Ball's Bluff Battlefield and National Cemetery

This cemetery and battlefield site sits near the Potomac River close to Leesburg and functions today as a historical park with walking trails. The grounds connect the burial grounds with different areas where fighting took place, allowing visitors to understand the layout of the engagement.

The battle took place in October 1861 as an early Civil War engagement where Union troops tried to force a river crossing. This operation went badly wrong, with a prominent officer killed and hundreds of soldiers lost to death or capture.

The grounds display monuments made of granite and marble that remember soldiers from both sides of the conflict. These markers stand as reminders of the people who died fighting on this land.

The grounds are open to visitors and offer marked paths to explore different sections of the park. Comfortable walking shoes are helpful since you will spend time on your feet moving between the various areas of the battlefield.

Of the 54 soldiers buried here, only one was ever identified by name, showing how difficult it was to document the fallen from these early war years. This lack of identification makes the place a moving reminder of nameless people whose stories disappeared.