Ball's Bluff National Cemetery

Ball's Bluff National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Leesburg, Virginia. VA lists it as closed to new burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Ball's Bluff National Cemetery

The diminutive Ball's Bluff National Cemetery is located approximately two miles from the Town of Leesburg, in Loudoun County, VA. Land for the half-acre cemetery was acquired through donation in 1865, and the government received a quitclaim deed from the original owner's heirs in 1904. Because of its location and size, the cemetery has never required a superintendent.

Within the cemetery, which is enclosed by a brick wall, lie the remains of 54 soldiers who died during the Battle of Ball's Bluff. The remains are interred in 25 graves, and the only known interment is James Allen of Co. H, 15th Massachusetts Infantry.

The Battle of Ball's Bluff began the morning of October 21, 1861, with Union and Confederate forces evenly matched. The Confederates were more experienced in battlefield strategy, however. As the conflict continued, Southern troops forced the Union army back toward the bluff. The decisive blow came in the afternoon when Col. Edward D. Baker, the Union commander, was shot in the head and killed. His death spurred on the Confederate soldiers, and a Union retreat was sounded. Some Union soldiers escaped down a cart path, but the majority was forced down a steep and rocky 80-foot bluff. Soldiers who reached the Potomac River tried swimming to Harrison Island or escaped by boat or logs. Many drowned, weighed down by their clothes and ammunition. Others were shot by Confederate troops firing down from the top of the bluff. Still others were captured and marched into Leesburg.

Among the many wounded abandoned on the Virginia shore when Union forces retreated was a young first lieutenant in the 20th Massachusetts, Oliver Wendell Holmes. Although wounded several times during the war, he survived and became one of the most notable justices on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Since the 1950s, there has been periodic interest in reinterring the remains of this cemetery to Culpeper National Cemetery and disposing of the property. Public sentiment as well as congressional censure has blocked any such action.

Ball's Bluff National Cemetery was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1984.

Monuments and Memorials A small granite monument dedicated to the memory of Clinton Hatcher, a Confederate soldier, is located beside the cemetery. Hatcher was from Augusta County, VA, and fought with the 8th Virginia Regiment. He was killed at the Battle of Ball's Bluff.

A marble memorial to General Edward D. Baker was erected in the memory of this Union general who was killed at the Battle of Ball's Bluff. Baker is buried at the San Francisco National Cemetery (Presidio) in California.

Directions

Cemetery is located two miles northeast of Leesburg. From Washington Dulles International Airport, proceed north to Virginia Highway 7, then west to U.S. Highway 15. Turn north (right) and travel approximately two miles to 400 Battlefield Parkway. Go to Balls Bluff Road and turn left to cemetery on gravel road.

Flowers and grounds rules

Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.

Education and visiting programs

More than half of VA's national cemeteries originated with the Civil War and many are closed to some burials. Other sites were established to serve World War veterans and they continue to expand. Historic themes related with NCA's cemeteries and soldiers' lots vary, but visitors should understand "Why is it here?" NCA began by installing interpretive signs, or waysides, at more than 100 properties to observe the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011–2015). Please follow the links below to see the interpretive signs for Ball's Bluff National Cemetery.

A National Cemetery System Ball's Bluff National Cemetery

Who can be buried at Ball's Bluff National Cemetery?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

• A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Ball's Bluff National Cemetery?

1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Ball's Bluff National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Ball's Bluff National Cemetery as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Ball's Bluff National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Ball's Bluff National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Ball's Bluff National Cemetery directly at 540-825-0027.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

• Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
• Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
• Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Virginia law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Virginia and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Ball's Bluff National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• Winchester National Cemetery, Winchester, VA: 33 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Alexandria National Cemetery, Alexandria, VA: 34 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Congressional Cemetery Government Lots, Washington, DC: 34 mi, closed to new in-ground burials