In York County, Virginia, Confederate troops repulse a Union attack at the Battle of Big Bethel

Union forces under General Ebenezer Pierce undertook a night march to attack Confederate forward positions near Big Bethel Church that were pushing out from Colonel John Maguder's headquarters in Yorktown, Virginia. Inexperience thwarted these ambitious plans and Virginia infantry and artillery met and pushed back the attack.  Confederate losses were slight in this first significant clash in Virginia while Union troops lost 18 killed, including Lieutenant John T. Greble, the first regular U.S. Army officer killed in the war.  (By John Osborne)