Salona, Fairfax County, Virginia

by Ellen L. Anderson

The McDowell map of northeastern Virginia, 1862, showing the section including Fort Marcy, Langley, Lewinsville and the Smoot's "Salona" property.

Sometime following Smoot's purchase of Salona, he bought two prize hunting dogs for a total of $5,000. The dogs later died from rabies. Smoot was interested in establishing a good herd of cattle so he purchased expensive registered Aberdeen Angus cattle prior to the Civil War. During the war, the cattle were appropriated and eaten by Union troops. [102] There were 50 cattle listed in the tax assessment in 1857, but the herd had dropped to 12 by 1860. In that year, Smoot was also assessed for 20 sheep and hogs. Gold, plate, silver, jewelry, kitchen and house furnishings were evaluated at $500, far above the average that year in Fairfax County. [103] The Smoots were a relatively well-to-do family.

From October, 1861, to April, 1862, according to a strong Smoot family tradition, Salona was used as the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac. Camp Griffin, in fact, was an installation partly on Salona and partly on adjoining farms and was part of the outer defenses of Washington. General George McClellan's dispatches, however, never used either Salona or Smoot's Hill as a source, although he did use datelines of Fairfax Court House and Camp Griffin. Military historians generally agree that McClellan was living in Washington, D.C., at the time, and, therefore, as commanding general, his residence would have been considered the headquarters. [104]

It is certain that troops were camped there and that there was skirmishing in the immediate vicinity of Salona. The following incident was recorded by E. M. Woodward, adjutant in the Second Pennsylvania Reserves:

Early on the morning of the 9th (October 1861) General Smith advanced his division from the neighborhood of Chain Bridge to Langley where deploying his skirmishers, he pushed forward a brigade on the Dranesville Pike, and took possession of Prospect Hill. With his main body he diverged from the pike at Langley to the left, advancing toward Lewinsville, which village he entered and occupied without opposition, leaving the main portion of his troops at Smoot's Hill and pushing on a detachment to occupy Miner's Hill....
During the first ten days, the "long roll" was beaten and the men got under arms five times. On the night of the 11th the pickets in the neighborhood of Lewinsville were driven in and the next day the enemy consisting of at least three regiments of infantry, some cavalry and a battery of six guns were discovered near Miner's Hill, concealed in the woods, which led to the supposition that an attack was meditated the next morning. At noon the drums beat and the men got into fighting order. General McClellan and staff including the Comte de Paris and the Duc de Chartres rode over and remained during the night at Smoot's House, and at midnight the drums beat again and every preparation was made for an attack.
It was a clear and beautiful night, the moon shone forth in its mild beauty, the stars twinkled with resplendant glory and not a cloud glided through the sky. The drums beat the long roll, the trumpets of cavalry and artillery sounded their shrill blasts and the bands of the infantry pealed forth their most soul-stirring strains. The camp-fires burned brightly, the glittering bayonets and sabres flashed in the light and every heart beat high with hope.... But alas, after remaining in position until daybreak, chilled with falling dews, the boys were doomed to disappointment. Beauregard had only been in a reconnaissance in force, to ascertain our position since the recent extension of our front. [105]

When the federal troops moved out of the encampment in March, 1862, Captain W. A. Hawley and Lt. Col. W. B. Hazmand of the 102^d New York Volunteer Battalion signed the following memorandum giving all army materials left behind to Jacob Smoot: [106]