The Battle of Rich Mountain took place on July 11, 1861, in

Randolph County, Virginia Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,932. Its county seat is Elkins. The county was founded in 1787 and is named for Edmund Jennings Randolph. Randolph County com ...

(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 B ...

) as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Background

Maj. Gen. Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...

assumed command of

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

forces in western

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 ...

in June 1861. On June 27, he moved his divisions from Clarksburg south against Lt. Col.

John Pegram John Pegram (November 16, 1773April 8, 1831) was a Virginia planter, soldier and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, both houses of the Virginia General Assembly and a major general during the War of 1812. Ear ...

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

s, reaching the vicinity of Rich Mountain on July 9. Meanwhile,

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 ...

Thomas A. Morris's Union

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...

marched from Philippi to confront Brig. Gen.

Robert S. Garnett Robert Selden Garnett (December 16, 1819 – July 13, 1861) was a career military officer, serving in the United States Army until the American Civil War, when he became a Confederate States Army brigadier general. He was the first general offi ...

's command at Laurel Hill. On July 10–11, Brig. Gen.

William Rosecrans William Starke Rosecrans (September 6, 1819March 11, 1898) was an American inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and U.S. Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War. He was ...

led a reinforced brigade by a mountain path to seize the

Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike The Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike was built in what is now the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia during the second quarter of the 19th century to provide a roadway from Staunton, Virginia and the upper Shenandoah Valley to the Ohio River at ...

in Pegram's rear.

Opposing forces

Union

Confederate

Battle

Laurel Hill

After a week of skirmishing Morris’ Union brigade came to a standoff against Garnett’s Confederate force on Laurel Hill. Occasional sniper and artillery fire plagued both sides amidst inclement weather. Stiff resistance convinced Morris he faced the main Confederate force. On July 11, Garnett learned of the Union flanking maneuver at Rich Mountain and decided to withdraw from Laurel Hill. The 44th Virginia Infantry was ordered to hold the Beverly Road by engaging Federals to give the appearance of an attack. With Gen. William Rosecrans’ Union brigade approaching from the South, Garnett abandoned the Beverly Road and withdrew toward Corrick’s Ford on the Cheat River.

Rich Mountain

Union forces under the direct command of General McClellan greatly outnumbered Pegram’s Confederates on Rich Mountain. Nevertheless, the Confederates held a strong position and inexperienced soldiers in his own command convinced McClellan to precede any action with an artillery duel. A local boy named David Hart entered Gen. William Rosecrans’ Union camp and said he knew a way around to the rear of the Confederate lines. McClellan agreed to let Hart lead Rosecrans’ brigade of 1,900 men through the woods. The route took roughly 10 hours through wet, rough terrain which forced Rosecrans to leave his artillery behind. During this time, Col. Pegram was able to learn from a captured sergeant of the Union flanking movement. Pegram incorrectly assumed the attack was coming from the north and positioned a lone 16-pound artillery piece with most of his command in defense. Captain Julius A. De Lagnel, Garnett’s chief of artillery, assumed command of this force around David Hart’s family farm. At 2:30pm Rosecran’s force appeared at the pass on Rich Mountain and attacked. Confederates quickly redeployed their artillery piece and twice repulsed Union skirmishers from behind crude breastworks. Assuming they had defeated the enemy, Pegram’s men began cheering. The cheering was enough to also convince McClellan that Rosecrans had been defeated. However, most of the Union soldiers were well concealed behind trees and logs. Rosecrans counterattacked and routed the Confederates in his front, wounding De Lagnel. McClellan shelled the Rebel position, but did not make the expected assault. Half the Confederates escaped to Beverly and on over the Shawnee Trail. Pegram and the others (including the "Sydney Boys", a regiment formed from the students of Hampden-Sydney College) attempted to make their way north to link up with Garnett. Pegram’s force was too exhausted to make it and 555 men surrendered on July 12.

Aftermath

Hearing of Pegram's defeat, Garnett abandoned Laurel Hill. The Federals pursued, and, during fighting at

Corrick's Ford The Battle of Corrick's Ford took place on July 13, 1861, on the Cheat River in western Virginia (now the state of West Virginia) as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. By later standards the battle ...

on July 13, Garnett was killed; he was the first general officer to be killed in the war. On July 22, McClellan was ordered to

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, and Rosecrans assumed command of Union forces in western Virginia. The Union victory at Rich Mountain was instrumental in propelling McClellan to command of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

Preservation

The battlefield and Camp Garnett today are owned and protected by the Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation. The

Civil War Trust The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization (501(c)(3)) whose primary focus is in the preservation of battlefields of the American Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 through acquisition of battlefield land. T ...

(a division of the

American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization ( 501(c)(3)) whose primary focus is in the preservation of battlefields of the American Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 through acquisition of battlefield land. Th ...

) and its partners, including the foundation, have acquired and preserved of the battlefield.

"Saved Land" webpage. Accessed May 25, 2018.

Gallery

Image:Battle of Rich Mountain-Camp Garnett.jpg, Camp Garnett Image:Battle of Rich Mountain-Hart House.jpg, Marker on site of Hart House Image:Battle of Rich Mountain-Historical Marker.jpg, Historical Marker on Rich Mountain Image:Battle of Rich Mountain-Uphill.jpg, Looking at summit of Rich Mountain Image:Battle of Rich Mountain-Downhill.jpg, Looking westward (downhill) from Rich Mountain summit

Notes

References

* Kennedy, Frances H., ed. ''The Civil War Battlefield Guide''. 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998. . * Taylor, Paul. ''Orlando M. Poe: Civil War General and Great Lakes Engineer''. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 2009. . * Zinn, Jack. ''The Battle of Rich Mountain''. Parsons, WV: McClain Printing Company, 1971. .
CWSAC Report Update and Resurvey: Individual Battlefield Profiles

External links

*

Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation

Dallas B. Shaffer, October 1966 {{DEFAULTSORT:Rich Mountain, Battle Of 1861 in Virginia Western Virginia campaign Battles of the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War Union victories of the American Civil War Randolph County, West Virginia in the American Civil War 1861 in the American Civil War Conflict sites on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Randolph County, West Virginia Historic districts in Randolph County, West Virginia Battles of the American Civil War in West Virginia July 1861 events