The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union -occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. Department of West Virginia August 1864 - The Civil War in the East Cochran, Darrell. James Carter Linger, "Confederate Military Units from West Virginia", 2002 ed., pg. While the level of effective Confederate control over West Virginia would continue to diminish as the war progressed, authorities in Richmond were able to maintain at least a tenuous control over West Virginia's southeastern border regions until the end of the war. On December 19, 1864, with the fighting in the Valley over, the official designation as "Army of West Virginia" was discontinued but Crook retained command of the Department of West Virginia. Scout from Summit Point to Kablestown, Myerstown and Shenandoah Ferry. [1] It should not be confused with the official Union VIII Corps, which was commanded by Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace and on guard duty along the B & O Railroad during this time. Engagement, Charlestown and Duffield Station, Skirmishes near Charlestown, Flowing or Welch's Springs, Operations in Kanawha Valley against Witcher. CHARLESTON, W.Va. - West Virginia Archives and History is pleased to present "West Virginia and the Civil War" in the Archives and History Library at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019. [48], F. Talbott, "Some Legislative and Legal Aspects of the Negro Question in West Virginia during the Civil War and Reconstruction,", Hardway, Ronald V., "On Our Own Soil. As of the census of 1860, the 49 exempted counties held some 6000 slaves over 21 years of age who would not have been emancipated, about 40% of the total slave population. The men were acquitted, since no actual crime had taken place, but Parkersburg was split over the verdict, and Judge Jackson left to join Col. Porterfield at Philippi. DEPARTMENT OF NEW MEXICO, Numbers 27. Gen. George B. McClellan in Cincinnati wrote to President Lincoln: "I am confidently assured that very considerable numbers of volunteers can be raised in Western Virginia". Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers He was succeeded by Col. Thomas M. Harris. By 1864 some stability had been achieved in some central counties, but guerrilla activity was never effectively countered. It is noted for having two future U.S. presidents serve in its ranks: Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley, both from the 23rd Ohio Infantry. Col. Porterfield's difficulty ultimately, however, was lack of support by the Richmond government, which did not send enough guns, tents and other supplies. MARYLAND--- Cole's Battalion P. H. B. Cavalry. Civil War Pension Index Cards - An Index to Pension Applications of veterans who served in the US Army between 1861-1917 is available on FamilySearch. There were others though who operated without sanction of the Richmond government, some fighting on behalf of the Confederacy, while others were nothing more than bandits who preyed on Union and Confederate alike. Virginia's 22nd Infantry was composed almost entirely of soldiers from West Virginia. Reserve Division, Harper's Ferry, W. Va., to October, 1864. Congress approved statehood that December, with the condition that slavery must gradually be abolished in the new state. [5] The 1st, 2nd and 3rd West Virginia Cavalry also played a large role in directly cutting off the Confederate retreat at Appomattox Station on April 8, 1865, and was present during General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House to General Ulysses S. Grant the following day. Most of the 49 delegates returned to Richmond in June and a majority signed the ordinance of secession. A group of men were found playing cards under a B&O railroad bridge and arrested by Federal authorities. Curry, Richard O. To obtain records for these soldiers see Confederate Service Records. The Union forces retreated and the Confederates won a small but important victory. In the summer of 1861, Union troops, which included a number of newly formed Western Virginia regiments, under General George McClellan, drove off Confederate troops under General Robert E. Lee. The "Restored" government was generally supported in areas where secession was opposed. Unattached, Mountain Department, to June, 1862. Kenneth W. Noe, "Exterminating Savages" essay in "The Civil War in Appalachia", Univ. Hoping to slow a rumored invasion of the Commonwealth, on the night of May 25, 1861, Confederate troops under the command of Colonel William J. Willey burned two bridges on the main line of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad west of Grafton, Virginia (toady West Virginia). WEST VIRGINIA-- 4th Infantry (Co. "A").. Aug. 20: Skirmish, Hawk's Nest: OHIO--- 12th Infantry. The department went through a major reorganization in December creating four divisions. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of Virginia, to September, 1862 (Cos. "A" and "C"). of the Gulf), Railroad District of Western Virginia, Sept. 1862 - Jan 1863, Railroad District, March 11, 1862 - July 7, 1862, Department of New Mexico, to June 27, 1865, Column from California, - August 30, 1862, District of Rhode Island and Connecticut, 1865, District of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, 186566, District of Northern and Western New York, 186566, Defenses of the Upper Potomac, Jan 5 - Feb 1863. West Virginia in the American Civil War - Wikipedia However, other delegates pointed out that the creation of a new state would require the consent of Virginia, under Article IV of the Constitution. Following the Union defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run, he was given command of the Army of the Potomac. [26] Gen. Henry A. Attached to Railroad District, West Virginia, to March, 1862. "A Reappraisal of Statehood Politics in West Virginia". of West Virginia, to December, 1863. Capture of Steamer "Levi" and Gen. E. P. Scammon. Union Army Divisions, Departments and Districts - Wikipedia Boreman struggled to fill. Civil War Era - Henrico County, Virginia It was a fraternal organization members were veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, Marines and Revenue Cutler Service who served in the American Civil War. There were 49 delegates representing the 50 counties that became West Virginia. Booker T. Washington was born a slave in April 1856 on the 207-acre farm of James Burroughs. Western Virginia campaign - Wikipedia The Civil War and Virginia State Parks - Department of Conservation and Nov. 15, 1864, Lt. Col. V.A. Command of the division passed to Col. Rutherford B. Hayes who led the division at Cedar Creek. He trained them in guerrilla tactics and adopted a "no prisoners" policy.[16]. The VIII Corps played a major part in the defense of Washington from Jubal Early at Monocacy on July 9, 1864 under the commander of Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace. None will be accepted via e-mail or fax. The Wheeling government was unable to control more than 20 to 25 counties in the new state. Harpers Ferry was the site of a major U.S. Army arsenal, and was taken by Confederates in the opening days of the war, and again during the Maryland Campaign of 1862. Letter to Governor Pierpoint from Fairmount, March 10, 1862, signed John Coogle, Company I, 18th Regiment. Large scale Confederate forces would gradually abandon the region, leaving it to small local brigades to maintain hold on southern and eastern sections for much of the war. Much information on Civil War departments can be found in Eicher & Eicher, Civil War High Commands. For Regimental Histories of the following: Click here. Battle Unit Details - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service) [33] An exception to the low estimates is found in Why The Solid South?, whose authors believed the Confederate numbers exceeded Union numbers. Civil War Heritage - West Virginia Department of Commerce. Students examine primary source documents relating to events and policies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This area was therefore occupied by Union troops for nearly all of the war, and was a scene of frequent combat. This page was last edited on 11 March 2023, at 20:12. Scout from Meadow Bluff to Greenbrier River. PENNSYLVANIA--1st Troop Philadelphia Cavalry; Skirmish, Beller's Mills, near Harper's Ferry, Action, Bolivar Heights, near Harper's Ferry, Nov. 16.. Operations in Kanawha Valley and New River Region. "A Reappraisal of Statehood Politics in West Virginia". Quarrier Press, 2003, pgs. A published list of pardons is available online: If a Union sympathizer in West Virginia claimed a loss during the Civil War due to Union military confiscation, he could apply to the Southern Claims Commission for reimbursement. Sigel was officially appointed to command the Department of West Virginia by order of the War Department on February 29, 1864. Overview: Organized at Ceredo, W. Va., September 2, 1861, and mustered in October 18, 1861. Curry, Richard Orr. Virginia: Williamsburg Civil War Round Table. Army of West Virginia - Wikipedia The B&O passed across the lower (northern) end of the Shenandoah, east of the Alleghenies. [1] The state produced the most highly-decorated cavalry regiment of the Union Army (tied with the 47th Ohio as the most highly-decorated single regiment), and was credited with 32,000 Union soldiers, including 10 Brigadier and Major Generals. [35] Richard O. Curry in 1964 placed the figure at 15,000. Discovered in 1942, these incredible caverns are 1.25 miles in length and reach a depth of 235 feet, which means endless opportunities to discover and explore. On 20 June the Convention declared that by acceding to secession, the officials of the state government in Richmond had forfeited their offices, which were now vacant.