receive the medal of honor for it, which meant that he was the first Union officer in the Civil War to earn the medal of honor.  Tompkins was a brevet Brigadier General by the end of the War and would eventually retire from the regular army as a Colonel.