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The Battle of Fairfax Courthouse
June 1, 1861 in Fairfax, Virginia
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Early in the morning of June 1st, the Union troops started to enter the town of Faifax. They captured the advance picket/guard of the town. As they entered the town, they came under fire from the windows and roofs of the buildings. There were 3 Confederate companies in the town. There was 2 calvary companies and 1 light infantry company.
After the initial contact, the Union troops fell back not knowing the true strength of the Confederates. Regrouped, the Union proceeded back through the town and headed to Germantown, which was about 1.5 miles away. The 2 Confederate calvary units were so poorly armed and equipped that they couldn't put up a sustained fight.
While the Union troops were in Germantown, the Confederate troops from the surrounding areas heard the skirmish and came to the aid of the Faifax troops. This increased the Confederate troop strength to about 1,000 men.
When the Union troops headed back to Fairfax, they were met with a strong resistance. They couldn't go back through the town like the way they came. The Confederates pushed the Union troops back, and forced them to retreat through the nearby fields by Flint Hill
This was a small skirmish with a Confederate victory which boosted the morale of the troops. This description of the skirmish was taken directly from the actual battlefield reports and post-battle transcripts of both opposing commanders.
