Bartow in Pocahontas County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
Camp Bartow
Battle of Greenbrier River
| | The First Campaign | |
Photographed by Craig Swain, July 10, 2010
1. Camp Bartow Marker
In August 1861, Confederate soldiers under Gen. Henry R. Jackson of Georgia erected Camp Bartow here. Fortifications on these hills guarded a disputed "middle ground" between Union and Confederate forces on the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike. The defenses were named in honor of a Georgian killed at First Manassas.
Confederates stationed at Camp Bartow took part in Gen. Robert E. Lee's failed September assault of the fortress on Cheat Mountain, 12 miles west.
On October 3, 1861, nearly 5,000 Union troops under Gen. Joseph Reynolds attacked 1,800 Confederates here in the Battle of Greenbrier River. Reynolds retreated to Cheat Mountain after a spirited artillery duel. Gen. Jackson's defenders received a commendation from the Confederate War Department for their victory.
Confederates at Camp Bartow suffered greatly from disease. By late November, the Southern army abandoned these works and withdrew nine miles east to Camp Allegheny, where they endured a horrible winter in the mountains.
"I can't describe my feelings when the battle began. I could but think of you at home so far away & me here in the fight with the balls flying around... thinking that the next moment one might get me."
-Shepherd
this page online
Erected by West Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the West Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is October 3, 1861.
Location. 38° 32.263′ N, 79° 46.371′ W. Marker is in Bartow, West Virginia, in Pocahontas County. It is on Old Pike Road (County Route 3) east of Potomac Highlands Trail (West Virginia Highway 28/92), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 49 Old Pike Rd, Bartow WV 24920, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West Virginia’s Potomac Highlands. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 8, 2026
2. Camp Bartow Marker
Unfortunately, the marker has weathered significantly.
Also see . . .
1. Camp Bartow. West Virginia Land Trust (Submitted on October 6, 2024.)
2. Greenbrier River - Camp Bartow. American Battlefield Trust (ABT) (Submitted on October 6, 2024.)
Photographed by Craig Swain, July 10, 2010
4. Camp Bartow
Traces of earthworks cover the fields on the north side of the Old Pike Road.
Photographed by A.T. McRae, circa 1861
5. Map of the battle ground of Greenbrier River.
Library of Congress
Credits. This page was last revised on August 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 8, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 3,307 times since then and 97 times this year. Last updated on October 6, 2024, by Mark P. Brock-Cancellieri of Baltimore, Maryland. Photos: 1. submitted on August 8, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2, 3. submitted on August 9, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on August 8, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 5. submitted on October 6, 2024. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
