Surprise Encounter

Surprise Encounter. Battle of Buffington Island. , Union Troops Withdraw , In the early morning of July 19, Union Brigadier General Henry Judah's forces, dispatched the day before from Pomeroy, surprised both themselves and the raiders by virtually running right into Confederates hidden by the morning's dense fog. Rather than attempt to cross the Buffington Island ford at night, Morgan had decided to rest his troops in a nearby valley. , Startled, Morgan's men quickly fired upon the blue-clad soldiers. Judah's forces had little room to maneuver in the narrow valley where they met the raiders and soon came under heavy fire. Barely able to defend themselves, Judah's troops were forced to retreat. Meanwhile, Union General Hobson's reinforcements, led by Colonel August Kautz, were on their way to attack from the west, and Union gunboats were traveling up the Buffington Island channel to protect the ford. , Future Presidents , Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley, 19th and 25th presidents of the United States, respectively, both served in the 23rd Ohio Infantry. In 1863, Hayes commanded a brigade, which included the 23rd Ohio, in Brigadier General Eliakim Scammon's division stationed in West Virginia. Hayes' troops were among those placed on steamboats and rushed to the area to prevent Morgan's escape. , [Photo captions] , Top left: Daniel McCook - Major Daniel McCook died after the initial skirmish. He was father of the famous "Fighting McCooks," a family of staunch Union supporters which sent twelve men to the battlefields. , Bottom left: Just as the Confederates were preparing to make their way to the ford, they were surprised by the arrival of Judah's troops from the south. , Top right portraits: Rutherford B. Hayes - William McKinley