General Beauregard stating that he "never wished to see the 'Stars and Bars' on another battlefield" designed a Battle Flag which consisted of a St. Andrew's Cross in blue with a white border along the sides, mounted on a field of red. Thirteen five pointed stars were placed on the blue stripes.
Flags of Gen. Beauregard's design were made by three Miss Carys (Constance, Hetty and Jennie) of this area and sent to Gen. Johnston, Gen. Beauregard and Gen. Van Dorn in October. The flags were accepted by these officers before massed troops of the Army in a ceremony at the fort on "Artillery Hill" in Centreville.
In December, a spectacular military display was held at Yorkshire, when Gen. Beauregard presented Battle Flags to various regiments of the Confederate Army.
On this occasion a new song, "My Maryland", by J. R. Randall, was played by the band. However, one of the first renditions of "My Maryland" had been given in Fairfax in September of 1861, by Miss Constance Cary and others, when they sang to soldiers of the "Maryland line".
On October 1, 1861, President Jefferson Davis with General Joseph E. Johnston, Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard and General Gustavus W. Smith met at the Willcoxon Tavern to confer regarding the success of the First Battle of Manassas. They decided that the Confederates were in no condition to take advantage of their success and begin an offensive against Washington. On Oct. 3, 1861, President Davis reviewed "a brilliant turnout" of troops at the court house.
There were two more skirmishes at the court house in November of 1861. By December of 1862 the town found itself under the command of an Unionist, Brigadier General Edwin H. Stoughton, who was living at the home of Dr. William Presley Gunnell (present Truro Rectory) when Mosby made his famous raid.
Here is the story in Mosby's own words, written to a friend in Richmond.
"I have already seen something in the newspapers of my recent raid on the Yankees, though I see they call me Moseley instead of Mosby. I had only twenty men under my command. I penetrated about ten miles in their line, rode right up to the General's Headquarters surrounded by infantry, artillery and cavalry, took him out of his bed and brought him off. I walked into his room with two of my men and shaking him in bed said, 'General, get up!' He rose up and rubbing his eyes, asked what was the meaning of all this. I replied, 'it means, sir, that Stuart's Cavalry are in possession of this place, and you are a prisoner!...' I did not stay in the place more than one hour.
We easily captured the guards around the town, as they never dreamed we were anybody but Yankees until they saw pistols pointed at their heads, with a demand to surrender...."
Stoughton was taken by Mosby to Culpeper and turned over to Fitz Lee, with whom Stoughton had attended West Point.