West Virginia Civil War Battlefields - Clio

Entries on This Tour

1. 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.

2. Allegheny Mountain Battlefield

The Battle of Allegheny Mountain was a Civil War battle for control of the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, now County Route 3 (also called Old Pike Road). Good roads that could move large numbers of troops and supplies were rare in western Virginia at the time, so control of this major route allowed the passage of armies through the mountains and the Shenandoah Valley. Unaware that Confederate Colonel Edward Johnson's troops were set to withdraw in just a a few more days, Union General Robert Milroy attacked the fortified Camp Allegheny on December 13, 1861. Milroy's assault, though ill-conceived and unsuccessful, convinced the Confederates that Johnson's position at Allegheny was crucial to preventing a Union offensive. Johnson was ordered to remain at the camp through the winter, depriving famed General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson of reinforcements for a planned offensive in the Shenandoah Valley. These combatants would face off again at the battle of McDowell, Virginia a few months later in 1862.

3. 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.

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. 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."

6. Battle of Bulltown

The Battle of Bull Town was a minor engagement in the Civil War when compared to larger conflicts such as the Battle of Antietam and Gettysburg, but it was one of great significance for both the Civil War and for West Virginia. The fort at Bulltown was situated along the Weston-Gauley turnpike and overlooked the Little Kanawha River which made it a valuable military asset. Had the Confederate troops succeeded in taking the fort, they could have cut communications between troops in Northern West Virginia and the lower half of the state. This would have pushed the front further north and created the opportunity for the Confederates to march on Wheeling, the heart of Union support in West Virginia.

7. Battle of Barboursville Historical Marker

One of the first land battles of the Civil War, The Battle of Barboursville occurred on July 14th, 1861, and is regarded by some as the first land battle of the American Civil War. A second battle occurred here in September of 1862. The first battle was fought between local pro-Confederate militia and United States forces on 'Fortification Hill' and the second battle occurred when Ohio and Virginia cavalry clashed near the Hatfield Hotel. There are two signs about the battle on Main street and along the Midland Trail (US 60). A tunnel on Central Avenue in Barboursville has a mural portraying the history of the village. The first battle of Barboursville/Battle of Fortification Hill is one of many scenes depicted in that mural.

8. Battle of Scary Creek

The Battle of Scary Creek was one of the earliest battles of the Civil War and the site of the first Confederate victory in modern day West Virginia. Confusion from the aftermath of the battle resulted in Union forces still capturing the Kanawha Valley and Charleston. The battle was an attempt by the Union to remove the Confederate forces from the Kanawha Valley. During the three previous months, the Confederates had complete control over the Kanawha Valley. The Union forces moved into Confederate grounds on July 17, 1861.

9. [Charleston's Civil War Trails Markers] Downtown Battlefield

Between September 6th and September 13th, 1862, Confederate forces pushed into the Kanawha Valley from western Virginia. When outnumbered Union troops pulled back from defensive positions near Fayetteville, a 10,000-strong Confederate force followed hot on the heels of the Federal retreat up the Kanawha Valley to Charleston. A brief but fierce fight took place throughout the city. Union troops withdrew across the Elk River and retreated north to Point Pleasant, but not before a large section of Charleston was burned to destroy military supplies. From the position of this marker, an observer would have been near the Union headquarters, and looked across the river toward attacking Confederate artillery.

10. [Charleston's Civil War Trails Markers] Lightburn's Retreat

As Confederate forces closed in on Charleston in 1862, Union commander Colonel Joseph Lightburn recognized he was outnumbered and needed to extract his troops or face destruction. After a brief fight in the city, Lightburn's troops successfully withdrew across the Elk River and destroyed the bridge to prevent pursuit, setting the stage for a 50-mile retreat to Point Pleasant while guarding refugees and a supply train 700 wagons long.

11. 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.

12. Battle of Fayetteville Historical Marker

On September 10, 1862, a small battle between Union and Confederate forces occurred in Fayetteville. Confederate forces attacked the Union’s troops at Fort Scammon in hopes of gaining control of the Kanawha River Valley. The battle included what is believed to be the “first use of indirect fire” in military battle. Confederate forces gained control of Fort Scammon and Fayetteville, while Union forces retreated into the Kanawha Valley. Confederate Forces remained in control of Fayetteville for approximately one month. Recognizing that the Confederacy needed all available manpower to defend Virginia, most of the Confederate soldiers went east, and the Union was able to retake control of the area.

13. Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park

Brigadier General William W. Averell and his Federal troops encountered Confederate troops led by Brigadier General John Echols at Droop Mountain on November 6, 1863. The federal army had encountered Echols while on their second attempt to the Virginia-Tennessee Railroad located at Salem, Virginian. Echols and his troops positioned themselves in on the high ground of Droop Mountain, a tactical advantage to the smaller army. However, despite using artillery to block the road, the Confederate troops were overwhelmed by Averell’s men. The Battle of Droop Mountain served as the final significant Civil War battle for the newly formed West Virginia. The site of the battle was declared West Virginia’s first state park on July 4, 1928.

14. The Battle of Lewisburg

The only Civil War battle to be fought in Lewisburg occurred in May 1862, though troops would march through often as the conflict ran its course. The small mountain town was important for both the Union and the Confederates for resupply along the James River & Kanawha Turnpike, and Union Colonel George Crook was sent there to destroy a Confederate depot. Confederate troops under General Henry Heth attacked Crook's outnumbered men at dawn on May 23rd and the short battle raged through the center of town before Crook's disciplined men broke the Confederate assault and put Heth to flight. The battle is notable for Crook's refusal to let the townsfolk (largely sympathetic to the Rebel cause) give a traditional burial to the Confederate dead. They instead were buried in a mass grave--long thought to have contained 95 bodies, may hold many more.

15. Battle of White Sulphur Springs / Battle of Dry Creek

On August 26th, 1863, Union cavalry under the command of General William Woods Averell clashed with Confederate troops led by Colonel George S. Patton in Greenbrier County--only two months after West Virginia achieved statehood by “seceding” from Virginia. Its nascent statehood was, in fact, the cause of the battle, as Averell’s 1,300 men had been ordered to secure law books from the Virginia State Supreme Court in Rebel-held Lewisburg. The fierce fight that followed was, for its size, spectacularly bloody, and involved one of the few “classic” cavalry charges of the American Civil War, in the style of the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s. Now named for the nearby town of White Sulphur Springs, the battle has also been known by a multitude of other titles, including the Battle of Dry Creek, Howard Creek, Rocky Gap, and "The Battle of the Law Books."

16. 1862 Battle of Harpers Ferry

The Battle of Harpers Ferry took place September 12-15, 1862, during the American Civil War. As Confederate General Robert E. Lee invaded Maryland, he also hoped to capture the Union garrison stationed in Harpers Ferry, then part of Virginia. To achieve this, he divided his force and sent General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson to deal with the garrison while his main force continued in Maryland. Jackson's successful capture of Harpers Ferry allowed the Confederates to gain strategic ground and access to supplies. It resulted in the largest United States surrender in the Civil War, with over 12,000 Union soldiers taken prisoner. The battlefield is now protected by the National Park Service and Civil War Trust.

17. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is nestled at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers in West Virginia with views of Maryland and Virginia. Visitors can cross the Potomac River and hike to the peak of Maryland Heights that overlooks Harpers Ferry. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park houses Storer College, buildings involved in John Brown's Raid, and a Civil War battleground.

18. Battle of Shepherdstown or The Battle of Boteler's Ford

On the evening of September 18, 1862, Confederate General Robert E. Lee decided to retreat to Virginia following a bloody, climactic battle at Antietam. With his beaten army in danger after having its invasion of Union territory halted, safety in Virginia lay across a ford in the Potomac River just outside Shepherdstown, Virginia (now West Virginia). Confederate forces made a dawn crossing on the 19th. Union forces seeking to continue their pursuit attempted to follow the Confederates across the river. The battle that ensued at Boteler’s Ford ended Lee’s Maryland Campaign, convinced Union General McClellan to abandon his pursuit of Lee, and contributed to President Lincoln’s eventual dismissal of McClellan as Commander of the Union Army.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

West Virginia Civil War Battlefields

Created by Kyle Warmack on October 17th 2017, 9:02:52 am.

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Description

A tour of WV's major Civil War battlefields. The state is home to a rich Civil War history with hundreds of sites, including Stonewall Jackson's childhood home, but this tour only includes the well-marked and better-preserved battlefields. West Virginia's rugged topography kept it from becoming a "major" theater of war, but it saw its fair share of major personalities--including the early commands of Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan, and the Union Army service of future presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley. And though not officially recognized as a "border" state, West Virginia's loyalties were violently split, often resulting in family members serving on opposite sides. Many of the units who fought each other again and again in these battles hailed from West Virginia, as well, and were well acquainted with their enemies. So bitter was the struggle that in 1863, West Virginia became the only state in the Union ever to split from an existing state.

Topics

American Civil War

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