Loudoun Heights (Mountain)
Encyclopedia
Loudoun Heights, sometimes referred to as Loudoun Mountain, is the first peak of the Blue Ridge Mountain
south of the Potomac River
in Loudoun County, Virginia
and Jefferson County, West Virginia
. The northwestern slope is part of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
.
to bombard the town during the Battle of Harpers Ferry
. It was also the scene of the first and perhaps worst defeat for Confederate
Partisan
John Mosby at the hands of the Cole's Maryland Cavalry during the Battle of Loudoun Heights
.
traverses the peak before descending its northwestern slope to the Shenandoah River
and Harpers Ferry. A spur trail called the Loudoun Heights Trail (actually the original route of the AT) leads off the AT down the northern slope, passing by Civil War earthworks and providing good views of the confluence
of the Potomac and Shenandoah as well as Harpers Ferry, before crossing the Potomac on the U.S. Route 340
bridge and rejoining the AT at Sandy Hook, Maryland
.
Blue Ridge Mountain
Blue Ridge Mountain, also known as Blue Mountain, is the colloquial name of the western most ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia...
south of the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
in Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
and Jefferson County, West Virginia
Jefferson County, West Virginia
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 53,498. Its county seat is Charles Town...
. The northwestern slope is part of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers in and around Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The park includes land in Jefferson County, West Virginia; Washington County, Maryland and Loudoun County, Virginia. The park is managed by the...
.
History
The peak, which overlooks Harpers Ferry, was used by Stonewall JacksonStonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
to bombard the town during the Battle of Harpers Ferry
Battle of Harpers Ferry
The Battle of Harpers Ferry was fought September 12–15, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. As Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate army invaded Maryland, a portion of his army under Maj. Gen. Thomas J...
. It was also the scene of the first and perhaps worst defeat for Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
Partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
John Mosby at the hands of the Cole's Maryland Cavalry during the Battle of Loudoun Heights
Battle of Loudoun Heights
The Battle of Loudoun Heights was a small cavalry skirmish during the American Civil War between John Mosby's Rangers and Major Henry A. Cole's 1st Potomac Home Brigade Maryland Cavalry on January 9, 1864, in Loudoun County, Virginia. Cole's Cavalry successfully defended a night raid against their...
.
Recreation
The Appalachian TrailAppalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
traverses the peak before descending its northwestern slope to the Shenandoah River
Shenandoah River
The Shenandoah River is a tributary of the Potomac River, long with two forks approximately long each, in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia...
and Harpers Ferry. A spur trail called the Loudoun Heights Trail (actually the original route of the AT) leads off the AT down the northern slope, passing by Civil War earthworks and providing good views of the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Potomac and Shenandoah as well as Harpers Ferry, before crossing the Potomac on the U.S. Route 340
U.S. Route 340
U.S. Route 340 is a spur of US 40. It currently runs for from Greenville, Virginia at US 11 to Frederick, Maryland at US 40. Between those two states, US 340 also passes briefly through West Virginia. In Virginia and West Virginia, it is signed north–south...
bridge and rejoining the AT at Sandy Hook, Maryland
Sandy Hook, Maryland
Sandy Hook is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Maryland, United States.-References:...
.