Established in 1851 and intended as a place of worship, Mount
Zion Church, in its tranquil setting in Loudoun County, belies a
turbulent history.
It served as a barracks, battleground and burial place during
the Civil War. As Confederate Partisan Ranger Colonel John
Singleton Mosby’s fame grew in this area, the federal
government resolved to destroy his base of support. As Federal
patrols scoured the countryside, Mount Zion Church served as a
stopover for the Union troops. In 1864, one of these stopovers
became the scene of one of Mosby’s most famous fights.
On July 4, 1864, Union troops under the commande of William H.
Forbes of the Second Massachusetts Cavalry, along with the 13th New
York Calvary, took 150 men on a three-day mission through
"Mosby’s Confederacy," as the area was known.
On July 6, Union troops halted near Mount Zion to fix dinner.
Mosby was advancing down the turnpike when he encountered Forbes'
pickets and a battle ensued, resulting in at least 105 Union
soldiers killed, wounded, or captured. A row of blank fieldstone
markers identifies some of the Federals' resting places.
After the war, regular services resumed at the church and
continued until 1980. Since then the church’s trustees have
agreed to turn it over to Loudoun County as a historic site
honoring the many events which took place here as part of Loudoun
County’s rich Civil War history.
To claim this cache, you MUST sign the log
For extra credit:
Email the age that Mary E Foley was when she died. You do not have
to enter the cemetary to get this information.
Email the number of Mosby's men killed or wounded in the battle
there.
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If
you are a Geocacher in the state of Virginia, please join
the Northern Virginia Geocaching Organization. This is a great
way
to get the most out of Geocaching in our region.
Simply go to www.novago.org for details!
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