Excerpt from History of the Independent Loudoun Virginia Rangers: U. S. Vol, Cav, (Scouts) 1862-65

As the basis of every great national achievement is to be found in the thoughts and feelings of the people, so the real history of a great army is founded upon the annals of the separate organizations of which it was composed.

The "History of the Loudoun (Virginia) Rangers, " as feebly set forth in the following pages, claims attention as apart, however small, in the history of one of the greatest wars the world has ever known.

As the name of their organization indicates, they came from a State which was arrayed in arms against the authority of the National Government. No Governor, or Senator, or Member of Congress guarded their interests, nor was any State or local bounty held forth to them as an allurement. Their enlistment in the Union Army - their country's army - was the spontaneous outgrowth of a spirit of lofty patriotism.

As they saw their duty they were not lacking in moral courage to perform that duty, and with no lapse of years shall we ever fail to insist that the principles for which the Rangers contended were eternally right, and that their opponents were eternally wrong.

While most of the events narrated in this work passed under the personal observation of the writer, he has also made use of reliable information from every available source.

He desires to express his grateful sense of obligation to those who have materially lessened his labors and largely contributed to the value of his work by furnishing useful materials, such as reports, letters, diaries, etc.

Should these pages interest the reader the writer will feel that his labors have not been in vain.

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