An Encyclopedia of Early Civil War Virginia
Over the past several months, we have done a deep dive into the Tygart Valley–Cheat River Campaign and updated nine battle pages with fully expanded narratives, orders of battle, casualties, contemporary newspaper articles, and lists of sources. Check them out: Action at Fetterman Action at Glover’s Gap Action at Philippi Action at Righter’s House Action…
Continue reading ➞ Nine Battle Pages Updated – And What Comes Next
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…
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
The following story appeared in the book Camp-Fire Chats of the Civil War: Being the Incident, Adventure and Wayside Exploit of the Bivouac and Battle Field, as Related by Members of the Grand Army of the Republic, edited by Washington Davis. It was published in 1884, and is a collection of anecdotes told by Union…
On June 27, 1861, a Confederate foraging expedition descended on the unionist town of Buckhannon, scattering civilians and briefly seizing vital supplies along the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike. Though a small clash, the raid and the rumors it sparked pushed George B. McClellan to launch his campaign against Robert S. Garnett, setting the stage for the fight…
Continue reading ➞ Divided Ground: Buckhannon’s Unionists Face a Confederate Incursion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_-ygaZqJ6I I recently stumbled upon this amateur video taken at a reenactment of the July 11, 1861 Battle of Rich Mountain in what is today Randolph County, West Virginia. The video features an interview with Phyllis Baxter of the Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation and some of the reenactors, as well as footage of the skirmish.…
Continue reading ➞ The Battle of Rich Mountain, Part 1 (1999 Reenactment Video)
Portrait of John C. Higginbotham of Buchkannon. West Virginia & Regional History Center, Morgantown, WV Soon after Virginia voted to secede, John Carleton Higginbotham (1842-1864), an 18-year-old student at Lynchburg College, returned home to fight for the Confederacy. His father, William Thomas Higginbotham (1821-1892), was a prominent landowner in Upshur County and owned nearly 10…
Continue reading ➞ “No Meat Hurt”: Letter from John C. Higginbotham
In a tense twilight skirmish at the covered bridge over Middle Fork River, Union and Confederate forces traded deadly volleys, with bullets tearing through the darkness. This fierce encounter would prove to be the critical opening move that cleared the Union’s path to a decisive victory at Rich Mountain just days later. Following the Confederate…
Continue reading ➞ Bullets Over Middle Fork: How a Bridge Fight Opened the Path to Rich Mountain
Spirit of '61 