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The Bulletin of the Loudoun County Historical Society
Officers of the Loudoun County Historical Society
President Emeritus Mr. Joseph V. Nichols President Mr. Lawson Allen First Vice-President Mr. Henry Crabites Second Vice-President Col. A. B. Johnson Executive Vice-President Mrs. Thomas N. DeLashmutt Treasurer Mr. Emory Plaster Recording Secretary Mr. John Divine Corresponding Secretaries Mrs. Contee Adams Mrs. Fairfield Whitley
Miss Maria Copeland (Emeritus) Maj. Gen. Leo. L. Eberle Allen S. Clarke Huntington Harris John Dillon Miss Freida Johnson George J. Durfey Mrs. T. Frank Osburn
The Loudoun County Historical Society supplies The Bulletin to its Life Members, and it is available to all other members and to the public at two dollars per copy. Checks should be made payable to The Loudoun County Historical Society and should be mailed to the Society at Leesburg, Virginia.
Upon payment of twenty-five dollars any person may become a Life Member. The annual dues for individuals are one dollar per annum. Sustaining memberships are five dollars per annum.
Correspondence (other than orders for The Bulletin) should be addressed to the Secretary, Mrs. Contee Adams, Hamilton. Virginia.
The Bulletin of the Loudoun County Historical Society
THE LOUDOUN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Leesburg, Virginia
History of The Battle of Ball’s Bluff 7 The Comanches 21 _By John Divine_ Confederate Monument in Leesburg 25 Short History of The Society of Friends in Loudoun County 29 _By Asa Moore Janney_ The Uses of History 43 _By Col. Trevor N. Dupuy_ The Skirmish at Mile Hill 53 _By Col. A. B. Johnson, U.S. Army_ (_Ret._) Members of The Loudoun County Historical Society 57
Copyright 1965 By The Loudoun County Historical Society Leesburg, Virginia
Printed in Leesburg, Loudoun County, Commonwealth of Virginia BY POTOMAC PRESS
Dedicated By Him To the Loudoun Chapter of U. D. C., Leesburg, Va.
For Benefit of Monument to be erected in Leesburg to the Confederate Soldiers of Loudoun
The popular idea at the time, and which has continued until now, is that the battle of Ball’s Bluff was a blunder, brought about by the Federal commander without proper (although easily to be obtained) information as to the force and position of the Confederates in the vicinity of Leesburg, and almost without purpose, or prospect of advantage, worth the venture, resulting from success should he win, and that the Confederate commander permitted his troops to engage, in a rather haphazard way, by companies and regiments, pretty much as they pleased.