The Battle of Princeton Court House was fought May 15–17, 1862 in
Mercer County,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
(now
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
) in conjunction with
Stonewall Jackson
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...
's
Valley Campaign.
It was a minor victory for the
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...
.
Background
By early May 1862, Union forces were positioned to invade Virginia at two places.
Brig. Gen.
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed to ...
Robert H. Milroy
Robert Huston Milroy (June 11, 1816 – March 29, 1890) was a lawyer, judge, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War, most noted for his defeat at the Second Battle of Winchester in 1863.
Early life
Milroy was born on a farm near ...
's column, its axis of march the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, advanced from Cheat Mountain and occupied in succession
Camp Allegheny
The Battle of Camp Allegheny, also known as the Battle of Allegheny Mountain, took place on December 13, 1861, in Pocahontas County, Virginia (now West Virginia), about 3 miles from the mountainous border of Highland County, Virginia, as par ...
,
Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under both ...
,
McDowell, and Shenandoah Mountain. Retreating before the oncoming Federals, Confederate Brig. Gen.
Edward "Allegheny" Johnson pulled back to Westview, six miles west of
Staunton.
Battle
Union soldiers of Brig. Gen.
Jacob D. Cox
Jacob Dolson Cox, Jr. (October 27, 1828August 4, 1900), was a statesman, lawyer, Union Army general during the American Civil War, Republican politician from Ohio, Liberal Republican Party founder, educator, author, and recognized microbiologist ...
's
District of Kanawha threatened the
Virginia and Tennessee Railroad
The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad was an historic gauge railroad in the Southern United States, much of which is incorporated into the modern Norfolk Southern Railway. It played a strategic role in supplying the Confederacy during the American ...
. By mid-May, the Federals, although ousted from
Pearisburg, held Mercer County and braced for a lunge at the railroad. Confederate Brig. Gen.
Humphrey Marshall Humphrey Marshall may refer to:
*Humphry Marshall (1722–1801), botanist
*Humphrey Marshall (general) (1812–1872), Confederate general in the American Civil War
*Humphrey Marshall (politician)
Humphrey Marshall (1760 – July 3, 1841) wa ...
arrived from
Abingdon, Virginia
Abingdon is a town in Washington County, Virginia, United States, southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,376 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Washington County. The town encompasses several historically significant sites and f ...
, with the
Army of East Kentucky.
Seizing the initiative, Marshall bested Cox's 1st and 2nd brigades during three days of fighting, May 15 to May 17, in Mercer County, centering on Princeton Courthouse. There were 129 casualties in total.
Aftermath
Breaking contact with the Confederates on the night of May 17, Cox withdrew 20 miles (30 km). Col.
George Crook
George R. Crook (September 8, 1828 – March 21, 1890) was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. During the 1880s, the Apache nicknamed Crook ''Nantan ...
, commanding Cox's 3rd brigade, marched to and occupied the city of
Lewisburg, where on May 23 he defeated Brig. Gen.
Henry Heth
Henry Heth ( not ) (December 16, 1825 – September 27, 1899) was a career United States Army officer who became a Confederate general in the American Civil War.
He came to the notice of Robert E. Lee while serving briefly as his quartermast ...
's larger brigade in the
Battle of Lewisburg. Crook withdrew upon learning that
Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's army had routed a Union division at
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
on May 25.
References
Further reading
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Princeton Court House, Battle Of
Princeton Court House
Princeton Court House
Princeton Court House
Battles of the American Civil War in West Virginia
Mercer County, West Virginia
1862 in the American Civil War
1862 in Virginia
May 1862 events