The Battle of Cove Mountain occurred in Wythe County, Virginia, on May 10, 1864, during the American Civil War. A Union cavalry division commanded by Brigadier General William W. Averell was prevented from attacking a lead mine located near Wytheville. Confederate forces commanded by Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan, with a detachment of a brigade of cavalry from the command of Brigadier General William E. "Grumble" Jones, stopped Averell at Cove Gap, adjacent to Crockett's Cove and Cove Mountain.
Averell and a larger force commanded by Brigadier General George Crook were part of a Union plan to damage the Confederate-controlled Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. The railroad was used by the Confederacy to transport soldiers and supplies, and served important lead and salt mines. Averell's assignment was to attack the mines, but he was stopped at the cove while attempting to reach the lead mine. After an escape through the mountains during the night, Averell's cavalry was pursued by multiple Confederate forces for five days until his cavalry reunited with Crook's force in Union, West Virginia.
The National Park Service lists the result of this battle as "indecisive". Confederate accounts call the battle a victory for Morgan. Confederate troops prevented Averell from destroying a salt mine, and a lead mine, that were important to the Confederacy for preserving meat and making bullets. However, because of Confederate concern about Averell's intentions, most of the forces commanded by Jones and Morgan could not assist at the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain where Crook's 6,000-man legion had a significant victory. Crook was able to complete his objective to destroy a large railroad bridge across the New River, and important Confederate railroad infrastructure was damaged.
Background and plan
During March 1864, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant became commander of all Union armed forces. Grant's strategy in Virginia was to attack the strongest Confederate Army, Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, from multiple fronts. Among targets were the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad and the Virginia Central Railroad, which carried food east from the Shenandoah Valley to help feed Lee's army. Troops also moved between battlefronts on both railroads. The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad helped connect the Confederate capital of Richmond with Tennessee, and was used to move minerals such as salt and lead to Knoxville, Tennessee, and to Virginia factories in Lynchburg, Petersburg, and Richmond.
Brigadier General George Crook was assigned the task of attacking the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. His force was three brigades of infantry and dismounted cavalry, plus two batteries, that totaled 6,155 men. Four hundred more men were added shortly thereafter. Crook sent a smaller force, commanded by Brigadier General William W. Averell, to attack a salt mine further west from Crook. A Union Army commanded by Major General Franz Sigel in the Shenandoah Valley was ordered to move south to Staunton, Virginia, where it could threaten the Virginia Central Railroad—and all three commands would meet at Staunton.
The Battle of Cove Mountain occurred during Averell's movements to accomplish his portion of Grant's plan. Averell's target salt mine was located in Saltville, Virginia. During 1864, this salt mine produced an estimated two thirds of the salt used by the Confederacy. Saltville is located along the border of Washington and Smyth counties in southeastern Virginia, and is served by a spur line from the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Moving east on the main line of the railroad, a lead mine was located on the south side of Wytheville, Virginia, not far from the railroad line. The lead mine was the source for much of the lead used by the Confederacy to produce bullets for its army. Further east from Wytheville, along the rail line, was a regional Confederate Army headquarters at the Dublin Depot near Newbern, Virginia. Near the headquarters was a large Virginia and Tennessee Railroad bridge across the New River, which was one of Crook's targets.
Opposing forces Union
Averell departed from a camp near Charleston, West Virginia, in early May with two brigades totaling 2,019 officers and men. His brigade commanders were Brigadier General Alfred N. Duffié and Colonel James M. Schoonmaker. Duffié's brigade consisted of the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry Regiment, the 34th Ohio Mounted Infantry Regiment, and a detachment of the 3rd West Virginia Cavalry Regiment commanded by Major Seymour B. Conger. Colonel William H. Powell was the commander of the 2nd West Virginia, while Major John W. Shaw commanded the 34th Ohio. Schoonmaker's brigade consisted of the 1st West Virginia Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Colonel Henry Capehart; and the 14th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Major John M. Daily. This brigade was armed with carbine versions of seven-shot Spencer repeating rifles. Other Union cavalry men were typically armed with Colt's navy revolvers, sabers, and single-shot carbines.
Confederate
The Confederate Army knew that Union forces were on the move as early as May 2, and moved Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan with two brigades to Saltville from East Tennessee. His First Brigade was commanded by Colonel Henry Giltner, and consisted of the 4th Kentucky Cavalry Regiment, the 10th Kentucky Cavalry Regiment, and the 10th Battalion Kentucky Mounted Rifles. The Second Brigade was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Robert A. Alston, and consisted of the 1st and 2nd Kentucky Cavalry battalions, and the 6th and 7th Confederate States Cavalry battalions. A few days later, Morgan used the railroad to send his cavalry men who did not have mounts, totaling about 400, east to the Dublin Depot to assist Brigadier General Albert G. Jenkins against Crook. Morgan focused the remaining portion of his command on Averell. Most of Morgan's men were from Kentucky or Tennessee, but Giltner's brigade was familiar with the area because it had spent two years serving there previously.
Confederate troops that were not part of Morgan's command also fought at Cove Mountain, although there is a lack of clarity for all the participants. A detachment known as Jones' Brigade arrived before Morgan. The brigade was commanded by Colonel George B. Crittenden, and included regiments commanded by Colonel A.F. Cook (8th Virginia Cavalry Regiment) and possibly Colonel Henry Bowen (22nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment). The 16th Virginia Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William L. Graham, also arrived in Wytheville to assist Morgan. Although some sources credit Brigadier General William E. "Grumble" Jones with being at the battle, two major newspaper accounts do not mention him, and a report by Colonel John McCausland mentions Morgan but not Jones.
Saltville to Wytheville
Averell's men departed from near the Logan County, West Virginia, courthouse on May 5, 1864. They moved south to Oceana in West Virginia's Wyoming County on May 6, and crossed the state border near Abb's Valley in Virginia's Tazewell County on May 7. Here, they skirmished with enemy scouts and captured one company from the 8thVirginia Cavalry. On the next day, they moved to Jeffersonville (a.k.a. Tazewell Courthouse) in Tazewell County—skirmishing with Confederate troops from Kentucky on the way.
From deserters and prisoners, Averell learned that the Confederate Army was aware of his Saltville objective and the size of his force. He also learned that 4,500 Confederate troops led by John Hunt Morgan and William "Grumble" Jones were waiting for his force (about 2,000 men) at Saltville. Given that information, Averell decided to attack the railroad further east at Wytheville, occupying Morgan and Jones so they could not intercept Crook. As Averell moved east, Morgan began following him.
At the junction of the Jeffersonville, Crab Orchard, and Wytheville roads, Averell continued moving east in the mountains toward Crab Orchard—a rugged road and a longer route to Wytheville. If Morgan had followed Averell, the terrain could have been used to Averell's advantage to hold off Morgan while a detachment attacked Wytheville. However, Morgan was aware of the dangerous terrain, and took the southeast direct route to Wytheville (through Burke's Garden). He arrived at Wytheville ahead of his command, and ordered Confederate troops already there to move north and guard the gap passing through Cove Mountain—the gap necessary for Averell to pass through to get to Wytheville. The people of Wytheville were relieved to see Morgan, as they remembered the destruction of the town in 1863 in Colonel John Toland's Wytheville Raid. The town had an old 6-pounder cannon and some powder, but no ammunition. A blacksmith cut up horseshoes and other pieces of iron that could be used as canister.
Battle
To get to Wytheville and the lead mine further south, Averell needed to pass southward through a small mountain gap near Crockett's Cove. When he arrived at the gap, it was already occupied by the Confederate detachment sent north from Wytheville by Morgan—and more of Morgan's men were moving there. Morgan's force was said to be about 4,000, although some historians believe that figure is an exaggeration.
Schoonmaker's 14th Pennsylvania and 1st West Virginia cavalries opened the battle by driving back the advanced guard of the Confederate force that occupied the gap. When the Union cavalry got too close to the gap, dismounted Confederate cavalry on both sides of the gap drove them back. The 2nd West Virginia Cavalry waited nearby with sabers drawn, intending to take the gap in what their Colonel Powell regarded as a suicidal charge. While the regiment was waiting, a member of the regiment's CompanyH climbed up a tree and observed the Confederate position being reinforced. This was reported to Duffié, and the charge was cancelled. Although not known by Averell at the time, reinforcements (including Morgan's brigades) were positioning on both sides of the gap, and a cannon masked by brush was positioned in the road.
Morgan attacks Morgan's command had reached Wytheville around 3:00pm, and then headed north to the gap. Colonel Giltner's First Brigade and Lieutenant Colonel R.A. Alston's Second Brigade, with Giltner in overall command, were deployed in the woods of the mountain on Morgan's left side of the pass in an effort to circle around to Averell's right flank. Unable to penetrate the gap, and aware of the Confederate reinforcements, Averell's command fell back and formed a line of battle to lure the Confederates out into the cove. A large Confederate force came out of the gap, and more fighting began. Glitner's two brigades attacked Averell's right while dismounted. Morgan commanded Jones' Brigade in person, in front of Averell's left center, and made use of the Wytheville cannon. A third Confederate force attacked Averell's left flank. A soldier from the 1st West Virginia Cavalry, which faced Morgan's First and Second Brigades, said the Confederate battle cry was "We are Morgan's men and will give you hell".