West Virginia Civil War

The First Campaign,
1861 in the Mountains

Virginia's western counties had little in common at the outset of the war with the populous and politically powerful section of the state east of the mountains.

Opposed to secession, political leaders from the west distanced themselves from Virginia's decision to leave the Union. The rift was so great that the western counties themselves seceded — from the rest of the state. West Virginia became the 35th state on June 20, 1863. By then, the state was in firm Federal control.

But Union military dominance wasn't always that certain.

Control of transportation arteries in northwest Virginia, including the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike (now US 250) and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, was the main theme in 1861. The first land battle of the war broke out June 3, 1861, when Union troops under Gen. George McClellan brushed aside Confederate resistance at Philippi.

By July, Confederates had established strongholds on and around Rich Mountain. Union troops under McClellan and Gen. William Rosecrans successfully attacked those positions July 11–14, forcing the Confederates to withdraw.

Concerned with the defense of the Shenandoah Valley and the Virginia & Tennessee and Virginia Central Railroads, Confederate President Jefferson Davis sent Robert E. Lee west to try to straighten out the situation. In his first field activity of the war, Lee couldn't get the job done. Friction between local Confederate commanders, poor weather, disease, rugged terrain and general bumbling thwarted Lee's attempt to drive the Federals from their bastion at Cheat Mountain Fort.

At about the same time, Union forces drove Confederates from their fortifications at Carnifex Ferry. Eventually the Southerners retired to Camp Allegheny on the present-day Virginia-West Virginia border. A Union attack there on Dec. 13, 1861, failed.

After the fighting and maneuvering in 1861, the area that would become West Virginia was in Union hands. Confederates mounted periodic raids and isolated actions but never seriously threatened again.

The Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike Corridor (US 250)

Philippi
Barbour County Historical Museum
East end of bridge
304-457-4846
A 303-foot covered bridge over the Tygart Valley River, originally opened in 1852, is a landmark on the June 3, 1861, battlefield. Both sides used the bridge. Museum open May-October and features much on Civil War history.

Elkins
War in West Virginia (The First Campaign)
Trails sign located at the Elkins Train Depot, 315 Railroad Ave, Elkins WV 26241
 Road map 
   Trails sign here is an introduction for the first real Federal campaign in the late spring of 1861, which was designed to protect the vital B&0 Railroad and “to secure Western Virginia for the Union.” Gen. George McClellan’s success in this campaign won him fame and command of the Army of the Potomac following the Federal disaster at First Manassas. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was also involved in the Southern losses here, but more than redeemed himself as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Rich Mountain Battlefield
Visitor center is located in Beverly, a block east of US 250, turn on Court Street
304-637-7424
   Dramatic July 11, 1861, Union victory here protected both the B&O Railroad and western Virginians' efforts to form a separate government. This battle pretty much settled the question of military control over the western Virginia mountains. The Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites and a very active foundation has preserved key areas of the battlefield.
   Summer Visitor Center hours are Tuesday–Sunday, noon–6 pm. Winter hours are Monday–Friday 11 am–4 pm. Donations are welcome.
    The battlefield itself is about 5 miles west of town. Look for the signs to the site, turn on Bridge Street. The battlefield is interpreted with walking trails at two main sites along the old Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, one at the mountain summit, the other at Camp Garnett.

The Battle of Laurel Hill Driving Tour
Tour with interpretive signs on Route 15 (Beverly Pike) off U.S. 250 near Belington
304-823-3327
 Road map 
A self-guided driving tour with interpreted stops describes this July 1861 camp and battlefield. Confederate Gen. Robert Garnett fortified this site and skirmished July 7–11, 1861, with approaching Federals under Gen. George McClellan. Following the Confederate defeat at Rich Mountain, Garnett’s small army was cut off and forced to retreat using a rugged mountain road. Union forces caught up at Corrick’s Ford where Garnett was killed and his army scattered.

Cheat Summit Fort
Monongahela National Forest site off US 250 about 9 miles southeast of Huttonsville, look for signs
304-636-1800
    Strip mining has taken much of what remains of this Federal stronghold, constructed to control the Staunton-Parkersburg Pike and protect the B&O Railroad. Robert E. Lee's Confederates menaced the fort Sept. 12, 1862, but never really mounted an attack. Earthworks are still visible from parking area here.

Camp Allegheny
Monongahela National Forest site off U.S. 250 at the Virginia-West Virginia border, follow the signs -
304-636-1800
   A dirt road, part of the original route of the Staunton-Parkersburg Pike, takes you back to the site of fortifications and camp occupied by Col. Edward Johnson's Confederates during part of the winter of 1861. Union attacks here Dec. 13 failed to dislodge Johnson, but the Southerners soon withdrew near Staunton due to long supply lines and inclement weather. Experienced Civil War historians and travelers marvel at this wonderfully preserved site. The chimney stones have fallen in place from the Confederate huts and the scenery is breathtaking. The national forest provides some interpretation. Some of the area is privately owned. The road can be treacherous in wet weather.

Websites of these places: West Virginia Links