history Archives - Arlington Outdoor Lab

We had a special visitor, Dave Goetz, a Civil War historian at the Spring Open House. He provided a description and history of some of the events that occurred on the Lab property during the Civil War. The most significant activity was in June 1863 when Confederate General JEB Stuart led 4,200 troops through Glasscock Gap, which is on the Lab property, en route to Gettysburg. Stuart ultimately ended up arriving on the second day of the battle, too late to change the Union victory.

Mr. Goetz is an expert on John Singleton Mosby, the Gray Ghost, who had his base of operations in and around Fauquier County, Virginia. He explained that it is very likely that Mosby provided JEB Stuart with the intelligence to use the little know Glasscock Gap to get through the Bull Run Mountains.

Evidence of the Civil War activity has been seen through artifacts found on the Lab property including bullets, Union belt buckle, Confederate buttons and various other metal objects. Anthony recently used a metal detector to find a variety of objects in the Gap. Gary Knipling and Anthony led a hike around the Lab property identifying where the Glasscock Gap is and the likely route of the Civil War troops.

Dave Goetz owns and operates Mosby’s Confederacy Tours, and leads tours in “Mosby’s Confederacy,” including Virginia counties of Fauquier, Loudoun, Warren, Clarke and Fairfax.