Hey everyone, thanks for tuning in to the 52nd episode of our Civil War podcast.

I'm Rich and I'm Tracy. Hello y'all. Welcome to the podcast. The follow-up for

Sumter and Lincoln's call for troops pushed Virginia over the brink into

succession. On April 17th, 1861, the Virginia Convention voted to take the

old dominion out of the Union, but there was significant opposition to that

decision, mainly from the mountainous western counties. So the Convention's

leaders decided to provide for a popular referendum to be held five weeks

later on May 23rd. On that date, a majority of Virginia's voters agreed

that their state should leave the Union. Late that night, several columns of

federal troops invaded northern Virginia. They crossed the Potomac River from the

District of Columbia and occupied the town of Alexandria and also the nearby

heights at Arlington. While the Union soldiers were taking over Alexandria,

Colonel Elmer Ellsworth was killed after hauling down a rubble flag flying from

the roof of a local hotel. Meanwhile, Robert E. Lee had been preparing

Virginia for war, equipping, drilling and redding his home state's troops for

action. As federal strength grew around Alexandria, a brief skirmish took place

at Fairfax Courthouse on June 1st when a patrol of Union cavalry troopers

clashed with Confederates of the Warranton Rifles and Prince William cavalry.

During the chaotic little fight, Captain John Q. Mar of the Warranton Rifles was

killed. Federals and Confederates clashed again a few days later. On June 3rd,

this time out in Western Virginia at the town of Philippi, as the Federals moved to secure the

line of the important Baltimore and Ohio railroad. The rebels were surprised in their encampment

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