Brigadier-General William W. Averell’s Federal forces continued efforts to destroy the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad linking Virginia to the west. Averell’s command was composed of mounted infantry, cavalry, and an artillery battery. In bitter cold, Averell led his troopers southwest from New Creek, with Brigadier-General Eliakim P. Scammon’s Federal cavalry moving southeast from Charleston toward Lewisburg in support.
The Federals destroyed anything that might be of use to the enemy. They clashed with Confederates on December 10, while another Federal raid began from Harpers Ferry. General Robert E. Lee, commanding the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, responded by sending Major-General Jubal Early to stop this raiding in the Shenandoah Valley and West Virginia. Early led two infantry brigades and Major-General Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry brigade from Lee’s army, as well as Brigadier-General John D. Imboden’s cavalry already operating in the Valley.
Early’s Confederates left Hanover Junction on December 15 to block Averell’s troopers at nearby Millborough. The next day, Averell surprised the residents of Salem by riding through the town and destroying the railroad depots and nearby bridges. He reported that the depots had contained thousands of barrels and bushels of flour, wheat, corn, oats, meat, and salt.
Averell then fell back upon learning that Early was heading his way. The Confederates pursued Averell until the weather turned too cold for active operations. The Federals arrived at Pocahontas County on the 22nd, where Averell reported, “My command has marched, climbed, slid and swam three hundred and fifty miles since the 8th instant.”
According to Imboden:
“It (December 22) was an awful night for men to be out. Our clothes and beards were loaded down with ice. The roads were very rough and freezing rapidly, but in many places not yet hard enough to bear the horses and gun carriages. Through all the dreary hours we pushed on. I heard that two of Fitz Lee’s men froze to death that night, and just before daybreak one of mine was reported frozen to death. Many of my men had no overcoats and only ragged blankets. Fearing more would freeze, I halted in a rich man’s lane, two miles long, and ordered the men to make piles of the rails on either side and set fire to them, thaw the ice off their clothing and get themselves warm.”
Averell’s Federals returned to Beverly on Christmas Eve, ending their third raid of West Virginia. Major-General Samuel Jones, commanding the Confederate Department of Western Virginia, was ultimately removed due to his inability to stop Averell and other Federals from operating in the region. Activity soon ended as the bitter winter began in the region.
Bibliography
- Pollard, Edward A., Southern History of the War (facsimile of the 1866 edition). New York: Fairfax Press, 1990.