Battle of Carnifex Ferry
Philippi Races - Rich Mountain - Kessler's Cross Lanes - Carnifex Ferry - Cheat Mountain - Greenbrier River - Camp Allegheny
In the Kanawha Valley in northwestern Virginia met in 1861 in the course of operations in western Virginia Armed Forces of the North and the South each other twice; in the Battle of Kessler's Cross Lanes on August 26, and at the battle of Carnifex Ferry on September 10.
On July 28, 1861 General Robert E. Lee took over the supreme command of the armed forces in northwestern Virginia. He oversaw the Army of the Northwest and the Army of the Kanawha, each consisting of two brigades. The two brigades of the Army of the Kanawha were led by the former governors of Virginia, Brigadier General Henry A. Wise and Brigadier General John B. Floyd, who simultaneously held the Supreme Command. Both had had as a politician constantly opposite opinions and therefore refused to work as soldiers.
Battle of Kessler's Cross Lanes
The key terrain in this part of western Virginia was the confluence of the Gauley and New River to the Kanawha with the leading bridge over the James - Kanawha Turnpike. This site in Gauley Bridge, West Virginia was abandoned when Brigadier General Wise after the defeat at Rich Mountain on July 11 from Charleston, the later capital of West Virginia, according to White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia - about 100 km - dodged.
To prevent a scheduled for October 24 referendum on separation from the rest of Western Virginia, Virginia, the Army of the Kanawha marched on August 7, again in the space of Gauley Bridge, where Wise basically agreed to support Floyd's actions. Wise attacked on 24 August toward Gauley Bridge to cover Floyd's back. And it came on August 26 at 05:00 clock at the Battle of Kessler's Cross Lanes, the breakfast soldiers of the 7th Ohio Infantry Regiment under Colonel Erastus B. Tyler at. The overpowered northerners fled, and succeeded in their leaders only between Charleston and Gauley Bridge to collect them again. Floyd then moved into fortified positions at Carnifex Ferry.
Battle of Carnifex Ferry
In the meantime, Brigadier General Rosecrans was after the appointment, Major General McClellan to Washington, DC been appointed commander of the Military District of Ohio. After the defeat at Kessler's Cross Lanes, he led three additional brigades to support the south.
On the morning of September 10, ordered Brigadier General Brigadier General Floyd Wise, to strengthen him with two regiments, which ended this after careful consideration in march, so that one arrived just in time. In the afternoon attacked Brigadier General Rosecrans the positions of the Southerners to at Carnifex Ferry. After several hours of fighting the battle ended with nightfall.
Because of the superiority of the Yankees gave Brigadier General Floyd at midnight to Meadow Bluff, West Virginia Greenbrier County from the entire blame for the defeat of Brigadier-General Wise zuschiebend while these positions on Sewill Mountain, Fayette County - 20 km northwest of Floyd - moved.
The Union had the power recovered by the Kanawha Valley and the counties located here joined, which was founded in Wheeling " Restored Government of Virginia " to.