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One-Page History of the 1861 Battle of Rich Mountain

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One-Page History of the 1861 Battle of Rich Mountain The Battle of Rich Mountain was fought on July 11, 1861 near Beverly, Virginia. The pivotal battle of the First Campaign of the Civil War would determine the fate of West Virginia. Now, 150 years later, the public is invited to learn about and commemorate this event at the 150th Anniversary Reenactment of the Battle of Rich Mountain, to be held July 9 and 10. “The Battle of Rich Mountain was a small affair compared to the devastating combat that the nation would witness over the next four bloody years,” said Rick Wolfe, president of the Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation and member of the West Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission. The battle’s strategic importance, however, was large, Wolfe said. “It pushed the Confederates away from the B&O Railroad and established Union control of other transportation routes, disrupted Confederate recruiting and changed the minds of ‘fence sitters’ on the issue of secession.” The battle also put Gen. George B. McClellan in command of the Army of the Potomac and set the stage for West Virginia statehood, he said. The Battle of Rich Mountain was fought for control of the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike. Confederates were strategically located at Camp Garnett at the western base of the mountain, 6 miles west of the county seat and crossroads town of Beverly. McClellan, charged with securing the loyal counties of western Virginia and protecting the area’s vital B & O Railroad for the Union, brought over 5,000 troops and eight cannons to Roaring Creek Flats, about 2 mi. west of the Camp Garnett entrenchments. Confederate Lt. Col. John Pegram was in command of Camp Garnett with about 1,300 men and four cannons. He sent a small party to protect his rear at the Joseph Hart homestead at the pass where the Pike crossed the summit of Rich Mountain. On the morning of July 11, the force at the pass consisted of 310 men and one cannon. Meanwhile, in the Union camp McClellan was hesitant to make a frontal attack on Camp Garnett. Joseph Hart’s 22-year-old son, David, volunteered to lead a flank attack to the summit. In the early morning of July 11, Brig. Gen. William S. Rosecrans with almost 2,000 men, set out with young Hart up the mountain. They struggled through the dense woods, delayed by confused directions and drenched by rain. At about 2:30 p.m. on July 11, the Federal column encountered enemy skirmishers on top of Rich Mountain. The surprised Confederate outpost at the pass took cover behind rocks and trees, and with the help of their one cannon, held off the Federal attack for over two hours. Badly outnumbered, they eventually gave way, and Rosecrans’ troops took possession of the field. Realizing that the enemy was at his rear, Col. Pegram ordered the withdrawal of his remaining forces from Camp Garnett during the night. On the morning of July 12, Rosecrans entered the abandoned camp and sent word to McClellan that the enemy had been routed. McClellan marched his troops on to take Beverly, and proclaimed a great victory to the nation. The battlefield and Camp Garnett today are owned and protected by the Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation, which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary in 2011. Sponsored by the foundation with support from the West Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission, a series of educational and commemorative events July 6 through July 11 will honor the battle’s 150th Anniversary. Activities will close with a 6 p.m. commemoration ceremony July 11. For more information, directions, or a complete schedule of commemorative events, visit RMBF at www.richmountain.org or call 304-637-7424. .
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