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The causes of the Civil War are complicated, but most centered around slavery—especially whether it should spread into new western territories. Tensions grew after John Brown’s 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry and when the Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery, helped elect Abraham Lincoln president in 1860.
After Lincoln’s win, seven Southern states seceded from the Union. When the Civil War began in April 1861, Lincoln asked for troops to fight back, including from states that hadn’t yet seceded. This pushed more Southern states, like Virginia, to join the Confederacy.
Although West Virginia didn’t see huge battles like Gettysburg, it experienced a lot of fighting during the war.
During the Civil War, thousands of men from (West) Virginia joined the Union Army—over 32,000 in total, though many were actually from nearby states like Pennsylvania and Ohio. Most Union support came from the northern and western parts of the sta...
Soldiers from West Virginia fought in many major Civil War battles. Confederate troops from the Eastern Panhandle fought at First Manassas under Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, who earned his famous nickname there. They also held strong at Second Mana...
Throughout the war, Harpers Ferry was a key military target. On April 18, 1861, right after Virginia seceded, state militia surrounded the 47 Union soldiers guarding the Harpers Ferry arsenal. The Union troops set fire to the buildings and escaped...
At the start of the Civil War, both the North and South saw Western Virginia as a key area because of its resources, strong recruits, and the important B&O Railroad. When Confederate troops threatened the railroad at Grafton, Union forces resp...
The Battle of Rich Mountain, fought on July 11, 1861, was a key early Union victory in Randolph County. Confederate Gen. Robert Garnett placed most of his troops at Laurel Hill, expecting a Union attack there, while leaving fewer men at Rich Mount...
The Battle of Corricks Ford, fought on July 13, 1861, was important because it saw the first general officer killed in the Civil War—Confederate Gen. Robert S. Garnett. After a defeat at Rich Mountain, Garnett tried to lead his troops to safety bu...
The Battle of Scary Creek, fought on July 17, 1861, in Putnam County, was one of the first Civil War battles and an early Confederate victory. Union General Cox tried to trap Confederate forces led by General Wise in the Kanawha Valley. About 1,30...
The Battle of Cheat Mountain took place on September 12, 1861, near the Randolph-Pocahontas County line. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee came to support Gen. William W. Loring’s army, hoping to protect key railroads. Union Gen. Joseph J. Reynolds l...
On August 21, 1861, Confederate Gen. John B. Floyd and 2,100 troops crossed the Gauley River and set up camp at Carnifex Ferry in Nicholas County. A few days later, about 850 Union soldiers from the 7th Ohio Infantry, led by Col. Erastus B. Tyler,...
In July 1861, Union troops took control of the Kanawha Valley and Gauley Bridge. In response, Confederate Gen. John Floyd led a counterattack in August, winning a small battle at Keslers Cross Lanes before retreating to Carnifex Ferry.On September...
The Battle of Allegheny Mountain took place on December 13, 1861, in Pocahontas County and was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War's first year. Union Gen. Robert Milroy led 1,900 men in an attack on about 1,200 Confederate soldiers camp...
Belle Boyd (1843–1900) was a famous Confederate spy born in Martinsburg. She started her spy career after shooting a Union soldier on July 4, 1861, and was imprisoned twice. After being acquitted, she moved to Front Royal, Virginia, where she gave...
The Battle of Lewisburg, which took place on May 23, 1862, was a Union victory. Union Col. George Crook led 1,600 men into Lewisburg, not knowing that Confederate Gen. Henry Heth was nearby with 2,200 soldiers.Heth attacked Crook’s troops, but des...
During the Civil War, Harpers Ferry changed hands eight times. The most dramatic moment came in September 1862, when Confederate Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson captured 12,500 Union soldiers—the largest surrender of Union troops during the war.Throughou...
During summer 1862, around 5,000 formerly enslaved people came to Harpers Ferry for safety. Some had escaped on their own, while others were freed by Union troops and called “contrabands of war.” The Union army offered protection from being recapt...
After the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee moved his army back across the Potomac River into Virginia (now West Virginia) near Shepherdstown. Union troops followed and attacked on September 19, starting the ...
Sirene "Rene" Bunten, born in French Creek, Upshur County, in 1847, kept a diary from 1863 through the 1870s, documenting life on the home front during the Civil War. As a teenager, she tracked military events, including the Jones-Imboden Raid and...
In summer 1863, Confederate forces took back Lewisburg and moved toward Charleston. In August, Union forces led by Gen. William Averell were sent to capture the Virginia law library in Lewisburg and destroy a key railroad. Averell's 1,300 troops c...
From April 24 to May 22, 1863, Confederate generals William E. "Grumble" Jones and John D. Imboden led a raid into north-central West Virginia. Their goal was to disrupt the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, cut telegraph lines, and weaken Union cont...
In summer 1863, Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan led a raid with 2,460 cavalry through Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. This was the only time a large Confederate force entered that part of the North. After causing chaos in Ohio, Morgan's forces were...
Both Union and Confederate troops occupied Bulltown from June 1861 to April 1865 because it was located along an important road, the Weston & Gauley Bridge Turnpike. On October 13, 1863, the Battle of Bulltown occurred. Confederates lost eight...
Some people used the chaos of the Civil War to settle personal scores or seek personal gain. These individuals were known as bushwhackers, often ambushing their enemies. While some claimed to fight for the South, many were independent and operated...
McNeill's Rangers, a Confederate guerrilla group led by Capt. John H. "Hanse" McNeill, started operating in September 1862. Based in Moorefield, they attacked Union troops, camps, and the important Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Sometimes they joi...
The Battle of Droop Mountain, fought on November 6, 1863, in Pocahontas County, was the last large-scale battle in West Virginia and ended Confederate efforts to control it.Union Gen. William W. Averell led a force of 5,000 soldiers in a raid to d...
After burning Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Confederate cavalry under Generals John McCausland and Bradley Johnson camped in the South Branch Valley near Moorefield on August 6-7, 1864. Despite warnings about nearby Union forces, they stayed in a vu...
After the Confederate armies surrendered in 1865, both Union and Confederate veterans from West Virginia returned to their new state. However, when it came time for pensions, West Virginia Union veterans received federal pensions, but Confederate ...
Before the war, Anna Jarvis organized Mothers' Day Work Clubs to raise money for medicine and care for families suffering from tuberculosis. The clubs worked with doctors to improve clean water and sewage systems. When the war broke out, she belie...
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John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry
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