In July 1861, Henry A. Wise sent Confederate detachments north from Charleston toward Ripley and Glenville. One turned back without a fight; the other traded shots with Ohio troops and briefly drew Union reinforcements away from Rich Mountain. What did the Wise Legion hope to accomplish, and why did both expeditions come to so little?…
Continue reading ➞ The Wise Legion Moves North: Failed Expeditions to Ripley and Glenville
In July 1861, Union troops pushed south from Cumberland into Virginia to secure the vital B&O Railroad corridor around New Creek and Piedmont. Their advance erupted into a deadly clash at New Creek Station, where Confederate cavalry charged a fortified stone house before retreating into the mountains, setting off a pursuit that carried the fighting…
On June 26, 1861, thirteen mounted scouts from Lew Wallace’s 11th Indiana collided with Confederate cavalry near Dan’s Run and Kelly’s Island along the Upper Potomac. What began as a reconnaissance quickly erupted into two savage, close-quarters skirmishes that mortally wounded Richard Ashby, left Turner Ashby wounded, and claimed the life of the first Indiana…
Continue reading ➞ Skirmishes at Dan’s Run and Kelley’s Island
Before dawn on June 19, 1861, hundreds of Confederate soldiers waded across the Potomac River at New Creek, Virginia, intent on driving off Union defenders and destroying a vital B&O Railroad bridge. The daring raid overwhelmed a small band of local Home Guards, severed an important transportation link, and heightened fears that Lew Wallace’s isolated…
In June 1861, Lew Wallace and the 11th Indiana launched a grueling overnight march from Cumberland, Maryland, to surprise Confederate troops at Romney, Virginia, in one of the Civil War’s earliest actions. The resulting skirmish sent Confederate defenders fleeing, left Romney briefly in Union hands, and helped convince Gen. Joseph E. Johnston to abandon Harpers…
The “Battle” of Romney, fought on Wednesday, June 12, 1861, received attention at the time and in later accounts that far outstripped its actual significance. Early in the Civil War, before anyone could imagine the bloody battles to come, a virtually bloodless victory like Romney seemed like a major triumph for the Union war effort.…
Continue reading ➞ Illustrations of the 1861 “Battle” of Romney
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…
The story is one we are familiar with. Shortly after arriving at Cumberland, Maryland on the Potomac River and Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in June 1861, Col. Lewis “Lew” Wallace and his Eleventh Indiana Infantry Regiment marched all night to route a smaller Confederate force at what is today Romney, West Virginia in a bloodless…
A wealth of primary sources exists concerning the Battle of Corrick's Ford, fought on July 13, 1861, in Tucker County, West Virginia, and its aftermath. Official reports from several Union commanders involved in the action, however, are conspicuously absent. It was customary for each colonel engaged in an action like this to submit a report…
Continue reading ➞ Colonel Ebenezer Dumont’s Report from Corrick’s Ford
Welcome to version 1.6 of the Spirit of ’61 Battlelog! Over the past several months, we have focused on revising and updating our battle narratives for the Tygart Valley–Cheat River Campaign. With these updates completed, our Battlelog is now 88 pages and over 44,800 words. Here is a detailed list of all changes in this…
