Battle of Rowlesburg

Battle of Rowlesburg. B&O Railroad Bridge. , (Preface) On April 20, 1863, Confederate Gens. William E. "Grumble" Jones and John D. Imboden began a raid from Virginia through present-day West Virginia on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Taking separate routes, they later reported that they marched 1,100 miles, fought several engagements, captured 700 Federals, seized about 1,200 horses and 4,000 cattle, and burned 4 turnpike bridges, more than 20 railroad bridges, 2 trains, and 150,000 barrels of oil. Most bridges were soon repaired. Confederate losses were slight. By May 26, both commands had returned to Virginia's Shenandoah Valley., From where you stand, looking across Salt Lick Creek and the rail yard, down past the shop buildings, you can see the railroad bridge crossing. One mile beyond is the Tray Run Viaduct. During the Civil War, these bridges were critical to both sides. Destroying them would cut the rail line at a point where there was no alternative route west., On Sunday, April 26, 1863, Confederate Gen. William E. Jones sent a hundred dismounted troopers marching from the Northwestern Turnpike covered bridge (four miles upstream) up over a steep mountain called Palmer's Knob. They were to capture the eastern end of the railroad bridge and to "fire it at all hazard.", Local resident John Wheeler spotted the detachment forming on Palmer's Knob, across the river, east of town. He ran over the railroad bridge, burst into the meetinghouse, and announced that the Confederates were coming. The congregation rushed out to help Union Maj. John Showalter's small garrison defend the bridge., Jones's men formed a line about halfway down the mountain on a "bench" (level area seen above the bridge), moved forward, and "came bounding and bellowing down the mountain, yelling like fiends just up from the pit," according to a witness. Protected by the railroad embankment and armed with Enfield rifled muskets, the Federals and towns people opened fire. Other sharpshooters and townspeople, as well as guns on Cannon Hill just behind you, also fired. The Confederates responded but after half an hour retreated, leaving the bridge untouched. Defeated, Jones moved on to Morgantown and then to Fairmont., (captions) , Cheat River Railroad Bridge, 1861 Courtesy Rowlesburg Area Historical Society , Tray Run Viaduct, photo ca. 1872 Courtesy Library of Congress , Ohio Volunteers on Tray Run Viaduct, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Aug. 3, 1861