Droop Mountain is a small

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

in the

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range (; also spelled Alleghany or Allegany), informally the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada and posed a significant barrier to land travel in less devel ...

on the border of Greenbrier and

Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...

counties in southeastern

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 ...

. It was the scene of one of West Virginia's most important battles 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 ...

—the

Battle of Droop Mountain The Battle of Droop Mountain occurred in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, on November 6, 1863, during the American Civil War. A Union brigade commanded by Brigadier General William W. Averell defeated a smaller Confederate force commanded by ...

. Droop Mountain, rising 3597 feet above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

, is located southwest of

Hillsboro, West Virginia Hillsboro is a town in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 232 at the 2020 census. History Hillsboro was named for pioneer John (Richard) Hill, from North Carolina, who built a log cabin near what is now Lobeli ...

, on U.S. Route 219. During the Civil War, it formed a barrier to north-south passage along the west bank of the

Greenbrier River The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River, long,McNeel, William P. "Greenbrier River." ''The West Virginia Encyclopedia''. Ken Sullivan, editor. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. 2006. . in southeastern West Virginia ...

, blocking troop movements. A determined

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 ...

attack on November 6, 1863, successfully drove off

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 ...

defenders, essentially ending Confederate resistance in West Virginia. Much of the mountain is now part of

Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park is a state park located on Droop Mountain in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The park was the site of the Battle of Droop Mountain, the last major battle of the American Civil War in the state taking place ...

, encompassing the preserved Civil War battlefield. The mountain is also home to the unincorporated town of

Droop, West Virginia Droop is an unincorporated community in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States, in the Greenbrier River Valley. The community takes its name from nearby Droop Mountain. The area lends its name to Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, s ...

. The mountain most likely was so named on account of its "drooping" outline.

References

West Virginia Cyclopedia

External links

Topographic map of Droop Mountain at topoquest.com
{{Coord, 38, 02, 48, N, 80, 15, 53, W, display=title Mountains of Pocahontas County, West Virginia Landforms of Greenbrier County, West Virginia Mountains of West Virginia