USA > West Virginia > Randolph County > The history of Randolph County, West Virginia. From its earliest settlement to the present, embracing records of all the leading families, reminiscences and traditions > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61
August 13. A Federal force was sent from Grafton into Tucker County, capturing 15 prisoners, 90 guns, 150 horses and cattle and 15000 rounds of ammunition.
August 25. The Confederates were defeated in a skirmish at Piggot's Mill.
August 26. Fight at Cross Lanes, near Summerville. While the Fed- erals were eating breakfast they were attacked and defeated by General Floyd.
September 1. Skirmish at Blue Creek.
September 2. Skirmish near Hawk's Nest in Fayette County. General Wise with 1,250 men attacked the Federals of equal force, but was repulsed. September 10. Battle of Carnifex Ferry.
September 12. Skirmish at Cheat Mountain Pass, near Huttonsville. The Confederates under General Lee were repulsed in their attempt to fall upon the rear of the Federals. ยข
September 13. Fight on Cheat Mountain. The Confederates were de- feated. General Lee was foiled in his attempt on Elk Water.
September 14. Second skirmish at Elk Water. The Confederates were again unsuccessful.
September 15. The Confederates again were foiled in their attempt to advance to the summit of Cheat Mountain.
September 16. Skirmish at Princeton, Mercer County.
September 24. Skirmish at Hanging Rocks, in Hampshire County. The Federals were defeated.
September 24. Skirmish at Mechanicsburg Gap, Hampshire County. The Federals were defeated.
September 25. Colonel Cantwell defeated the Confederates under Col- onel Angus McDonald and captured Romney, but was afterwards forced to retreat.
150
CHRONOLOGY OF THE WAR.
September 27. Captain Isaiah Hall was defeated by Confederate guer- rillas at High Log Cabin Run, Wirt County. October 3. Fight at Greenbrier River. The Federals were repulsed after severe fighting, but the Confederates fell back to the summit of the Alleghanies.
October 16. Skirmish near Bolivar Heights. About 500 Confederates under Turner Ashby attacked 600 Federals under Colonel John W. Geary. The Confederates were defeated.
October 19. There was skirmishing on New River, with various results.
October 23. Skirmishing on the Gauley between detachments of Fed- erals and Confederates.
October 23. Colonel J. N. Clarkson, with a raiding force of Confeder- ates, unsuccessfully attacked a steamer on the Kanawha.
October 26. Colonel Alexander Monroe, with 27 Hampshire County militia, attacked and defeated a large Federal force at Wire Bridge, on South Branch of the Potomac.
October 26. General Kelley with 3,000 Federals defeated Colonel McDonald's militia and captured Romney.
November 1. Commencement of a series of skirmishes for three days, near Gauley Bridge.
November 10. Skirmishes at Blake's Farm and Cotton Hill, with attend- ant movements, occupying two days.
November 10. Fight at Guyandotte. J. C. Wheeler, with 150 recruits, was surprised and cut to pieces by Confederate raiders under J. N. Clark- son. Among the Union prisoners was Uriah Payne, of Ohio, who was the first to plant the United States flag on the walls of Monterey, Mexico. Troops soon crossed to Guyandotte from Ohio and the Rebels retreated. A portion of the town was burned by the Federals.
November 12. Skirmish on Laurel Creek.
November 14. Skirmish near McCoy's Mill.
November 30. A detachment of Union troops was attacked by guerrillas on the South Branch, above Romney. The Federals retreated, with three wounded and a loss of six horses.
November 30. Skirmish near the mouth of Little Capon, in Morgan County. Captain Dyche defeated the Rebels. December 13. Battle at Camp Alleghany. The Federals were defeated with a loss of 137 in killed and wounded.
December 15. Major E. B. Andrews set out on an expedition of six days to Meadow Bluff; defeated the Confederate skirmishers and captured a large amount of property.
December 28. Union forces occupied the county seat of Raleigh.
December 29. Sutton, Braxton County, was captured by 135 Rebels. The Union troops under Captain Rawland retreated to Weston. The Con- federates burned a portion of the town.
December 30. Expedition into Webster County by 400 Union troops under Captain Anisansel. He pursued the Confederates who had burned Sutton; overtook them at Glades; defeated them; killed 22 and burned 29 houses be- lieved to belong to Rebel bushwhackers.
1862.
January 3. Fight at Bath, in Morgan county, continuing two days. The Confederates under Stonewall Jackson victorious.
151
CHRONOLOGY OF THE WAR.
January 3. Major George Webster, with 700 Union troops, marched from Huttonsville to Huntersville, in Pocahontas County, drove out 250 Confederates, captured and destroyed military stores worth $30,000. These were the first Federals in Huntersville.
January 4. Skirmish at Sir John's Run, Morgan County. The fight continued late into the night. The Federals retreated.
January 4. Skirmish at Slanesville, Hampshire County. A squad of Union troops under Captain Sauls was ambushed and routed. Captain Sauls was wounded and taken prisoner. The Confederates were under Captain Isaac Kuykendall.
January 5. On or about January 5 the village of Frenchburg, six miles from Romney, was burned by order of General Lander on the charge that the people harbored Rebel bushwhackers.
January 5. Big Capon Bridge, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was destroyed by Confederates under Stonewall Jackson.
January 7. Fight at Blue's Gap, Hampshire County, in which the Con- federates were defeated and lost two cannon-the same guns captured at Bridge No. 21 by the Confederates, June 19, 1861.
January 10. The Federal troops evacuated Romney.
January 11. Romney occupied by troops under Stonewall Jackson.
January 14. The seat of Logan County was burned by Union troops under Colonel E. Siber.
January 31. Confederates evacuated Romney by order of the Secretary of War of the Confederate States.
January 31. Stonewall Jackson, indignant at the interference with his plans by the Secretary of War, in recalling troops from Romney, tendered his resignation. He was persuaded by Governor Letcher, General Johns- ton and others to recall it.
February 2. Confederates at Springfield, Hampshire County, were de- feated by General Lander.
February 8. Skirmish at the mouth of Blue Stone. Colonel William E. Peters, with 225 Confederates, was attacked by an equal force. The Fed- erals retreated.
February 12. Fight at Moorefield, in which the Confederates retreated. February 14. Confederates driven from Bloomery Gap, in Morgan County.
February 16. The Union troops were defeated at Bloomery Gap and compelled to retreat.
February 26. The Patterson Creek Bridge, in Mineral County, was burned by Rebel guerrillas.
March 3. Skirmish at Martinsburg.
April 12. Raid from Fairmont to Boothville by Captain J. H. Showal- ter, who was ordered by General Kelley to capture or kill John Righter, John Anderson, David Barker, Brice Welsh, John Lewis, John Knight and Washington Smith, who were agents sent by Governor Letcher into north- western Virginia to raise recruits for the Confederacy. Captain Showalter killed three men of Righter's company.
April 17. Defeat of the Webster County guerrillas, known as Dare Devils, by Major E. B. Andrews, who marched from Summerville to Addi- son with 200 Federals. There were several skirmishes between April 17 and April 21. Several houses belonging to the guerrillas were burned.
152
CHRONOLOGY OF THE WAR.
April 18. An expedition was sent by General Schenck to clear the North Fork and Senaca in Pendleton County of Rebel bushwhackers.
April 18. Colonel T. M. Harris skirmished with Rebel bushwhackers in Webster County, killing 5 and burning 5 houses.
April 23. Skirmish at Grassy Lick, in Hampshire County. Confeder- ate bushwhackers under Captain Umbaugh, who held a commission from Governor Letcher, concealed themselves in the house of Peter Poling and fired upon Colonel S. W. Downey's scouting party, killing three. Troops were sent from Romney and Moorefield and burned the house, after mor- tally wounding its owner.
May 1. Lieutenant Fitzhugh with 200 Federals was attacked near Princeton, Mercer County, and fought thirteen hours while retreating 23 miles, losing 1 killed, 12 wounded.
May 1. Skirmish at Camp Creek on Blue Stone River. Lieutenant Bottsford was attacked by 300 Rebels and lost 1 killed and 20 wounded. The Confederates were repulsed with 6 killed.
May 7. Skirmish near Wardensville, Hardy County. Troops under Colonel S. W. Downey attacked Captain Umbaugh a Rebel guerrilla, killing him and 4 of his men, wounding 4 and capturing 12. The fight occurred at the house of John T. Wilson.
May 8 .. Major B. F. Skinner led a scouting party through Roane and Clay counties from May 8 to May 21, skirmishing with Rebel guerrillas.
May 10. Federal scouts were decoyed into a house near Franklin, Pendleton County, and were set upon by bushwhackers and defeated with one killed. Two days later re-enforcements arrived, killed the owner of the house, and burned the building.
May 15. Fight at Wolf Creek, near New River, between Captain E. Schache and a squad of Confederates. The latter were defeated with 6 killed, 2 wounded and 6 prisoners.
May 16. The Confederates captured Princeton, Mercer County.
May 16. Skirmish at Wytheville Cross Roads. The Federals were attacked and defeated.
May 17. Federals captured Princeton with 15 prisoners.
May 23. Battle of Lewisburg, Greenbrier County. General Heth with 3000 Confederates attacked the forces of Colonel George Crook, 1300. The Confederates were stampeded and fled in panic, losing 4 cannon, 200 stands of arms, 100 prisoners, 38 killed, 66 wounded. The Union loss was 13 killed 53 wounded.
May 26. Skirmish near Franklin, Pendleton County.
May 29. Fight near Wardensville. Confederates were attacked and defeated with 2 killed, by Colonel Downey.
May 30. A Federal force under Colonel George R. Latham attacked guerrillas on Shaver Fork of Cheat River, defeating them, killing 4 and wounding several.
June 8. Major John J. Hoffman attacked and defeated a squad of Con- federate Cavalry at Muddy Creek, near Blue Sulphur Springs, killing 3.
June 24. At Baker's Tavern, Hardy County, Capt. Chas. Farnsworth was fired upon by Rebel bushwhackers. He burned several houses in the vicinity as a warning to the people not to harbor bushwhackers.
June 24, Colonel J. D. Hines started upon a three days scout through Wyoming County. He defeated and dispersed Confederate guerrillas known as Flat Top Copperheads.
153
CHRONOLOGY OF THE WAR.
July 25. Lieutenant J. W. Miller, at Summerville, was attacked at daybreak by 200 Confederate cavalry and nearly all his men were captured.
August 2. A scouting party of Federals under Captain I. Stough left Meadow Bluff for the Greenbrier river. On August 4, near Haynes Ferry, he was defeated by the Confederates, losing 2 wounded. The Rebels had 5 killed.
August 5. Federals under Lieutenant Wintzer invaded Wyoming County. In a fight at the county seat he was defeated with a loss of 19 missing.
August 6. Rebels attacked Pack's Ferry, near the mouth of Blue Stone, and were driven off by Major Comly. The Confederates, 900 in num- ber, were commanded by Colonel G. C. Wharton.
August 7. Rebel cavalry was defeated in a skirmish at Horse Pen Creek.
August 14. General John D. Imboden, with 300 Confederates, set out from Franklin, Pendleton County, on a raid to Rowlesburg to destroy the railroad bridge across Cheat River. His advance was discovered and he did not venture beyond St. George, in Tucker County, where he robbed the postoffice and set out on his retreat.
August 18. Skirmish near Corrick's Ford, in Tucker County, between Federal scouts and Confederates under Captain George Imboden.
August 22. The Confederate General, A. J. Jenkins, with 550 men, set out from Salt Sulphur Springs, in Monroe county, on an extensive raid. He passed through Greenbrier and Pocahontas Counties into Randolph, through Upshur, Lewis, Gilmer, Roane, Jackson, crossed the Ohio, and returned through the Kanawha Valley, marching 500 miles, capturing 300 prisoners and destroying the public records in many counties.
August 30. The Confederates under General Jenkins captured Buck- hannon after the small Federal garrison fled. He secured and destroyed large quantities of military stores, including 5,000 stands of arms. He had intended to attack Beverly, but feared his force was too small. He crossed Rich Mountain to the head of the Buckhannon River, traveling 30 miles through an almost pathless forest and fell on Buckhannon by surprise.
August 31. Weston, in Lewis County, was captured by Confederates under General Jenkins.
September 1. General Jenkins captured Glenville, Gilmer County, the Federal garrison retreating after firing once.
September 2. Colonel J. C. Rathbone, with a Federal force stationed at Spencer, Roane County, surrendered to General Jenkins without a fight.
September 3. At Ripley, in Jackson County, General Jenkins captured $5,525 belonging to the United States Government. The Union soldiers stationed at the town retreated as the Confederates approached.
September 11. General W. W. Loring, with a strong force of Confeder ates, having invaded the Kanawha Valley, attacked the Federal troops un- der General J. A. J. Lightburn at Fayetteville and routed them. This was the beginning of an extensive Confederate raid which swept the Union troops out of the Kanawha Valley. Military stores to the value of a mil- lion dollars fell into the hands of the Rebels, who destroyed what they could not carry away.
September 13. General Lightburn, in his retreat down the Kanawha Valley, was overtaken at Charleston by General Loring and was compelled to abandon large stores in his flight to the Ohio.
154
CHRONOLOGY OF THE WAR.
September 15. General Loring, at Charleston, issued a proclamation to the people of the Kanawha Valley and neighboring parts of the State, in- forming them that the armies of the Confederacy had set them free from the danger and oppression of Federal bayonets, and he called on them to rise and maintain their freedom, and support the Government which had brought about their emancipation.
September 20. General Jenkins' forces, having re-crossed the Ohio River into the Kanawha Valley, skirmished with Federals at Point Pleas- ant.
September 27. Skirmish at Buffalo, twenty miles above Point Pleas- ant. Colonel John A. Turley attacked and defeated the Confederates, a portion of the force under Jenkins.
September 28. Skirmish at Standing Stone.
September 30. Fight at Glenville. Fifty Federals attacked and defeated 65 Confederate cavalry.
October 1. Fight near Shepherdstown between Federals under Gen- eral Pleasanton and Confederates under Colonel W. H. F. Lee. Both sides claimed the victory.
October 2. Federals under Captain W. H. Boyd attacked and destroyed General Imboden's camp at Blue's Gap, in Hampshire County.
October 4. Confederates were captured at Blues' Gap.
October 4. General Imboden attacked and defeated the Federal Guard at Little Capon Bridge, in Morgan County and destroyed the bridge.
October 4. The Federal guard at Pawpaw, Morgan County, was cap- tured by Imboden.
October 6. Skirmish at Big Birch.
October 16. General Loring was superseded by General John Echols as commander of Confederate forces in West Virginia.
October 20. Skirmish at Hedgeville.
October 29. Fight near Petersburg, Grant County, between Federals under Lieutenant Quirk and Rebel cattle raiders who were endeavoring to drive stock out of the South Branch Valley. The raiders were defeated, and lost 170 cattle.
October 31. Skirmish near Kanawha Falls.
November 9. St. George, Tucker County, was captured by Imboden together with the garrison of 31 Federals under Captain William Hall. Imboden had set out, November 9, from South Fork, in Pendleton county, to destroy the railroad bridge at Rowlesburg, but learning that troops from Beverly were moving in his rear, he retreated, passing up Glade Fork of Cheat River, through a dense and pathless wilderness. He reached South Fork November 14. He had 310 men, and carried howitzers on mules.
November 9. Skirmish on South Fork. General Kelley moved from Keyser and destroyed Imboden's camp, which he had left in charge of Lieu- tenant R. L. Doyle while Imboden was absent on his raid toward Rowles- burg.
November 9. Captain G. W. Gilmore with a Federal force invaded Greenbrier County, capturing a wagon train and 9 men. He returned November 11.
November 24. A force of 75 Federals under Captain Cogswell marched from Sharpsburg to Shepherdstown and captured Burke's guerrillas, killing Burke.
November 26, An expedition moved forward under W. H. Powell
155
CHRONOLOGY OF THE WAR.
from Summerville to Cold Knob, and with only 20 men defeated the Confed- erates at Sinking Creek and took 500 prisoners.
December 3. Confederates at Moorefield were defeated with loss of 12 by Lieut H. A. Myers with 100 men.
December 11. Lieutenant R. C. Pendergrast with 27 men defeated a detachment of Confederates at Darkesville, Berkeley County. December 12. In a skirmish near Bunker Hill, Berkeley County, a squad of Federals captured 12 of Ashby's cavalry. December 22. General Imboden attacked a supply train near Wardens- ville, Hardy County, capturing it. He lost six men. The Federals lost 20.
December 25. Sixty Confederates under Captain Boyle were defeated by Lieutenant Vermilyea, with 40 men, at Charlestown.
1863.
January 3. Fight near Moorefield. Federals under Colonel James Washburn were attacked by General William E. Jones. A second Union force, under Colonel James Mulligan, advanced from Petersburg, attacked the Confederates in the rear and defeated them.
January 3. Petersburg, Grant County, was occupied by Confederates after it was evacuated by the Federals, who burned military stores to the value of $20,000, which they could not move.
January 5. A supply train belonging to General Milroy's army was attacked and partly destroyed by Confederates under Captain John H. McNeill, four miles from Moorefield.
January 20. General Lee wrote to Imboden, outlining a policy of war for West Virginia and urged him to carry it out. Among other things, the municipal officers of the Re-organized Government of Virginia, called by Lee "the Pierpont government," were to be captured whenever possible; and Imboden was instructed to "render the position of sheriff as dangerous a position as possible."
January 22. Skirmish in Pocahontas County between Federals under Major H. C. Flesher and Confederates under Colonel Fontaine. Success was equally divided.
February 5. Scout by 70 Federals under Major John McMahan from Camp Piatt through Wyoming County. The men were out three days and nearly froze to death.
February 10. Captain C. T. Ewing left Beverly with a Union force of 135 for a two days' scout through Pocahontas County. He captured 13 prisoners, 15 horses and 135 cattle.
February 12. Skirmish near Smithfield, Jefferson County .. A Union scouting party was attacked by Captain R. W. Baylor's cavalry, and lost six men, killed, wounded and captured. Federal reinforcements came up and retook the prisoners and captured Lieutenant George Baylor and several men.
February 12. Major John McMahan set out for a four days' scout from Camp Piatt through Boone, Logan and Wyoming Counties. He captured four prisoners.
February 16. Confederate guerrillas captured a wagon train and guard near Romney.
March 2. General John D. Imboden wrote General Lee, outlining his plan for invading West Virginia. The formidable raids under Imboden and Jones in April and May, 1863, were planned by Imboden, and the first men-
156
CHRONOLOGY OF THE WAR.
tion of the plan to Lee seems to have been in the letter to that General on March 2. There was a three-fold object in view. First, it was designed to destroy as much of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad as possible, and Im- boden believed he could destroy nearly all of it. Second, he expected to enlist "several thousand " recruits in West Virginia. Third, he wanted to establish Confederate authority in as much of the northwest as possible and retain it long enough to enable the people to take part in the Virginia State election in May. No hint is found in the letter that the Confederates would be able to establish themselves permanently west of the Alleghanies. Ex- cept the partial destruction of the railroad and the carrying away of several thousand horses and cattle, the great raid was a failure so far as benefit to the Confederacy was concerned.
March 7. Skirmish at Green Spring Run, in Hampshire County.
March 28. Confederates were defeated at Hurricane Bridge, near the Kanawha, by Captain J. W. Johnson.
March 30. Skirmish at Point Pleasant. Captain Carter, with a Union force of 60 men, was attacked by Confederates and besieged several hours in the Court-House. The Rebels retreated when Federal reinforcements appeared upon the opposite bank of the Ohio.
April 5. Skirmish at Mud River. Captain Dove attacked and defeated Confederates under Captain P. M. Carpenter.
April 6. Lieutenant Speer, with five wagons and 11 men, was captured near Burlington, Mineral County, by Confederates under McNeill.
April 7. Federals under Captain Moore attacked the Confederates at Going's Ford, near Moorefield, defeated them and retook the wagons lost by Lieutenant Speer the day before.
April 11. Colonel G. R. Latham moved from Beverly toward Franklin, Pendleton County, and occupied the town without opposition. He returned to Beverly after an absence of seven days.
April 18. Fight in Harrison County. Colonel N. Wilkinson with a squad of Union troops captured Major Thomas D. Armstrong at Johnstown and scattered his forces on the head of Hacker's Creek.
April 20. Imboden set forward with 3000 men on his great raid. Gen- eral W. E. Jones was sent through Hardy County to Oakland, Maryland, thence to move westward, destroying the railroad, while Imboden advanced through Randolph County toward Grafton, expecting to form a junction near that place with Jones, whence they would move west. The plan was generally carried out.
April 21. General Jones with 1300 men set forward on the great raid. April 24. Beverly was captured by Imboden. Colonel Latham with 900 Federals retreated to Philippi, in Barbour County, over roads almost impassable for mud which in places was up to the saddle skirts. Imboden was unable to follow with artillery, but pursued with cavalry. General Roberts in command of the Union forces in the northwestern part of the State, called in all his outlying garrisons and retreated to Clarksburg. Colonel James Mulligan marched from Grafton with a Federal force and fought Imboden's troops in Barbour County, but hearing that General Jones was threatening Grafton, Mulligan fell back to defend that point. Im- boden moved slowly toward Buckhannon over roads so bad that in one day he could advance only two miles.
April 25. Fight at Greenland Gap in Grant County. Captain Martin Wallace with less than 100 Federals held the pass five hours against the
157
CHRONOLOGY OF THE WAR.
Rebel army, and surrendered only when driven into a church and the build- ing set on fire.
April 26. General Jones attacked and captured Cranberry Summit, now Terra Alta, in Preston County.
April 26. The Confederates attacked Rowlesburg for the purpose of destroying the railroad bridge and trestles. The town was defended by Major J. H. Showalter and 252 Union troops. General Jones did not lead the attack in person but remained at the bridge five miles above Rowlesburg where the Northwestern Pike crosses, for the purpose of burn- ing the structure as soon as the town was taken. But his attacking parties were repulsed, and he abandoned the attack and marched to Evansville, in Preston County, not knowing that the Federal garrison of Rowlesburg was in full retreat toward Pennsylvania. Thus the town escaped capture, although defenseless; and the great trestles, for the destruction of which General Lee had planned so carefully, and the tunnel at Tunnelton, then the largest in the world, were saved; and the blow which would have para- lyzed the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad for months, was not struck.
April 27, The suspension bridge across Cheat River at Albrightsville, three miles from Kingwood, was cut down by the Confederates. The cables were severed with an axe.
April 27. Bridges and trestles on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad near Independence, Preston County, were burned by General Jones.
April 27. Morgantown, Monongalia County, was surrendered to Gen- eral Jones by the citizens. Three citizens were shot near town by the Rebels.
April 28. The suspension bridge across the Monongahela river at Mor- gantown was set on fire by the Confederates, but they permitted the citizens to extinguish the fire before much damage was done.
April 29. The Confederates under Imboden advanced to and occupied Buckhannon, in Upshur County.
April 29. General Jones attacked and captured Fairmont, Marion County, after a sharp skirmish. He captured 260 prisoners.
April 29. The large iron railroad bridge across the Monongahela above Fairmont. which cost over $400,000, was blown down with powder. The first blast of three kegs of powder placed under a pier, failed to move it, and the Confederates proceeded to burn the wood-work, considering it impossible to destroy the iron superstructure. But after several hours of undermining, a charge of powder threw the bridge into the river.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.