Alexandria in the Civil War

On the morning of May 24, 1861, one day after Virginia officially left the Union, Col. Orlando Wilcox of the 1st Michigan Infantry declared “Alexandria is ours” as his regiment captured the city. Because of its strategic location on the Potomac River just south of Washington, D.C., Alexandria and the commanding heights around it were quickly seized, fortified, and remained under Union control through late 1865. The city’s transformation from a small seaport town to a military garrison took a heavy toll: two-thirds of the population fled, and large private homes, churches, and other public buildings were requisitioned to support the Union military occupation. Alexandria also became headquarters for the U.S. Military Railroad, one of the largest Union army hospital centers, and a safe haven for people escaping slavery, resulting in a refugee crisis.

Alexandria, Virginia · United States