Civil War

Geographically and politically, Alexandria was directly in the path of the American Civil War. Located across the Potomac River from the Federal capital in Washington D.C., this Southern city was a major port and railroad hub for routes from the north, northwest, and south. Alexandria's citizen militia performed drills in the city streets while President Abraham Lincoln and his military advisers evaluated the city's strategic importance.

On the morning of May 24, 1861, local militia units left Alexandria to keep from sparking a military conflict that might lead to the destruction of the city. As Alexandria's citizens prepared to vote on whether to secede from the Union, men and women reflected the tense time in their diaries, letters, newspaper articles, and military communications. Hours later, Alexandria voted to leave the Union and join the Confederacy.

Because Alexandria was vital to protect Washington, D.C., Union troops moved across the Potomac River into northern Virginia to secure the area. Once captured, the city of Alexandria was held under martial law for the rest of the Civil War, making it the Confederacy's longest-occupied city. Alexandria became a staging area for Union activities, while public buildings and private homes were converted to offices, military headquarters, and hospitals. The United States Military Railroad was based in Alexandria, and the Potomac River port was controlled by the Union. During the next four years, thousands of Union soldiers were stationed in or passed through the city, and hundreds of civilians came to Alexandria to work in support of the Union war effort. The city also became a major Union military hospital center, and one of the nation's first national cemeteries was established in Alexandria in 1862. Although as many as two-thirds of the local residents left Alexandria, many -- especially those loyal to the Union cause - stayed in Alexandria.