Pocahontas County During The Civil War
General Robert E. Lee aimed to regain control of the B. & O. Railway, which was vital for the Confederacy. After Confederate defeats at Rich Mountain and Corrick's Ford, Union forces had established a presence at White Top on Cheat Mountain. General Lee believed that controlling the B. & O. Railway would significantly weaken the North, even if it was not of great value to the South. To prevent a Union advance from Pocahontas and secure their position at White Top, a Union force of around 1,200 men was stationed at Elkwater. This force, combined with the troops at White Top, amounted to approximately 5,000 Union soldiers. Meanwhile, Lee's regiments, along with Loring's forces on the Greenbrier and Top Allegheny, gave the Confederates an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 men. Lee's strategy was to advance towards Elkwater and launch an attack on White Top, cutting off the Union retreat at Huttonsville. However, his plans were delayed by severe weather conditions, including rain, sleet, and freezing temperatures in August. Further setbacks occurred when an epidemic of measles, pneumonia, and typhoid swept through his troops. Lee's plan ultimately failed due to the lack of an anticipated attack from the east, forcing him to abandon his campaign in West Virginia. With his objectives unfulfilled, he shifted his focus south to Sewall Mountain in an attempt to mediate a dispute between Confederate generals Floyd and Wise, who were facing off against Union General Rosencrans. This effort proved unsuccessful, leading Lee to return to Richmond.
General William W. Averell was tasked with driving Confederate forces from eastern West Virginia and disrupting the Virginia and Tennessee Railway. Averell assumed command of Union forces after General Roberts was replaced due to his perceived inaction in protecting the B. & O. Railway from Confederate raids. Averell inherited a regiment and a battalion of cavalry, along with five regiments of infantry, three of which he mounted. To confuse Confederate forces at Lewisburg, Averell initiated a series of movements. He marched from Beverly to Monterey, then crossed the mountain to Frost in Pocahontas County. While Confederate troops in Monroe and Greenbrier anticipated an encounter at Droop Mountain, Averell unexpectedly crossed the Alleghenies again, heading towards Covington. The Confederate army, now under General Jones's command, engaged Averell at Rocky Gap on August 26-27, 1863. Confederate scouts spotted Federal troops descending from Covington, prompting the Confederates to charge uphill. Averell's forces were repelled, forcing them to retreat back towards New Creek and the B. & O. Railway. The reasons behind Averell's decision to invade enemy territory with a relatively small force have been debated by historians. Some suggest that he had to leave a substantial number of troops to safeguard the B. & O. Railway. Others believe that he underestimated the strength of the Confederate forces in Monroe, Greenbrier, and Pocahontas. Still, others speculate that his objective was primarily reconnaissance to gather information about the enemy's location and numbers.
Averell launched a daring raid on Salem, Virginia, to destroy Confederate supplies intended for General Longstreet's siege of Knoxville, Tennessee. The Virginia and Tennessee Railway, which passed through Salem, was a crucial supply route for the Confederate army. Averell's objective was to disrupt this supply line, potentially forcing Longstreet to abandon the siege and relieving pressure on Union forces in Knoxville. The raid was meticulously planned, involving a rapid march from Keyser and the careful selection of troops and horses. Averell assembled a force of 2,400 men, choosing those in peak physical condition, and equipped them with well-shod horses. He departed from Keyser on December 8, 1863, employing stealth tactics, including nighttime marches and maintaining burning campfires as decoys to deceive the enemy. Averell's forces successfully reached Salem on December 16, 1863, encountering a Confederate freight train arriving from Richmond. They deterred the train from entering the town and proceeded to destroy Confederate stores and warehouses. To disrupt the Virginia and Tennessee Railway, they tore up sections of track, piling ties into heaps, setting them ablaze, and placing rails across the fire to bend and render them unusable. Facing the threat of converging Confederate armies, Averell decided to escape into West Virginia through Covington. Recognizing that his northward route was blocked and pursued by enemy forces, he opted for a risky maneuver. Covington was defended by William "Mudwall" Jackson and his troops, but Averell aimed to exploit the challenging river conditions to his advantage.
Averell’s forces arrived at Covington and successfully outmaneuvered Confederate forces under the command of William "Mudwall" Jackson. Jackson's forces were positioned to defend the bridge over the swollen and ice-choked Jackson’s River. However, Jackson withdrew his troops from the bridge, choosing instead to fortify a position east of the town. This tactical blunder allowed Averell’s forces to cross the bridge unopposed. Averell’s troops bypassed Jackson’s defensive line by utilizing a farm road, placing them in the rear of the Confederate forces. Jackson, anticipating a frontal assault, had fortified a hollow near Rich Patch, but Averell’s flanking maneuver rendered his defenses useless. Upon realizing the situation, the Confederates attempted to burn the bridge, but Averell’s troops had already crossed, forcing the Confederate rearguard to swim the treacherous river, resulting in casualties. With the route through Covington secured, Averell sought a way to return to West Virginia without encountering Confederate forces at White Sulphur Springs. He relied on the knowledge of a young soldier, Alfred McKeever, who had previously traveled between Covington and Hillsboro as a store clerk. McKeever guided the exhausted troops along a back route, crossing the ice-filled Greenbrier River at the mouth of Spice Run. Averell’s troops reached Hillsboro, where they obtained supplies, and continued their arduous journey back to Beverly. They marched through Marlinton to Edray, where they met supply wagons sent from Beverly. On Christmas Day, 1863, the weary and frozen troops finally reached the safety of Beverly, marking the end of their daring raid and grueling escape.
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