In July 1861, as Union forces advanced into the Kanawha Valley, a Confederate cavalry charge at Pocatalico River set the stage for the looming Battle of Scary Creek. But was this bold skirmish the victory it was claimed to be, or merely a fleeting clash amplified by Confederate hopes? As 34-year-old Maj. Gen. George Brinton…
Continue reading ➞ A Brilliant Little Dash: The Skirmish at Pocatalico
We made a few tweaks to the website recently, one of which is the addition of a page for our current and future publications. All new publications (Battlelog, etc.) will be posted here as well as announced in the blog. It's pretty barren right now, but as we release more research, the list will grow.…
Was the skirmish at the mouth of the Pocatalico River on July 16, 1861 a bold cavalry charge or blown out of proportion? Conflicting accounts tell vastly different tales, leaving us to sift through exaggerations and incomplete records to understand what really happened in this lesser-known prelude to the Battle of Scary Creek. A dramatic…
Continue reading ➞ What Happened at Poca? Unpacking the Truth
The incident near Red House not only serves as a lesson in the hazards of nineteenth-century warfare but also underscores the importance for historians of cross-referencing newspaper reports with multiple sources. It was shortly after sundown on July 14, 1861. The Ohio longshoremen and steamboat crewmen of the 1st Kentucky Infantry Regiment (U.S.) were packed…
Continue reading ➞ Clash at Red House: Friendly Fire or Something More?
As Union forces crept toward the Kanawha River, a raid led by Lt. Col. George W. Neff erupted into a brutal skirmish on a rugged ridge above Barboursville. Facing relentless Confederate fire and a deadly ridge climb, Neff’s troops clawed their way to a hard-won victory. As his campaign to secure northwest Virginia got underway,…
Continue reading ➞ Skirmish at Fortification Hill: Neff’s Bold Assault in Barboursville
The Action at Carter’s Creek was fought on Monday, June 24, 1861 between Union forces commanded by Lt. Daniel L. Braine and Confederate forces commanded by Capt. Isaac Currell in present-day Lancaster County on Virginia's Northern Neck. The brief exchange of fire resulted in a Confederate victory when the Union landing party was driven off…
Continue reading ➞ Action at Carter’s Creek – Location Revealed
The town of Wheeling, located along the Ohio River in what was then the Virginia panhandle (today, West Virginia), was Virginia’s fourth largest city in 1860. Sandwiched between the free states of Ohio and Pennsylvania, it was largely populated by German immigrants with no affinity for Virginia’s Anglo-American planter class. When the Secession Convention in…
Based on a careful analysis, it’s reasonable to conclude that the Union force had approximately 4,518 men on the field that day. The Battle of Big Bethel, June 10, 1861, on the Virginia Peninsula was unequivocally the first pitched battle of any magnitude in the American Civil War. Approximately 6,000 Union and Confederate soldiers participated,…
Based on a careful analysis, it’s reasonable to conclude that the Confederates had approximately 1,670 men on the field that day. Though some minor skirmishes occurred in Virginia prior to June 10, 1861, the Battle of Big Bethel on the Virginia Peninsula was unequivocally the first pitched battle of any magnitude. Approximately 6,000 Union and…
The Battle of Big Bethel (or Great Bethel) was fought on Monday, June 10, 1861 between Union forces commanded by Brig. Gen. Ebenezer Peirce and Confederate forces commanded by Col. John B. Magruder and Col. Daniel Harvey Hill in what is today Hampton, Virginia. It was among the American Civil War’s first pitched battles. Until…
Continue reading ➞ Topographical Sketch of the Battle of Bethel, June 10th 1861
