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1st skirmish in US Civil War at Fairfax Court House, Virginia

The Battle of Fairfax Court House was the first land engagement of the American Civil War with fatal casualties.

The Battle of Fairfax Court House was the first land engagement of the American Civil War with fatal casualties. On June 1, 1861, a Union scouting party clashed with the local militia in Fairfax, Virginia, resulting in the war's first deaths in action, and the first wounding of a field-grade officer.

The Union had sent a regular cavalry patrol under Lieutenant Charles H. Tompkins to estimate enemy numbers in the area. At Fairfax Court House, they surprised a small Confederate rifle company under Captain John Q. Marr, and took some prisoners. Marr rallied his unit, but was killed, and command was taken over by a civilian ex-governor of Virginia, William Smith, who forced the Union to retreat.

The engagement is judged to have been inconclusive.

Historical Significance

The Battle of Fairfax Court House was the first land engagement of the American Civil War with fatal casualties.

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Events After

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  3. Chemist Dmitri Mendeleev (28) weds Feozva Nikitichna Leshcheva at Nikolaev Engineering Institute's church in Saint Peter

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  4. First baseball enclosure opens at Union Grounds in Brooklyn

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  5. Belgian-French engineer Étienne Lenoir builds the first automobile with an internal-combustion engine

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 1, 1861?
The Battle of Fairfax Court House was the first land engagement of the American Civil War with fatal casualties. On June 1, 1861, a Union scouting party clashed with the local militia in Fairfax, Virginia, resulting in the war's first deaths in action, and the first wounding of a field-grade officer. The Union had sent a regular cavalry patrol under Lieutenant Charles H.
Why is 1st skirmish in US Civil War at Fairfax Court House, Virginia significant?
The Battle of Fairfax Court House was the first land engagement of the American Civil War with fatal casualties.

Explore More

June 1 in HistoryYear 1861