The Kanawha Valley Campaign of 1862 was Confederate Major General William W. Loring's military campaign to drive the Union Army out of the Kanawha River Valley during the American Civil War. The campaign took place from September 6 through September 16, 1862, although an important raid that had impact on the campaign started on August 22. Loring achieved success after several skirmishes and two battles (at Fayetteville and Charleston), and Union troops retreated to the Ohio River and the safety of the state of Ohio.
Although the Kanawha Valley was in the southwestern portion of the Confederate state of Virginia at the time of the battle, it became part of the Union state of West Virginia in 1863. Despite West Virginia's impending break away from the Confederacy, its citizens in the Kanawha Valley were divided in loyalty to the two causes. Confederate leadership desired to regain control of the region and its valuable salt mines, and the river valley was seen as a source for new army recruits.
During August 1862, Union Brigadier General Jacob Dolson Cox was ordered to move his Kanawha Division from southwestern Virginia to Washington as reinforcement for Major General John Pope's Army of Virginia. Cox left behind a small force of about 5,000 men, which was under the command of Colonel Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn and headquartered at Gauley Bridge. Confederate leadership found out about the depleted force, and sent Major General William W. Loring to drive the remaining Union soldiers out of western Virginia. Despite Loring's success, he was removed from command one month later because of his lack of cooperation with his superiors. Cox returned to Ohio, and organized troops to retake the Kanawha Valley. Confederate troops evacuated the valley, and the Union army entered Charleston on October 30.
Background
In 1861, Union forces gained control of a large portion of southwestern Virginia. Brigadier General Jacob Dolson Cox was commander of the Kanawha Division, and it controlled southwestern Virginia along the Kanawha River Valley. The western portion of Virginia had few good roads and few settlements. Using small steamboats from the Ohio River, the Kanawha River could be navigated for about to a point about upstream from Charleston, which meant the river could be used to transport troops and supplies.
Further upstream (with non-navigable portions), the Kanawha River is formed by the meeting of the New River and the Gauley River at the community of Gauley Bridge. That community was important not only for its river connections, but also because the James River and Kanawha Turnpike ran through it and was intersected by another road that ran northeast to Summersville and beyond. The Kanawha River Valley portion of Virginia became part of the Union state of West Virginia on June 20, 1863.
On August 14, 1862, Cox began moving his Kanawha Division to Washington as reinforcement for Major General John Pope's Army of Virginia. Exceptions to Cox's orders were about 5,000 troops left behind and put under the command of Colonel Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn. Soon after Cox left the Kanawha Valley, Pope's quartermaster was captured along with numerous records, and Confederate leaders learned Cox had left only 5,000 men in the Kanawha Valley at posts around Gauley Bridge. In 1862, the Kanawha Valley was important to the Confederacy because of its salt deposits, the Kanawha saltworks, and its potential for new army recruits. Major General William W. Loring was ordered to clear the Kanawha Valley of Union soldiers, and then move northeast to form a junction with more Confederate soldiers in the Shenandoah Valley. Loring's campaign to accomplish this objective began September6 and ended September16, although an important raid that was part of Loring's plan began on August22.
Opposing forces
Union army
Colonel Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn assumed command of the District of the Kanawha, Department of the Ohio, on August 17, 1862. He was very religious and had little combat experience. His forces were: The First Provisional Brigade was commanded by Colonel Edward Siber. The brigade consisted of two infantry regiments: the 34th Ohio Infantry (a.k.a. Piatt's Zouaves) commanded by Colonel John T. Toland, and Siber's 37th Ohio Infantry commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Louis von Blessing. Artillery consisted of two mountain howitzers and two smoothbore pieces. Siber had over 20 years of service as a German soldier in Prussia and Brazil. The Second Provisional Brigade was commanded by Colonel Samuel A. Gilbert. It consisted of three infantry regiments plus two companies of cavalry: Gilbert's 44th Ohio Infantry was commanded by Major Ackber Orville Mitchell, the 47th Ohio Infantry was commanded by Colonel Lyman S. Elliott, and the 4th Loyal Virginia Infantry was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William H. H. Russell. The brigade's two cavalry companies were commanded by Major John J. Hoffman from the 2nd Loyal Virginia Cavalry Regiment. Artillery consisted of two 10-pounder rifled pieces, four mountain howitzers, one iron smoothbore 6-pounder, and one brass 10-pounder James rifle. Gilbert had combat experience, having fought in the Battle of Cheat Mountain and the Battle of Lewisburg. The 2nd Loyal Virginia Cavalry Regiment, later named 2nd West Virginia Cavalry, was commanded by Colonel John C. Paxton. The regiment was often scattered at multiple locations. In addition to the detachment of two companies commanded by Major Hoffman, Lieutenant Colonel Rollin L. Curtis commanded other detachments. The 9th Loyal Virginia Infantry was also not part of a brigade. The regiment was often split and consisted of only about 500 effectives. Colonel Leonard Skinner was the commander of the 9th West Virginia Infantry (and unhappy about the splits), and Lieutenant Colonel William Cooper Starr commanded detachments. Lightburn also had the assistance of the 153rd Militia and Home Guard of Kanawha County. Other home guard units and detachments, not under Lightburn's command, patrolled elsewhere in western Virginia and along the Ohio side of the Ohio River.
Confederate army
Major General William W. Loring commanded the Department of Southwestern Virginia. He had been a soldier since the age of 14, was a sergeant at the age of 17, and fought in the Second Seminole War and the Mexican–American War. Under his command were six infantry regiments, three infantry battalions, and five batteries. The First Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General John Echols. It consisted of the 50th and 63rd Virginia Infantry regiments, plus the 23rd Virginia Infantry Battalion (a.k.a. Derrick's Battalion). The Second Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General John S. Williams. Under his command were 26th Virginia Infantry Battalion (a.k.a. Edgar's Battalion, the 22nd Virginia Infantry Regiment, and the 45th Virginia Infantry Regiment. Major George M. Edgar was a prisoner of war during the campaign, so his battalion was temporarily commanded by Major Alexander M. Davis of the 45th Virginia Infantry. Colonel George S. Patton commanded the 22nd Virginia Infantry, and Colonel William Henry Browne commanded the 45th Virginia Infantry. The Third Brigade was commanded by Colonel Gabriel C. Wharton. Under his command were the 51st Virginia Infantry Regiment and the 30th Virginia Sharpshooters Battalion (a.k.a. Clarke's Battalion). Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig Augustus Forsberg commanded the 51st Virginia Infantry, while Lieutenant Colonel John L. Clarke commanded Clark's Battalion. The Fourth Brigade was commanded by Colonel John McCausland and included McCausland's 36th Virginia Infantry Regiment and the 60th Virginia Infantry Regiment, although Loring never mentions the 60th Virginia in his reports. Commanded by Colonel Beuhring H. Jones, the 60th Virginia is thought to have guarded supply wagons and not participated in fighting. Artillery Battalion, Army of Southwestern Virginia, was commanded by Major John Floyd King. The battalion consisted of Bryan's, Chapman's, Lowry's, Otey's, and Stamps' (a.k.a. Ringgold Battery) batteries. Byron's Battery had lost its guns earlier in the Battle of Lewisburg, but had two guns for the Kanawha Valley Campaign. Its excess men were armed with muskets and assisted Edgar's Battalion. Chapman's Battery had one 24-pounder howitzer, two brass 12-pounder howitzers, and two 6-pounder rifled artillery pieces. Lowry's and Otey's units consisted of light artillery. Stamp's Battery had two smoothbore 6-pounders, one 3-inch rifled gun, and one brass 12-pounder. Jenkins's cavalry was commanded by Brigadier General Albert G. Jenkins – He had seven companies from the 8th Virginia Cavalry Regiment, which were led by Colonel J. M. Corns. He also had five additional companies of mounted soldiers led by Captain W. R. Preston. Many of those soldiers were from the 14th Virginia Cavalry Regiment. The entire force totaled to about 500 soldiers. Salyer's cavalry was the portion of the 8th Virginia Cavalry that did not go on Jenkins's raid and remained with Loring. It was commanded by Major Logan H. N. Salyers. It included at least three companies normally part of a battalion commanded by William Henderson French, and may have been assisted by Thurmond's Partisan Rangers. The Virginia State Line was a partisan military force of nearly 2,000 men created with the purpose of recovering western Virginia and protecting various salt mines. The militia unit was commanded by Major General John Buchanan Floyd. It was not popular with Confederate army leaders, and did not employ strict discipline.
Jenkins's raid
Confederate Major General Loring planned to take control of the Kanawha River Valley by leading a large force in an assault of Union forces located upriver in Raleigh, Fayette, and Kanawha counties. Part of his plan included sending a cavalry force through of Union–controlled territory to cut off the Union route of retreat downriver. On August 22, he began the execution of his plan by sending north a cavalry force commanded by Brigadier General A. G. Jenkins.
Jenkins's mission was to attack the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and then move to the rear of the Union forces that occupied strategic points near the beginning of the Kanawha River. The railroad was located far to the north, and at least one historian believes the railroad portion of the mission was merely a diversion—Loring knew Jenkins would not be able to damage the railroad, but the threat would draw attention away from Loring's front and Jenkins's principal goal of cutting off the Union route of retreat. Jenkins began this mission with a 550-man mounted force that started north from near Salt Sulphur Springs. Later in the day, he sent one company away for another mission on the south side of the Kanawha River.