An Encyclopedia of Early Civil War Virginia
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
Earlier this year, Ronald S. Coddington, editor and publisher of Military Images magazine, used primary sources to tell the story of Col. Lew Wallace and his Indiana Zouaves gathering in State House Square in Indianapolis to receive their regimental flags. It’s a rare glimpse of the pageantry and naïveté of these young soldiers, eager to…
Continue reading ➞ Life on the Civil War Research Trail: Lew Wallace’s Zouaves, 1861
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 June 1861, future Ben-Hur author Lew Wallace and the 11th Indiana arrived in Cumberland, Maryland, with orders to protect the vital B&O Railroad and secure the Upper Potomac. Within days, Wallace’s restless pursuit of Confederate forces would carry his Hoosiers into Virginia, setting the stage for a dramatic early Civil War campaign whose consequences…
Continue reading ➞ Lew Wallace and the Indiana Zouaves Secure Cumberland
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
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…
Earlier this month, I took a trip up to the Romney, West Virginia area to visit some Civil War sites and take pictures for this encyclopedia. It was a beautiful, warm day, but it was clear I would spend most of it in the car. My goal was to hit the Romney, Keyser, Cumberland triangle and parts in between.
Lewis "Lew" Wallace (1827-1905) was born on April 10, 1827 in Brookville, Indiana to a prominent family. His father, David Wallace, was a West Point graduate, U.S. Congressman, and 6th governor of Indiana. Wallace was well-educated for the time, and showed a proficiency for writing. He went on to publish the influential novel Ben Hur…
Spirit of '61 