The Battle of Fayetteville occurred in Fayette County, Virginia (now West Virginia), on September 10, 1862, during the American Civil War. A Confederate Army, consisting of multiple brigades commanded by Major General William W. Loring, drove away a Union brigade commanded by Colonel Edward Siber. The battle is part of the Kanawha Valley Campaign of 1862.
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. Confederate leadership found out about the depleted force, and sent Loring to drive the remaining Union soldiers out of the Kanawha Valley. Loring had a force of about 5,000 men, but some people believed his force numbered as many as 10,000.
Lightburn's troops were divided into two brigades. His First Brigade, commanded by Colonel Siber, was stationed at Fayetteville, which put it between the Kanawha Valley and Loring. The Battle of Fayetteville was the first battle in Loring's attempt to accomplish his objective of clearing the Kanawha Valley, and his force was about four times the size of Siber's—although Siber's men had the protection of fortifications. Lightburn's other brigade was further north and not involved in the battle. Loring moved one brigade to Siber's right flank, while another made a frontal attack. Siber held off Loring for the whole day, but realized he was nearly surrounded. After midnight, Siber's force escaped north to the Kanawha River. Loring pursued, beginning a series of skirmishes that led to the Battle of Charleston.
Background
The Commonwealth of Virginia ratified an Ordinance of Secession that declared secession from the United States on May 23, 1861, and later joined other southern states in the Confederate States of America. Many people in the western portion of Virginia preferred to remain loyal to the United States ("the Union"), and they declared their own statehood on October 24, 1861—but did not officially become the state of West Virginia until June 20, 1863. Loyalties were mixed in the southern half of western Virginia (including the Kanawha Valley), with many of the people from the mountains being pro-Union, while the majority in the large valleys were pro-Confederate.
The American Civil War began in 1861, and Union forces gained control of a large portion of southwestern Virginia, including the Kanawha Valley. The Kanawha River is formed by the meeting of the New River and the Gauley River at the community of Gauley Bridge in Fayette County. Among the communities occupied by Union troops beginning in November 1861 was Fayetteville, the county seat of Fayette County. At least three fortifications were built around Fayetteville during late 1861 and early 1862.
The region had rugged terrain, few settlements, and few good roads. Along the north side of the New and Kanawha rivers, the James River and Kanawha Turnpike ran from east of the Allegheny Mountains to Gauley Bridge and Charleston. From a point on the Kanawha River about 10 miles (16 km) upstream from Charleston, small steamboats could be used to navigate to the Ohio River, meaning the river and turnpike could be used to transport troops and supplies. Fayetteville had strategic significance because it was also situated on one of the few good roads. The Giles, Fayette, and Kanawha Turnpike ran from Pearisburg, Virginia, to Fayetteville and the Kanawha River.
Brigadier General Jacob Dolson Cox was commander of the Union Kanawha Division that controlled southwestern Virginia along the Kanawha River Valley.
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, who was headquartered at Gauley Bridge. 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 Kanawha Valley. Most of the Union troops in the region were stationed at posts surrounding the community of Gauley Bridge, which was located at the eastern-most point of Kanawha Valley. Major General William W. Loring was stationed near Pearisburg. He was ordered to move north and clear the Kanawha Valley of Union soldiers, and then move northeast to join forces with more Confederate soldiers in the Shenandoah Valley.
Opposing forces
Union Army
Colonel Edward Siber of the 37th Ohio Infantry Regiment commanded the 1st Brigade. Siber had over 20 years of service as a German soldier in Prussia and Brazil. Lightburn, who was Siber's immediate superior, was not at the site of the battle. In the battle, Siber's command consisted of:
- 34th Ohio Infantry Regiment, commanded by Colonel John T. Toland. The regiment was organized by Colonel Abram S. Piatt, who resigned in 1862 after he was injured from a fall from his horse. The soldiers wore distinctive zouave–styled uniforms in blue trimmed with red, and were known as "Piatt's Zouaves". The regiment was considered rough and ruthless. Toland was not well-versed in military procedures, but he was fierce and brave. Lieutenant Colonel Freeman E. Franklin commanded a detachment during the battle.
- 37th Ohio Infantry Regiment, consisting primarily of German immigrants and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Louis von Blessing when Siber was commanding the brigade. Captain William Weste from Company C commanded Siber's artillery, which consisted of four mountain howitzers and two smoothbore field pieces. During May, the regiment fought in the Battle of Princeton Court House.
During the battle, Colonel Lightburn sent two detachments to assist Siber:
- Three companies of the 4th Loyal Virginia Infantry, commanded by Captain John L. Vance.
- Twenty-five men from the 2nd Loyal Virginia Cavalry, commanded by Major John J. Hoffman.
Confederate Army
Loring commanded the Department of Southwestern Virginia. He also used the term "Department of Western Virginia", and called his command the "Army of Western 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 for the Battle of Fayetteville were:
- The Second Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General John S. "Cerro Gordo" Williams. He was a Mexican-American War veteran, and he earned his nickname for heroics at Cerro Gordo. Under his command were the 26th Virginia Infantry Battalion (a.k.a. Edgar's Battalion) and the 45th Virginia Infantry Regiment. For this battle, the 36th Virginia Infantry Regiment commanded by Colonel John McCausland was part of Williams' brigade.
- The Third Brigade was commanded by Colonel Gabriel C. Wharton. Normally, his command consisted of the 51st Virginia Infantry Regiment and the 30th Virginia Sharpshooters Battalion (a.k.a. Clarke's Battalion of Sharpshooters). In this battle, his command also included the 22nd Virginia Infantry Regiment detached from the Second Brigade and the 23rd Virginia Infantry Battalion (a.k.a. Derrick's Battalion) detached from the First Brigade.
- A cavalry detachment was commanded by Major Logan H. N. Salyer. 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. Although the three companies were part of the 8th Virginia Cavalry Regiment, they later became part of the 17th Virginia Cavalry Regiment.
- King's Artillery Battalion (13th Battalion, Virginia Light Artillery) provided artillery support. The battalion was led by Major John Floyd King. It consisted of Bryan's, Chapman's, Lowry's, Otey's, and Stamps' batteries of Virginia Light Artillery. During the campaign, various batteries were usually assigned to a brigade. Usually, Otey's and Stamps' batteries were assigned to Williams, Chapman's to Wharton, and Echols used Bryan's and Lowry's batteries. Each battery had two to five artillery pieces.
- The First Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General John Echols. It consisted of the 50th and 63rd Virginia Infantry regiments for this battle. This brigade arrived late at the battlefield, and did not participate in significant fighting—although some of its artillery was used. It was involved in the pursuit afterwards.
Loring moves north
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 on a semicircular route through 500 miles (800 km) of Union–controlled territory to cut off the Union route of retreat down the Kanawha River. On August 22, he began the execution of his plan by sending north a cavalry force commanded by Brigadier General Albert G. Jenkins. As early as August 31, Lightburn had received reports that Loring was at Lewisburg (he was actually further south) with a force of 10,000 troops. Loring's force actually consisted of about 5,000 men instead of the rumored 10,000, but he expected to add to it by recruiting and organizing existing local militias.
The news of Loring's large force in the south, plus the possibility of Confederate cavalry between Lightburn and Ohio, reached Union camps in early September. At this time, Lightburn consolidated his troops and sent a portion of a cavalry regiment, and several companies of infantry, to find the Confederate cavalry. Siber's brigade was stationed at Raleigh Courthouse (a.k.a. Beckley), and he followed Lightburn's orders to move north to Fayetteville. He began sending companies north on September 4. A portion of Jenkins's Confederate cavalry force was in Ohio on September 4. It returned to Virginia on the next day, reunited with a detachment, and arrived at the small Kanawha River community of Buffalo that evening. Lightburn was aware of Jenkins, but he was not sure of the Confederate cavalry's exact location.
Loring began his advance on September 6, and this is considered the beginning of the Kanawha Valley Campaign of 1862. The brigades of Williams and McCausland departed from Red Sulphur Springs, while Wharton's brigade began the advance in Grey Sulphur Springs. Those two starting points were in Monroe County. Echols' brigade started further south in "the Narrows" of Giles County, Virginia. The distance from the Narrows to Fayetteville is approximately 75 miles (121 km) over mountainous terrain. The Confederate troops moved in two columns, with one west of the New River and one to the east. The eastern column crossed the New River at Pack's Ferry. On September 9, the two columns joined just southeast of Raleigh Court House (a.k.a. Beckley). That evening, they camped at McCoy's Mill (now Glen Jean, West Virginia), which was about nine miles (14 km) south of Siber's 1,200-man brigade at Fayetteville.
Loring sent a detachment of cavalry through the woods to Cotton Hill, which was behind (north of) the Union Army at Fayetteville. The detachment was from Salyers' cavalry battalion, and it moved northwest until it came to Laurel Creek. Moving east down the creek, they cut telegraph wires at the point where the creek is crossed by the turnpike. Wharton's Brigade, with the 22nd Virginia Infantry detached from Williams' Brigade, took a mountainous path west around Fayetteville to prepare for the flanking and rear attack. The remaining portion of Loring's army, led by Williams' Brigade, would make a frontal attack via the Princeton-Raleigh Road.
Battle
Troops move into positions
Further up the road from Loring was Siber's brigade in Fayetteville. Siber's brigade consisted of the 34th and 37th Ohio Infantry regiments supported by six artillery pieces. Fortifications on three hills had been built during the previous winter, and Siber used them to defend his position. Siber was worried about his right flank, and sent two companies from the 34th Ohio Infantry to Cassidy's Mill on Laurel Creek. Franklin commanded those companies, and two more companies from the same regiment were sent to join Franklin after taking a different route. Wagon trains began moving supplies from Fayetteville to Gauley Bridge via Montgomery Ferry, and three companies from the 37th Ohio Infantry were sent south to reinforce pickets on the turnpike to Raleigh Court House.
Around noon, Siber sent two companies from the 37th Ohio Infantry on a reconnaissance mission south on the road to Raleigh. About three miles (4.8 km) south of Fayetteville, the two Union companies ambushed Williams' advance guard—which consisted of Company B from the 26th Virginia Infantry Battalion. Although the Confederates drove the Union force back, they realized the Union recon force outnumbered them and withdrew to a wooded area to wait for reinforcements.