| West Virginia In The American Civil War |
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HISTORY , Romney .]] Despite its central location and disputed territory, West Virginia suffered comparatively little. Early in the war, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson led the Great Train Raid Of 1861 , which resulted in the capture of several Locomotive s and rolling stock of the Baltimore And Ohio Railroad . Jackson later led his men in what became known as the Romney Expedition , an unsuccessful attempt to firmly establish Confederate control over western Virginia. In a series of relatively small battles, McClellan's forces gained possession of the greater part of the territory in the summer of 1861, and Union control was never seriously threatened, in spite of Robert E. Lee 's attempt later same year to retake parts of western Virginia. A key part of the Union strategy in West Virginia for the rest of the war was to keep the vital Baltimore and Ohio Railroad open as a major supply and troop transportation route. Another important mission was to protect the vast supply warehouses and munitions factories at Harpers Ferry . However, the town fell to Stonewall Jackson during early days of the Maryland Campaign , and the surrender of its Federal garrison was the largest capture of U.S. Army troops until World War II nearly eighty years later. With Lee's withdrawal to Virginia following the Battle Of Antietam , Harpers Ferry reverted to Union control for the rest of the war. The Maryland Campaign concluded in what became West Virginia with the Battle Of Shepherdstown . In 1863 Brig. Gen. John D. Imboden , with 5,000 Confederates, overran a considerable portion of the state and tore up sections of the B&O. Bands of Guerrilla s burned and plundered in some sections, and were not entirely suppressed until after the war was ended. The numbers of Union and Confederate soldiers from West Virginia have fluctuated widely, though the most recent estimates according to the West Virginia Archives and History Department is that the number of Confederate and Union soldiers were about equal, 22-25,000 each. The early high numbers quoted for the Union included not only re-enlistment figures but also thousands of Pennsylvania and Ohio volunteers recruited in Wheeling. A Confederate brigade of cavalry under Antebellum U.S. Congressman Albert G. Jenkins saw considerable action during the Gettysburg Campaign , as well as other major campaigns. The low number of voters in the elections sponsored by Wheeling was a result of voter suppression by Wheeling and in the fact that Wheeling actually controlled only a small part of West Virginia, mostly the Northern panhandle and associated counties near Wheeling. Vote numbers from the interior counties were actually cast in Wheeling by refugees from those counties. A number of West Virginia regiments were distinguished for their war records, including the 7th West Virginia Infantry (which assaulted the Sunken Road at Antietam and rushed onto Cemetery Hill in the twilight at the Battle Of Gettysburg to help push back the famed Louisiana Tigers . The 3rd West Virginia Cavalry also fought well at Gettysburg as a part of John Buford 's veteran cavalry division that defended McPherson's Ridge on the first day of the battle. President Lincoln was in a close campaign when he won Reelection In 1864 . However, the act that allowed the state to be created was signed in 1862, two years before Lincoln's re-election would have been an issue in any real way. Slavery was officially abolished February 3 , 1865 . BATTLES IN WEST VIRGINIA Each battle is listed in the order in which it occurred.
NOTABLE FIGURES ;Union
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