Michael Oddenino presented our program today, “The Battle of Ball’s Bluff.”  Michael grew up in Virginia and majored in history, with a particular interest in the Civil War. As we learned in this very interesting presentation, the Battle of Ball’s Bluff was unusual in several ways and connects people who later became prominent in U.S. history. 

The Battle of Balls Bluff, in some ways more of a skirmish, occurred early in the Civil War (October 21, 1861), and for various reasons, was a great embarrassment to the Union. The battle site was close enough to Washington DC that civilians came out watch the fighting, and witnessed first-hand the disorganized, retreating Union forces. The defeat was characterized by misinformation and chance events, as action was to begin with an assault on a Confederate camp that proved not to exist, and then actually ensued when Union Forces stumbled upon the 17^th Mississippi Division.  The Union soldiers were ultimately pushed into the Potomac by the rebels, and many could not swim.  Inexperience, inaccurate intelligence information, and a lack of boats led to losses and defeat.

Mike shared that many of the people connected to the battle were prominent, or later played important roles.  They include Edward Baker, the only active member of Congress to die in battle; Oliver Wendell Holmes, future Supreme Court Justice,  who was wounded in the fighting; and General Charles Stone who later worked on the Statue of Liberty.   We thank Michael for an outstanding presentation!