The Second Battle of Saltville (December 20–21, 1864), was fought near the town of

Saltville, Virginia Saltville is a town in Smyth and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 2,077 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport– Bristol (TN)– Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a compone ...

, 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 ...

. After the defeat of General Stephen G. Burbridge's expedition against Saltville,

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 ...

General

George Stoneman George Stoneman Jr. (August 8, 1822 – September 5, 1894) was a United States Army cavalry officer and politician who served as the fifteenth Governor of California from 1883 to 1887. He was trained at West Point, where his roommate was Stonewall ...

reassembled a force to destroy the

saltworks A saltern is an area or installation for making salt. Salterns include modern salt-making works (saltworks), as well as hypersaline waters that usually contain high concentrations of halophilic microorganisms, primarily haloarchaea but also othe ...

there. Stoneman's force included Burbridge's Division and a brigade under Brigadier General Alvan C. Gillem. After defeating a Confederate force at

Marion, Virginia Marion is a town in, and the county seat of, Smyth County, Virginia, United States. It is positioned upon Interstate 81, in the Blue Ridge portion of the Southern Appalachian mountains in Southwest Virginia. The town is named for American Revoluti ...

on the December 17–18, Stoneman's expedition advanced to Saltville. General

John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. He represented Kentucky in both houses of Congress and became the 14th and youngest-ever vice president of the United States. Serving ...

had 500 men at Saltville under Colonel Robert Preston. Another brigade of cavalry was en route under General

Basil W. Duke Basil Wilson Duke (May 28, 1838 – September 16, 1916) was a Confederate States Army, Confederate general officer during the American Civil War. His most noted service in the war was as second-in-command for his brother-in-law John Hunt Mo ...

. General Gillem led the Union advance and attacked first. Burbridge joined the fight shortly after and the two Federal columns overwhelmed the town's defenses. Colonel Preston ordered a retreat and Stoneman's troops entered the town and destroyed the saltworks, accomplishing the objective of the Union raid.

Battlefield preservation

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. Th ...

(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 have acquired and preserved of the Saltville battlefields.

"Saved Land" webpage. Accessed May 29, 2018.

Gallery

Saltville_II_Battlefield_Virginia.jpg, Map of battlefield core and study areas by the

American Battlefield Protection Program The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) is a United States federal government program created by the Secretary of the Interior in 1991, with the aim of preserving historic battlefields in the United States. In 1996, Congress signed into ...

References

CWSAC Saltville

CWSAC Report Update

External links

{{authority control Stoneman's 1864 raid Saltville II Saltville II

Saltville Saltville is a town in Smyth and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 2,077 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport– Bristol (TN)– Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a compon ...

Battle of Saltville II The Second Battle of Saltville (December 20–21, 1864), was fought near the town of Saltville, Virginia, during the American Civil War. After the defeat of General Stephen G. Burbridge's expedition against Saltville, Union General George St ...

Smyth County, Virginia

1864 in Virginia Saltville II December 1864 events

Battlefield preservation

Gallery

See also

References

External links