An Encyclopedia of Early Civil War Virginia
If you search for any mention of a Civil War skirmish in Buckhannon, West Virginia in 1861 in the usual sources, you won't find it. In fact, any information about Buckhannon prior to George McClellan's occupation on June 30-July 1st is in short supply. There are a few references to a brief Confederate expedition to…
When sources are lacking, historians attempt to fill in the blanks, but we can use deduction to arrive at the most likely answer. The 9th Battalion Virginia Infantry, otherwise known as Hansbrough's Battalion, was a small unit consisting of four companies led by Lt. Col. George W. Hansbrough. It formed shortly after the Action at…
Soon after Virginia seceded from the Unites States in May 1861 and joined the Confederacy, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, as commander of the Department of the Ohio, invaded western Virginia under the pretext of protecting unionists there. These western counties would later vote to secede from Virginia and form the state of West…
Continue reading ➞ 160 Years Ago Today: The Battle of Rich Mountain
Spirit of '61 