1861 Western Virginia Campaign--1861 Civil War West Virginia - Clio

Entries on This Tour

1. Battle of Philippi Historic Marker

The Battle of Philippi was little more than a skirmish between Union and Confederate partisans, but its occurrence on June 3, 1861 has led to its historic distinction as the "first land battle" of the American Civil War. At the time, Philippi held some measure of strategic importance to both Union and Confederate supporters due to its location on the Baltimore-Ohio Railroad. Just before dawn on the day of June 3, 1861, Union and Confederate forces clashed in Philippi. Outnumbered, Confederate forces began a quick and steadfast retreat from the area; so quickly was their retreat that it became known as the "Philippi Races."

2. Philippi Covered Bridge

Constructed in 1852 by Emmett J. O’Brien and Lemuel and Eli Chenoweth, the Philippi Covered Bridge is West Virginia’s oldest and longest extant covered bridge. The almost exclusively wooden structure utilizes the Burr arch truss design for support. The bridge was the site of the site of the Battle of Philippi, often cited as the first land battle of the Civil War. Narrowly escaping destruction several times over the course of the war, the Philippi Covered Bridge was modified and strengthened in 1934. Tragedy struck the bridge in 1989 when a large portion of it burned. However, the bridge was authentically restored to its original design. One of only two covered bridges in Barbour County, the Philippi Covered Bridge is also the only covered bridge in the United States to serve a Federal Highway.

3. Civil War Battle of Laurel Hill

Along with the battles of Philippi, Rich Mountain, and Corrick’s Ford, the Battle of Laurel Hill (also known as the Battle of Belington or Laurel Mountain) was one of the first battles of the Civil War. The Confederate forces at Laurel Hill were commanded by General Robert S. Garnett, while the Union army was commanded by General Thomas A. Morris and General George B. McClellan. Starting on July 7th 1861, the battle lasted for five days, and ended with a Union victory.

4. The Battle of Rich Mountain

The Battle of Rich Mountain occurred near the town of Beverly in Randolph County, West Virginia on July 11, 1861. This battle was between Major General George B. McClellan and Brigadier General William Rosecrans' troops of the union and Brigadier General Robert S. Garnett and Lieutenant Colonel John Pegram's troops of the Confederacy. The battle was part of the western Virginia theatre of the Civil War and was instrumental in McClellan later being put in command of the Army of the Potomac. The Beverly Heritage Center dedicates a section of their museum to the Battle of Rich Mountain.

5. Corricks Ford Battlefield

The Corricks Ford Battlefield is located along the Cheat River and is from the first campaign of the Civil War. The battlefield is now partially preserved thanks to efforts by local preservationists and the City of Parsons. During the battle of Corricks Ford, Confederate General Garnett became the first general of the Civil War to die in battle.

6. Battle of Kessler's Cross Lanes

The Battle of Kessler’s Cross Lanes, which is also known as the Battle of Cross Lanes, happened on August 26, 1861 in present day Nicholas County, West Virginia. The Confederate Brigadier General John B. Floyd crossed the Gauley River to attack Erastus Tyler’s Union forces camped at Kessler’s Cross Lanes. The Union forces were surprised and Floyd’s troops won the battle. Visitors to the site of the battle can see an informational historical marker and a Civil War era cemetery.

7. Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park

Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park preserves the history of a significant Civil War battle that occurred here while also offering recreational opportunities and breathtaking views of the rim of Gauley River Canyon. The battle of Carifex Ferry took place on September 10, 1861. In this battle, Union troops led by Brigadier General William S. Rosecrans engaged Confederate forces and forced them to evacuate their position on the Henry Patterson Farm that overlooked Carnifex Ferry. The Confederate commander, Brigadier General John B. Floyd, retreated across Carnifex Ferry to the south side of the Gauley River and then eastward to Meadow Bluff near Lewisburg. This Civil War battle represented the failure of a Confederate attempt to regain control of the Kanawha Valley. As a result, the movement for West Virginia statehood proceeded following the battle without a serious military threat from Confederate soldiers who remained in the area.

8. Battle of Cheat Mountain

The Battle of Cheat Mountain (also known as the Battle of Cheat Summit Fort) was a battle during the American Civil War that took place in Pocahontas and Randolph Counties, Virginia (now West Virginia) between September 12 and September 15, 1861. The battle involved Union forces under the command of Brigadier General Joseph J. Reynolds facing Confederate troops led by General Robert E. Lee. Lee devised a three-pronged attack against the Union forces entrenched on Cheat Mountain but the attacks were uncoordinated and compounded by bad weather and the local terrain. Falsely convinced they were facing an overwhelming Union force, Lee ordered the Confederates to withdraw. The Battle of Cheat Mountain was General Lee’s first offensive of the war.

9. Battle of Greenbrier River

After an abortive assault on Union defenses at Cheat Mountain in September 1861, Confederate forces withdrew across the Greenbrier River and built a fortified camp christened Camp Bartow along the crucial Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike. On October 3rd, Union troops attacked, seeking to seize the position and use the Turnpike as an invasion route into eastern Virginia.

10. Battle of Camp Allegheny, December 13, 1861

Camp Allegheny was home to a Civil War skirmish on December 13, 1861 that saw men led by Confederate Colonel Edward "Allegheny" Johnson turn back Union forces under Brigadier General Robert Milroy. Camp Allegheny is located in the Monongahela National Forest of the Allegheny Mountains in the eastern part of West Virginia. John Yager’s family owned the property where Camp Allegheny was located and in the first year of the Civil War, the area was controlled by pro-Confederate forces. The Yager’s provided goods that they sold or gave to the soldiers. After the skirmish that occurred here, the upstairs of the Yager house was also used as a hospital.

This Tour is a Thematic Tour or Heritage Trail.

1861 Western Virginia Campaign--1861 Civil War West Virginia

Created by Kathleen Thompson on September 4th 2020, 5:13:32 pm.

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Description

This 1861 Civil War campaign is the first land campaign of the war and largely secured the counties in western Virginia for the Union, helping the secession movement of the west into a new Union State in 1863. The 1861 Western Virginia campaign occurred when that region was still part of Virginia, but was already thinking about breaking away due to their closer ties with Pennsylvania and Ohio. Within the western portion of the state lay mineral deposits useful for the production of arms and ammunition and transportation networks between Virginia and the mid-west. To secure these for the Union, George B. McClellan invaded western Virginia as commander of the Department of the Ohio against the three Confederate forces there. Philippi was not of great military importance, but the juncture of the Parkersburg-Grafton Railroad and the Baltimore & Ohio lay 25 miles north at Grafton, connecting the eastern states and the mid-west. Robert E. Lee, then in command of all military forces in Virginia, ordered Colonel George Porterfield to recruit a Confederate force in the western counties to hold the rail lines at Grafton. Porterfield was largely unsuccessful due to the Union loyalties and resentment against the Richmond government, only pulling together a small force of poorly trained and ill-equipped men. To help defend his position, Porterfield burned several bridges in order to slow enemy movements. With Virginia's definitive vote for secession and Porterfield's destruction of roadways, McClellan received the green light to move troops and supplies into western Virginia to occupy the area and protect Unionist civilians. The entire campaign consisted of eight small engagements that secured western Virginia for the Union and prevented the Confederates from occupying the area for the rest of the war. This military occupation by Union forces assisted in the political process to split the western counties from Virginia and create a new state in 1863. The success of the campaign also placed McClellan in the view of army superiors and after the July defeat at Manassas, McClellan rose to command the Army of the Potomac.

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