The Battle of White Sulphur Springs, also known as the Battle of Rocky Gap or the Battle of Dry Creek, occurred in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, on August 26 and 27, 1863, during the American Civil War. A Confederate Army force commanded by Colonel George S. Patton defeated a Union brigade commanded by Brigadier General William W. Averell. West Virginia had been a state for only a few months, and its citizens along the state's southern border were divided in loyalty to the Union and Confederate causes. Many of the fighters on both sides were West Virginians, and some were from the counties close to the site of the battle.
The battle was a turning point for the first of three mounted expeditions into Confederate-held territory led by Averell in the latter half of 1863. The expedition had multiple targets, including a saltpeter works, a Confederate cavalry force in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, and the law books from the law library of the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Confederate leaders feared Averell's mission was to destroy sections of a railroad—either the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad or the Virginia Central Railroad. Both railroads were important to the Confederacy for moving materials and men, and one served a lead mine used for the army's bullets. Defending against Averell was a force of four Virginia regiments and an artillery battery at Lewisburg, temporarily commanded by Patton in the absence of Brigadier General John Echols, who was over away in Richmond.
Patton's Confederate force stopped Averell's Union brigade near White Sulphur Springs—about east of Lewisburg. Both sides made numerous charges in the battle, but neither gained much ground. The Union force was prevented from reaching its objective in Lewisburg, and was forced to make a difficult retreat north while being pursued by Confederate forces. The Confederate victory proved that Patton could ably command a large force of over 2,000 men, and (unknown to the Confederacy) saved the law library in Lewisburg. Confederate leaders mistakenly believed they had saved the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad and a lead mine. Averell achieved the first two of his three objectives, and his newly-mounted men also gained valuable experience in cavalry tactics in the mountains of West Virginia. The books from the law library were never captured, and they were eventually moved to Richmond, Virginia. As of 2011, the battlefield has not been preserved. Three small monuments are side by side near a fast food restaurant, and across the street on the other side of a small creek is a historical marker that calls the clash the "Dry Creek Battle".
Background and plans
West Virginia Between December 20, 1860, and February 1, 1861, seven southern states seceded from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. Fighting began on April 12, 1861, when American troops were attacked at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, and this is considered the beginning of the American Civil War. Four additional states, including Virginia, seceded during the next three months. On April 17, 1861, representatives of the Commonwealth of Virginia held the Virginia Secession Convention, and passed an Ordinance of Secession that declared secession from the United States. The ordinance was ratified by popular referendum on May 23, and Virginia later joined the Confederate States of America. In June of that year, residents of the northwest part of the state who remained loyal to the United States met at the Second Wheeling Convention. On June 19, they approved a plan to establish an alternative loyal state government that would be located in Wheeling. Virginians loyal to the United States declared their own statehood on October 24, 1861, and it officially became the state of West Virginia on June 20, 1863.
The new state had rugged terrain, few good roads, few settlements, and far fewer financial resources than neighboring states. Although Union Major General George B. McClellan occupied much of northwestern Virginia in 1861 in the Western Virginia campaign, Union troops in West Virginia were reduced in 1862 when many were sent east. This enabled Confederate Major General William W. Loring to drive Union troops in the Kanawha Valley and Charleston back to the Ohio River. After the Battle of Charleston, Confederate occupation of the town did not last long, but regular Confederate Army soldiers still operated within the state of West Virginia in 1863. Not all residents were loyal to the Union; bushwhackers and Partisan rangers practiced guerrilla warfare tactics to gain control of the state. Many of the people from the mountains were pro-Union, while the majority in the large valleys were pro-Confederate. Approximately twenty to twenty-two thousand West Virginians fought on each side of the conflict. Lewisburg, located in West Virginia near the border with Virginia, supported the Confederacy.
Railroads
About 20 percent of the Confederacy's railroad network was in Virginia, where the Confederate capital city of Richmond had railroads entering and exiting from the north, east, south, and west. Among Virginia's railroads, the 200-mile (320 km) Virginia Central Railroad ran from Richmond deep into the western side of the upper Shenandoah Valley. It was used to shuttle troops and bring raw materials from the Valley to eastern population centers such as Richmond. Another important railway was the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, which was located close to West Virginia's southern border. This railroad was used by the Confederacy for moving troops and supplies between those states, and connected to more railroads at Lynchburg, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee. It had telegraph wires along its line, and important salt and lead mines were located along its route near Wytheville, Virginia. The lead mine was the source for an estimated one third of the lead used by the Confederacy to produce bullets for its armies. A mid-July 1863 raid by Union cavalry and mounted infantry, known as the Wytheville Raid or Toland's Raid, failed to inflict permanent damage to the railroad and did not reach the mines.
William W. Averell
Brigadier General William W. Averell was a West Point graduate, excellent horseman, and had experience fighting in the New Mexico Territory during the 1850s. Early in the American Civil War, he trained the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment as its colonel. His men considered him an excellent drillmaster, and at least one historian believed the regiment was "one of the best–trained and best–disciplined" volunteer cavalry regiments. On September 26, 1862, he was promoted to brigadier general in the Army of the Potomac. On March 17, 1863, he performed well at the Battle of Kelly's Ford, a first for Union cavalry against Confederate cavalry in the east. A few months later, Major General Joseph Hooker was unhappy with Averell's performance in Major General George Stoneman's 1863 railroad raid at Gordonsville, Virginia, and Averell was relieved of command of the 2nd Division of the Cavalry Corps, effective May 2.
On May 10, 1863, Averell was assigned command of the Fourth Separate Brigade, VIII Corps in West Virginia. Historians debate on if Averell was sent to West Virginia as a punishment, or because he could train Union Army units in cavalry tactics. The Union Army in West Virginia needed more mobility in order to be effective against Confederate cavalry and bushwhackers. The mobility problem became apparent in spring 1863 with the Confederate cavalry success in western Virginia during the Jones–Imboden Raid. Averell took command on May 23, and converted the 2nd, 3rd, and 8th West Virginia infantry regiments to mounted infantry. All three regiments were sent to a camp for instruction as Averell attempted to procure necessary equipment. He needed horseshoes, horseshoe nails, clothing, and ammunition. The only full cavalry regiment in his command, the 14th Pennsylvania Cavalry, was formed less than one year earlier with a colonel that was only 20 years old at the time.
Kelley's orders
Brigadier General Benjamin Franklin Kelley was commander of the Union Army's Department of West Virginia. Kelley's orders for Averell, dated August 12, 1863, sent the brigade into West Virginia. At the time, Averell was near Moorefield, West Virginia with part of his command. His orders were to go to Huntersville, West Virginia, and drive the Confederate force commanded by Colonel William L. "Mudwall" Jackson out of Pocahontas County. Another target on his mission was a saltpeter and gunpowder works in Pendleton County, West Virginia, which Averell could attack on his way to Huntersville. Finally, he was to go Lewisburg, West Virginia, and eliminate any enemy force stationed there. While there, he should seize the law books from the law library of the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals located in the town, and bring the books to the Union fortification in Beverly, West Virginia. Kelley stated that the "law library at Lewisburg was purchased for the western part of the State, and of course rightfully belongs to the new State of West Virginia. Our judges need it very much."
Two regiments from Averell's command that were detached, the 2nd and 10th West Virginia infantries, were instructed to meet Averell at Huntersville. The 2nd West Virginia Infantry was mounted. Averell was told that, if possible, Brigadier General Eliakim P. Scammon would send a force from the Charleston area to assist at Lewisburg. No more than 10 days of rations could travel with Averell's Brigade, so it would be necessary to forage off the land. Averell was also notified that although some supplies were being sent, no horses were available for Ewing's Battery. This meant that he would have to seize horses from landowners and issue receipts.
Opposing forces
With the exception of the Union cavalry, the Battle of White Sulphur Springs was fought in West Virginia by West Virginia and Virginia units. Some of the men from one of the Confederate units were from Greenbrier County, West Virginia, where the battle occurred. Others were from adjacent counties such as Monroe and Mercer. CompanyG from 26th Virginia Infantry Battalion (a.k.a. Edgar's Battalion) came from White Sulphur Springs, and was known as the White Sulphur Rifles.
Union army
As commander of the Department of West Virginia, Benjamin Kelly was headquartered in Cumberland, Maryland. He did not participate in the Battle of White Sulphur Springs, but had responsibility for the territory and was Averell's direct superior officer. Averell's 4th Separate Brigade was split into several units stationed in multiple places. His force on August 26, en route to White Sulphur Springs, consisted of the 2nd, 3rd, and 8th West Virginia mounted infantry regiments. His command also included the 14th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment, Gibson's Cavalry Battalion (consisting of six companies), and the six guns of Ewing's Battery. The 2nd West Virginia Mounted Infantry did not depart from Winchester as Averell did on August 5. Instead, it met Averell in Huntersville on August 23 after departing from Buckhannon on August 20. It was slightly better supplied than the remaining portion of Averell's brigade, and had enough extra ammunition that it distributed some to the 3rd West Virginia. Weapons used by the brigade were typically breech-loading carbines that used a cartridge. At the battle, Averell commanded about 1,300 men.
Confederate army