RICH MT BATTLEFIELD, WV

July 4 weekend Rachel and I spent Saturday exploring a roadside civil war encampment / battlefield on the summit of Rich Mountain. While the roadside marker indicating the Civil War engagement was next to the highway on RT 33 the battle ground site itself was far cry from any major traffic corridor.


Situated in the mountain pass of Rich Mountain on the Staunton-Parkersburg Pike and between the communities of Beverly and Colton, West Virginia the battle was remote even by today’s standards.


July 11, 1861 was certainly early in the civil war and protection of B & O railway interests in western Virginia was tantamount to the Union. Taking direction from Washington, Union troops moved decisively to protect their interest, thus they continued to follow Confederate movement in the region.


Confederate troops moving eastward after a loss at Philippi, WV moved to further secure the interior regions of western Virginia and maintain access of the S & P Pike for the Confederacy.
Upon receiving word that Union troops were advancing towards them Confederate General Robert Garnett quickly dispatched 310 soldiers from the Roaring Springs encampment to the high ground of Rich Mt. and the farm of Joseph Hart. Accompanied by 1 cannon, confederate troops dug in among the boulders and buildings scattered atop the craggy mountain pass readying themselves for any movement by Union forces.


At the very same time 5,000 Union troops and 8 cannon now under the direction of Gen George B. McClellan were digging in for what was expected to be a long engagement at the base of Rich Mountain on the western slope. Yet, as history would prove McClellan was timid in troop movement and attack, thus McClellan sent Brigadier Gen. William Rosecrans and 2,000 troops to encounter the Confederate forces.


David Hart, son of Rich Mountain inn keeper Joseph Hart, had arrived in the Union camp soon after confederate troops had taken up residency on the mountain and quickly volunteered his services as a guide for the union troops as the Union prepared to outflank the Confederacy.
Slowed by rain, heavy underbrush and misdirection, Union Brigadier Gen. William Rosecrans arrived midday in a surprising attack on this small Confederate force. Later that afternoon on July 11, leaving their cannon and one dead behind Confederate troops evacuated their strong hold, with Union troops fast on their heels.


These seemingly optimistic beginnings at Philippi and Rich Mt. would soon falter as numerous battles in the east including Manassas would fall to the Confederacy, forcing President Lincoln to look for new leadership in the field and the eventual appointment of McClellan to head the Union Army.


It should be noted, that McClellan’s actions at Rich Mt. foreshowed his weakness in battles fought later in the war. Although a brilliant man by all accounts and with a keen ability to organize troops McClellan still lacked the ability to move troops into battle at pivotal times, often blaming the failures of his actions on those he served with; and so he will be remembered.


If you are in the Beverly region or traveling east on RT 33, look for the signs indicating Rich Mt. The trip from Beverly across the pass to Colton is a mere 45 minutes. The stop at both McClellan encampment and the Confederate encampment are deserving of a few minutes of your time. Additionally, the park service and the Rich Mt Foundation have the battle field well marked and have done a remarkable job of maintaining the area.