In June 1861, the Confederate Army held Centreville and the Union
Army held Arlington. Between them were miles of territory where
cavalry probes, accidental run-ins with the enemy and skirmishes
were frequent occasions. On June 16th, 5 weeks before the first
Battle of Bull Run, a Union force under General Robert Schenck left
Fort Upton (think Upton Hill Regional Park Cache-GC3F34 ) for
Vienna on the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire (today’s
W&OD). In wait, lay the Del Kemper and the Alexandria Light
Artillery with support troops.
June 16th
General Schenck, stationed at Upton Camp left camp to head west on
a train of several cars pushed by the Clarke- one of three
locomotives on the AL&H. His intent was to distribute companies
of men along the RR who would then deter recent cavalry raids that
had burned bridges and destroyed sections of track. While there had
been no Confederates along the RR the day before (the train had
gone as far as Hunter Mill), rumors existed that a force of 700 had
been seen in the area. But orders were orders and there was not an
expectation of threat though the terrain itself was threatening.
A contemporary wrote “It is true that the entire course of
the road is through a valley, and that the hills on either side,
and the heavy thickets which screen them, appear to offer excellent
situations for ambuscade; but the roads in the neighborhood are
few, and those which exist are quite impracticable for the ready
transportation of troops, not to speak of artillery.”
After dropping off six companies of men, Schenck was down to
four companies men. The train neared Vienna approaching present day
Park Street. Original plans were to stop a mile outside town to
deploy skirmishers who would lead them forward but the engineer did
not stop. As the locomotive pushed the men and cars along, an
officer, Major Hughes was on the front with binoculars. What he did
not see was the 6” cannon hidden by bushes until it opened
fire.
"The train was rounding a gentle curve, and the men were
laughing, quite unconscious of peril, when the first round of shot
fell among them, tearing five of them to pieces, and wounding many
others. The rebels' guns had been carefully planted in the curve,
and were hidden until the worst part of their work was
accomplished. The first discharge was the most fatal. The four
companies were disposed upon open platform cars, and were first of
all exposed to the enemy's fire. The engine was at the rear of the
train. It was fortunate that most of the men were sitting, for the
shot flew high, and only those who stood erect were struck."
The colonel of the regiment, Col McCook, took his men off the
train and moved to the right (north) to a thicket of trees (right
under the cache I think!). The curve of the track protected them
from further cannon fire but the Confederate troops on both sides
of the railroad cut fired upon them. They formed a line and fired
back.
Meanwhile Schenck was working with the engineer. In a state of
panic the engineer explained the brakes prevented the train from
being pulled back. Schenck got men to manually fix the brakes and
while doing so, unhooked the locomotive from the cars. Schenck told
the engineer to back up to protect the locomotive. The engineer did
so...and did not stop- abandoning the troops and taking the medical
equipment and extra ammunition.
The Confederates, thinking this was only an advance guard,
pulled back and accepted the slight win. The Union troops, gathered
their wounded in blankets and walked back to Falls Church.
The action was held up as an example of what could happen when
political generals led men in battle. In truth, Schenck kept a cool
head while under his first fire and followed orders. An
investigative tribunal cleared him but his star had dimmed. Mosby
wrote with a chuckle: “The only distinction he won in the war
was as the inventor of the term "masked battery."