Battle of Moorefield
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Moorefield was a cavalry
battle in the American Civil War
, which took place on August 7, 1864, at Moorefield, West Virginia
, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864
. Brig. Gen. William W. Averell
led Union troops to a victory over Brig. Gen. John McCausland
and his Confederate troops in Hardy County, West Virginia
.
victory at the Second Battle of Kernstown
on July 24, General Jubal A. Early dispatched cavalry under Generals McCausland and Bradley T. Johnson to raid the towns of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
, and Cumberland, Maryland
. On the 29th the cavalry force crossed the Potomac
west of Williamsport, Maryland
, evading their Union counterparts under General Averell. As the Confederates moved north towards their target, Averell mistakenly assumed they would turn east to attack Baltimore and moved his force to repel such a maneuver. In doing so he allowed the Confederates to raid and burn Chambersburg virtually unopposed and then make off for Cumberland and West Virginia
On August 4, the Confederate cavalry continued with their objective of disrupting traffic on the B&O Railroad by attempting to raid New Creek (present day Keyser, West Virginia
). The raid proved to be unsuccessful as the small Union garrison used topography to its advantage, emplacing fortified artillery atop the mountains that surrounded the New Creek Valley. After aborting the raid the Confederates fell back towards Moorefield and made camp. Having been operating virtually unopposed since he left Virginia
, McCausland felt he was in no imminent danger and carelessly set up his camp with his two divisions separated by the South Branch Potomac River.
While the Confederates attempted to raid New Creek, Averell's force crossed the Potomac at Hancock, Maryland
, and headed for Springfield, West Virginia
. Upon arriving on August 6, they learned of the Confederate raid and subsequent withdrawal to Moorefield. Averell determined not to let the Confederates escape him a second time and departed for Romney
the following day, sending his scouts ahead to reconnoiter the Confederate position. By 6 p.m. that night his scouts met up with Averell at Mill Creek halfway between Romney and Moorefield. Because he was outnumbered nearly 2 to 1, Averell planned a surprise attack on the Confederates by launching a night raid. The Federals marched from Mill Creek at 1 a.m on August 7.
encountered and captured the first Confederate pickets north of Moorefield. After the pickets were sent to the rear, Averell rode up and prepared for his attack, placing Maj.
Thomas Gibson
in the center along the Moorefield road. Two columns under Col.
William Powell formed on the flanks of Gibson. Kerr again lead the vanguard. With his line formed Averell ordered the attack. Gibson's column immediately smashed into the Bradley Johnson camp. Most of Johnson's men were asleep and woke up only in time to be taken prisoner or rush off in full retreat. The commotion of Johnson's retreating men was enough to awake the men in McCausland's camp on the other side of the river who were able to form a line and meet Gibson's advance at the river. Averell had planned to meet resistance at the river and thus sent his two flanking columns to cross up and down stream respectively of Gibson's crossing. The two columns soon crossed and poured into the flank of the hastily formed Confederate line causing it to break into retreat. The Federal advance then pushed on encountering Brig. Gen. William Jackson's horse cavalry on the Winchester pike east of town. Jackson tried to bring his guns up to fire on the Federals, but because the retreating Confederates were so interspersed among them he could not get a shot off before they were overrun and captured.
's partisan command, which was operating in the area. The devastating loss crippled the Confederate cavalry in the Valley. For the duration of the war in the Valley they would no longer have the dominance they previously enjoyed throughout the war.
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
battle in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, which took place on August 7, 1864, at Moorefield, West Virginia
Moorefield, West Virginia
Moorefield is a town in Hardy County, West Virginia, USA. Moorefield is the county seat of Hardy County. It was originally chartered in 1777 and named for Conrad Moore, who owned the land upon which the town was laid out...
, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864
Valley Campaigns of 1864
The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864. Military historians divide this period into three separate campaigns, but it is useful to consider the three together and how they...
. Brig. Gen. William W. Averell
William W. Averell
William Woods Averell was a career United States Army officer and a cavalry general in the American Civil War. After the war he was a diplomat and became wealthy by inventing American asphalt pavement.-Early years:...
led Union troops to a victory over Brig. Gen. John McCausland
John McCausland
John McCausland, Jr. was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army, famous for the ransom of Hagerstown, Maryland, and the razing of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War....
and his Confederate troops in Hardy County, West Virginia
Hardy County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,669 people, 5,204 households, and 3,564 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile . There were 7,115 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
.
Background
Following the resounding ConfederateConfederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
victory at the Second Battle of Kernstown
Battle of Kernstown II
-References:* Patchan, Scott C. Shenandoah Summer: The 1864 Valley Campaign. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2007. ISBN 978-0-8032-3754-4.-External links:* for July 24, 1864, of Major Alexander Hart of the 5th Louisiana Regiment.*...
on July 24, General Jubal A. Early dispatched cavalry under Generals McCausland and Bradley T. Johnson to raid the towns of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
, and Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
. On the 29th the cavalry force crossed the Potomac
Potomac
-Places in the United States:Washington, D.C. area:*The Potomac River, which flows through West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC**The Potomac Highlands of West Virginia, a region of the Potomac River's watershed in West Virginia...
west of Williamsport, Maryland
Williamsport, Maryland
Williamsport is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,868 at the 2000 census and 2,278 as of July 2008.-Geography: Williamsport is located at ....
, evading their Union counterparts under General Averell. As the Confederates moved north towards their target, Averell mistakenly assumed they would turn east to attack Baltimore and moved his force to repel such a maneuver. In doing so he allowed the Confederates to raid and burn Chambersburg virtually unopposed and then make off for Cumberland and West Virginia
On August 4, the Confederate cavalry continued with their objective of disrupting traffic on the B&O Railroad by attempting to raid New Creek (present day Keyser, West Virginia
Keyser, West Virginia
Keyser is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,303 at the 2000 census.- History :...
). The raid proved to be unsuccessful as the small Union garrison used topography to its advantage, emplacing fortified artillery atop the mountains that surrounded the New Creek Valley. After aborting the raid the Confederates fell back towards Moorefield and made camp. Having been operating virtually unopposed since he left Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, McCausland felt he was in no imminent danger and carelessly set up his camp with his two divisions separated by the South Branch Potomac River.
While the Confederates attempted to raid New Creek, Averell's force crossed the Potomac at Hancock, Maryland
Hancock, Maryland
Hancock is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,725 at the 2000 census. The Western Maryland community is notable for being located at the narrowest part of the state...
, and headed for Springfield, West Virginia
Springfield, West Virginia
Springfield is an unincorporated census-designated place in northwestern Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, Springfield had a population of 477. Springfield is located north of Romney along West Virginia Route 28 at its junction with Green Spring Road and...
. Upon arriving on August 6, they learned of the Confederate raid and subsequent withdrawal to Moorefield. Averell determined not to let the Confederates escape him a second time and departed for Romney
Romney, West Virginia
Romney is a city in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,940 at the 2000 census, while the area covered by the city's ZIP code had a population of 5,873. It is a city with a very historic background dating back to the 18th century...
the following day, sending his scouts ahead to reconnoiter the Confederate position. By 6 p.m. that night his scouts met up with Averell at Mill Creek halfway between Romney and Moorefield. Because he was outnumbered nearly 2 to 1, Averell planned a surprise attack on the Confederates by launching a night raid. The Federals marched from Mill Creek at 1 a.m on August 7.
Battle
At around 3 a.m. the Union vanguard led by Capt. Thomas KerrThomas Kerr
Thomas Kerr is a Canadian illustrator. Educated at the Alberta College of Art and Design and the School of Visual Arts. He is an editorial illustrator featured in the New York Times from 1989 to the present day. Kerr's work has been featured on the OpEd pages of many national publications,...
encountered and captured the first Confederate pickets north of Moorefield. After the pickets were sent to the rear, Averell rode up and prepared for his attack, placing Maj.
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
Thomas Gibson
Thomas Gibson
Thomas Ellis Gibson is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his roles as Daniel Nyland in the Medical drama series Chicago Hope, as Greg Montgomery in the comedy series Dharma & Greg, and as Supervisory Special Agent Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner in the highly-popular CBS drama, Criminal...
in the center along the Moorefield road. Two columns under Col.
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
William Powell formed on the flanks of Gibson. Kerr again lead the vanguard. With his line formed Averell ordered the attack. Gibson's column immediately smashed into the Bradley Johnson camp. Most of Johnson's men were asleep and woke up only in time to be taken prisoner or rush off in full retreat. The commotion of Johnson's retreating men was enough to awake the men in McCausland's camp on the other side of the river who were able to form a line and meet Gibson's advance at the river. Averell had planned to meet resistance at the river and thus sent his two flanking columns to cross up and down stream respectively of Gibson's crossing. The two columns soon crossed and poured into the flank of the hastily formed Confederate line causing it to break into retreat. The Federal advance then pushed on encountering Brig. Gen. William Jackson's horse cavalry on the Winchester pike east of town. Jackson tried to bring his guns up to fire on the Federals, but because the retreating Confederates were so interspersed among them he could not get a shot off before they were overrun and captured.
Aftermath
The official reports show that Averell captured 38 officers and 377 enlisted men in addition to killing at least 13 and wounding 60. The Confederate losses to capture might have been higher, but due to the speed of the advance many Confederates initially captured were able to escape as they were sent to the rear. The victory cost Averell 11 killed, including 2 officers, 18 wounded, and 13 captured. Those captured were likely stragglers rounded up by John Hanson McNeillJohn Hanson McNeill
John Hanson McNeill was a Confederate soldier who served as a Captain in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He led McNeill's Rangers, an independent irregular Confederate military company commissioned under the Partisan Ranger Act.McNeill was born near Moorefield, Virginia...
's partisan command, which was operating in the area. The devastating loss crippled the Confederate cavalry in the Valley. For the duration of the war in the Valley they would no longer have the dominance they previously enjoyed throughout the war.