In July 1861, George B. McClellan launched a coordinated offensive in western Virginia, using a diversion at Laurel Hill and a daring flank march over Rich Mountain to break Robert S. Garnett’s defensive line. The resulting Union victory not only shattered Confederate control of the region but propelled McClellan into national prominence at a critical…
On Tuesday, April 16, 1861, the Virginia Convention in Richmond entered secret session to debate secession and a potential alliance with the Confederate States. The next day, delegates voted 88 to 55 in favor of secession, pending a popular referendum set for May 23. Ten days into the session, on April 25, they approved ordinances…
Continue reading ➞ 165 Years Ago: Virginia Convention Calls for Alliance with the Confederate States
When Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan arrived in northwestern Virginia in late June to take command of his Army of the West, also known as the Army of Occupation, he reorganized and expanded it into five brigades under Brig. Gens. William S. Rosecrans, Thomas A. Morris, Charles W. Hill, Newton Schleich, and Col. Robert L.…
Continue reading ➞ What Federal Units were at the Battle of Rich Mountain?
Determining the number of Confederates in the vicinity of Rich Mountain on July 11, 1861 is deceptively simple. There were only three infantry regiments, one cavalry company, and one active artillery battery present. Missing and incomplete records, however, considerably complicate efforts to quantify the Confederate strength. It is tempting to take the figures provided by…
Continue reading ➞ What Confederate Units were at the Battle of Rich Mountain?
Previously, we chronicled the events leading up to the action at Philippi, from April 17 to June 3, 1861. Here, we turn to the 42 days between the secessionist retreat from Philippi and the Federal occupation of the Cheat Mountain summit, a period marked by steady reinforcements on both sides, intermittent clashes as the armies…
Continue reading ➞ Timeline of Events in Northwest Virginia, June 4 – July 16, 1861
In July 1861, Union forces under Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Morris spent five days skirmishing with Robert S. Garnett’s Confederates around the small hamlet of Belington, fixing them in place while George B. McClellan struck at Rich Mountain. Though largely indecisive on its own, the fighting helped set the stage for the campaign’s decisive turning…
Continue reading ➞ Morris, Garnett, and the Fight for Belington, July 7-11, 1861
John Beauchamp Jones (1810–1866) served as a senior clerk in the Confederate War Department, having spent much of his earlier life in Missouri and Maryland. A novelist and newspaper publisher, he owned the pro-Southern Southern Monitor in Philadelphia before the war. In Richmond, he witnessed many of the Confederacy’s defining moments and recorded them in…
Over the years, Emerging Civil War has published a range of engaging articles on events in northwestern Virginia during the spring and summer of 1861. Contributors include not only our friend Jon-Erik Gilot, but also Edward Alexander, Kevin Pawlak, David T. Dixon, and Gordy Morgan. The topics run from campaign overviews to forgotten Confederate drink…
Continue reading ➞ The Tygart Valley / Cheat River Campaign at Emerging Civil War
Following the rout at Philippi on June 3, Confederate President Jefferson Davis promoted Robert S. Garnett, adjutant to Robert E. Lee, to brigadier general and placed him in command of the army in the northwest. Garnett, 41, was a former U.S. Army officer and assistant instructor of infantry tactics at West Point. He joined Col.…
Continue reading ➞ What Confederate Units were at the Battle of Belington / Laurel Hill?
On July 6, 1861, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan ordered Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Morris to advance on Confederate Brig. Gen. Robert S. Garnett’s position on Laurel Hill, near the small hamlet of Belington, also spelled Bealington or Beelington. McClellan instructed Morris to occupy a position “on the south side of Barker’s Mill Run, on…
Continue reading ➞ What Federal Units were at the Battle of Belington / Laurel Hill?
