An Encyclopedia of Early Civil War Virginia
Lewis "Lew" Wallace's 11th Indiana Infantry had been protecting the vital transportation hub of Cumberland, Maryland, along the Potomac River, since early June 1861. When Wallace’s regiment departed on July 7, Cumberland and key points along the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad were left dangerously exposed. At the request of General Winfield Scott, Pennsylvania Governor Andrew…
Continue reading ➞ Thomas L. Kane and his Bucktailed Wildcats
In June 1861, Col. Angus W. McDonald successfully petitioned the Confederate War Department for permission to raise a cavalry regiment, which became the 7th Virginia Cavalry. The first company he recruited was Capt. Turner Ashby’s Mountain Rangers. Thirty-two-year-old Turner Ashby Jr. and his younger brother Richard, 29, were born at Rose Bank Plantation in Fauquier…
In the spring and summer of 1861, the nation tore itself apart. Maryland and Virginia stood on the front lines, with the Potomac River between them threatening to become an international border. In Washington, military planners quickly recognized the importance of securing the Potomac west of the nation's capital and protecting the vital Baltimore &…
Continue reading ➞ Detailed Timeline of Events Along the Upper Potomac, May 23 – July 27, 1861
In the summer of 1861, Hampshire County, Virginia, became a battleground in the struggle to control the vital Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Confederate cavalry raided bridges and rail lines from Romney to New Creek while Union troops fought to keep open this critical transportation link between Washington, DC, and the West. On the eve of…
Continue reading ➞ Cutting the B&O: Confederate Raids in Hampshire County, 1861
There is always something new to learn about the American Civil War. Even after years of reading about the conflict, I still come across personalities, events, and perspectives I had never given much thought. Sometimes all it takes is the right speaker to make an unfamiliar subject interesting. That, more than anything, was my takeaway…
Continue reading ➞ A Weekend of Civil War History at the Emerging Civil War Symposium
In early July 1861, following Lewis “Lew” Wallace’s departure from Cumberland, Maryland, the 13th and 5th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiments and Battery A, 1st Pennsylvania Artillery, advanced to protect this vital transportation hub on the Potomac River. On July 12, Confederate cavalry destroyed railroad cars and two trestle bridges over George’s Creek on the Maryland side…
Continuing our exploration of Virginia militia raised in the early months of the American Civil War, today we’re examining Artillery companies (batteries) enrolled in May 1861. According to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Paymaster General’s Office tally of all Virginia volunteer companies prior to July 1, 1861, twenty-five artillery companies were enrolled in May. Precisely determining…
Continue reading ➞ Virginia Artillery Units Enrolled in May 1861
Throughout 1861, Union and Confederate forces struggled for control of the Kanawha Valley, an important east-west corridor through what was then western Virginia. I recently had the opportunity to visit several Civil War sites in the region, including locations along the Ohio and Guyandotte rivers. Although much has changed in the past 165 years, I…
Looking at old black-and-white photos and illustrations, it’s easy to feel disconnected from the places and events they depict. However, standing in those locations and seeing the landscape in full color makes history feel real. While much has changed in the 165 years since the war, seeing these places in person offers a perspective you…
Beginning in late April 1861, unionists in western Virginia agitated for the creation of a state government that would remain loyal to the United States. Their efforts culminated in the election of 47-year-old attorney Francis Harrison Pierpont (1814-1899) as governor of the Reorganized State of Virginia on June 20, 1861. The nascent state government, centered…
Spirit of '61 