To halt the flow of supplies to Union forces on the Orange & Alexandria R.R., Maj. John S. Mosby, C.S.A., destroyed a train near here on 30 May 1863. Removing a rail to stop the train, Mosby's Rangers disabled the engine with a recently acquired howitzer, described as "too big to fit in a holster, but too small to be a cannon." Alerted by the firing, nearby Union troops (N.Y., Mich., & Vt.), commanded by Col. William D. Mann, attempted to capture the Confederates. Mosby set fire to the railcars and withdrew, fighting a delaying action with his single artillery piece.
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