On November 6, 1863, one of the most important Civil War battles in West Virginia occurred in Pocahontas County. Union General William W. Averell launched a raid, to trap Confederate troops around Lewisburg. He was able to attack some 1,700 Confederates under General John Echols at Droop Mountain, just south of Hillsboro. The battle opened with nearly six hours of artillery fire, musketry, and hand-to-hand combat. Averell’s infantry finally broke through the Confederate left. The Rebels retreated, and the battle turned into a Union rout.
Tag: Civil War
October 29, 1861: General Lee Ends Three-Month Campaign
On October 29, 1861, Confederate commander Robert E. Lee departed present-day West Virginia, near the end of his ill-fated western Virginia campaign. The rest of his Civil War career would rank Lee among the greatest generals in history. However, his first campaign was a total calamity.
October 16, 1859: John Brown Captures U.S. Armory
John Brown, and a band of anti-slavery men, captured the U.S. armory at Harpers Ferry on the night of October 16, 1859. Earlier in the year, Brown had settled into a western Maryland farmhouse, where he trained his 18-man army in military tactics. His goal was to seize weapons from the national armory at Harpers Ferry and arm slaves, who would then overthrow their masters.
National Park Service Seeks Public Comments on Shepherdstown Battlefield Boundary Adjustment
This week is the last chance to make a public comment about a boundary adjustment for the Shepherdstown Battlefield. The National Park Service is looking for thoughts and opinions on whether the battlefield should be part of the park system. If so, will it be an addition to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park or Antietam National Battlefield?
On September 19th and 20th 1862, the Battle of Shepherdstown was underway. Some say, this battle may have significantly changed the course of the American Civil War. Edward Dunleavy, the President of the Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association says it was this small battle that caused Confederate General, Robert E. Lee to retreat south, halting his Maryland campaign.
“Lincoln had talked to his cabinet in July of 1862 about releasing the Emancipation Proclamation,” Dunleavy said, “and his secretary of state, Seward, said if you do it now without a military victory, it will fall on deaf ears, but if you do it after a military victory, it’ll have some importance. So the Union army could claim a military victory by pushing Lee’s army in retreat back into Virginia, and on September 22nd, the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation was released by Lincoln. That’s the significance of this battle.”
Dunleavy thinks the Shepherdstown Battlefield would be better as an addition to Antietam, because he says historically, it makes more sense.
“From a purely Civil War standpoint, it really should be part of the Antietam Battlefield,” he argued, “Not to take anything away from Harpers Ferry, but the fact is, there was an enormous surrender at Harpers Ferry during the Maryland campaign, but there was really no battle that ever happened there.”
While most of the opinions from the public and even the National Park Service seem to be overwhelmingly for Antietam, that’s still up for debate.
The boundary adjustment will be re-evaluated by both the National Park Service and Congress. Dunleavy says it will probably take at least six months or longer before a decision is made.
The comment period will end on Friday, October 3rd.
National Park Service Awards $1.7 Million in Grants to Protect Four Civil War Battlefields
Four of America’s Civil War battlefields will receive grants to help preserve their land.National Park Service Director, Jonathan Jarvis, announced that…
Four of America’s Civil War battlefields will receive grants to help preserve their land.
National Park Service Director, Jonathan Jarvis, announced that almost two million dollars in grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund will be distributed to four of America’s Civil War battlefields. The grants will be used to help preserve the land threatened with damage or destruction by urban and suburban development.
Harpers Ferry is one of the four battlefields chosen to receive grant money. The others include Thompson’s Station in Tennessee, and Ream’s Station and White Oak Road both in Virginia.
Grant Awards:
- Harpers Ferry: $1,329,802.00
- Thompson’s Station, Tennessee: $202,472.21
- Ream’s Station, Virginia: $$24,931.00
- White Oak Road, Virginia: $154,391.50
Total Award: $1,711,596.71
Harpers Ferry Historic Battlefield in Jefferson County will receive the bulk of the grant at 1.3 million dollars. The Harpers Ferry battlefield covers about 13 acres, and the easement will be held by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.