Action at Glover’s Gap

Tuesday, May 28, 1861

At the end of May 1861, a Union detachment confronted secessionist militia at Glover’s Gap, resulting in the death of its defiant leader, Stephen Roberts. Whether Roberts was a Confederate officer or simply a rogue partisan remains unclear, but his death was among the first in the Union effort to control Northwest Virginia.

  1. Narrative
  2. Opposing Forces
    1. Confederate
    2. Union
  3. Timeline
  4. Location
  5. Primary Sources
    1. News Articles
    2. Reports and Letters
    3. Memoirs
  6. Secondary Sources

Narrative

The Action at Glover’s Gap occurred on Tuesday, May 28, 1861 between irregular secessionist militia commanded by Stephen Roberts and a detachment of Company A, 2nd Virginia Infantry (U.S.) commanded by 2nd Lt. Oliver R. West in Marion County, West Virginia.

By the time Virginia voters ratified the decision of its secession convention on May 23, 1861, Richmond had been named the Confederate capital and militia units were mobilizing. As commander of all Virginia forces, Robert E. Lee directed Col. George A. Porterfield to proceed to Grafton and organize the troops in northwestern Virginia. That area was heavily unionist in sentiment, and only several hundred recruits could be found.

Faced with the prospect of invasion by overwhelming numbers, Porterfield ordered bridges along the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and Northwestern Virginia Railroad be destroyed. Several were, and in response, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, commander of the Department of the Ohio, invaded western Virginia with 3,000 volunteer troops under the overall command of Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Morris.

Opposing them were Porterfield’s approximately 800 poorly trained and equipped militia gathered at the town of Grafton. Porterfield retreated to Philippi as the Union army advanced. According to author Fritz Haselberger, Porterfield sent detachments, including one commanded by 65-year-old Capt. Stephen Roberts (misnamed Christian), to further disrupt the railroad and cut telegraph lines.

Roberts’ detachment succeeded in causing enough mischief that Col. Benjamin F. Kelley, commanding the advanced federal units, sent 2nd Lt. Oliver R. West of Company A, 2nd Virginia Infantry (U.S.) to apprehend them and protect the railroad bridge at Glover’s Gap. West captured a handful of insurgents, then, on the morning of May 28th, came upon Stephen Roberts and his band at Glover’s Gap.

Roberts swore he would not be captured “by all the Federal troops in western Virginia” and raised his rifle, but it misfired. West’s troops returned fire and Roberts was killed. His company fled into the hills.

Not much is known about Stephen Roberts, and his status as a combatant is disputed. According to some sources, he was the first Confederate officer killed during the Civil War. At a time when volunteer officers were elected by their units, Roberts may well have considered himself captain of a company. Author Fritz Haselberger indicated that Col. Porterfield had overall control of Roberts and his men.

Union assistant quartermaster Charles Leib, as well as contemporary newspaper articles, stated that Stephen Roberts was leader of a local band of Marion County secessionists that disbanded after his death. Porterfield may have been in communication with them, but they were not formally sworn into service. In that case, Stephen Roberts was a civilian when he died and not a “Confederate officer”.

Opposing Forces

Confederate

Capt. Stephen Roberts, Commanding

UnitCommander(s)StrengthKilledWoundedCaptured
IrregularsCapt. Stephen Roberts?102+

Union

Capt. Albert C. Hayes, Commanding

UnitCommander(s)StrengthKilledWoundedCaptured
Company A, 2nd Virginia Infantry (U.S.) “Washington Rifle Guards”2nd Lt. Oliver R. West6000

Timeline

  • May 23, 1861: Virginia voters ratify their state’s Ordinance of Secession.

  • May 25, 1861: Virginia Col. George A. Porterfield orders the destruction of railroad bridges along the B&O Railroad and Northwestern Virginia Railroad.

  • May 26, 1861: Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan orders Union troops under his command to invade northwestern Virginia, converging on Grafton.

  • May 27, 1861: The 1st Virginia Regiment (Union) and Company A, 2nd Virginia (U.S.) reach Mannington and search the area for secessionists that cut telegraph wires and threatened nearby railroad bridges.

Location

GPS Coordinates — 39.61433, -80.41019

Primary Sources

News Articles

Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (Wheeling) 29 May 1861.

Zanesville Daily Courier (Zanesville) 30 May 1861.

York Gazette (York) 4 June 1861.

Reports and Letters

Memoirs

Leib, Charles. Nine Months in the Quartermaster’s Department; or the Chances for Making a Million. Cincinnati: Moore, Wilstach, Keys & Co., 1862.

Secondary Sources

Haselberger, Fritz. Yanks from the South! The First Land Campaign of the Civil War. Baltimore: Past Glories, 1987.

Reader, Frank S. History of the Fifth West Virginia Cavalry, formerly the Second Virginia Infantry, and of Battery G, First West Va. Light Artillery. New Brighton: Daily News, 1890.

Updated: 6 March 2025
Created: 9 October 2023

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