Battle of Wytheville

Battle of Wytheville. Skirmish at Stony Creek. , Gunfire erupted here on the evening of July 18, 1863, when Confederate cavalry struck the rear guard of a Union force that was advancing on Wytheville, 8 miles away., The main body of the mounted Union raiding party, commanded by Col. John Toland, had crossed Walker Mountain, 4 miles north of here, at 3 p.m., then came down the road to your front as they continued past this spot towards Wytheville., The Federals were being followed by 250 Confederate cavalrymen, commanded by Maj. Andrew Jackson May, who had been harassing them for more than a hundred miles. Around 5:30 pm, as the head of the Union column was closing on Wytheville, the small Union rear guard was resting here, guarding 35 Confederate prisoners, when May's men caught up and struck., Because the winding road limited how far they could see ahead, the Confederates were likely surprised to stumble upon the Federals , but not as surprised as the Federals. Gunfire, shouts, and cries rang out as the southerners rode into the Union troops., The fighting was over within minutes. 8 Union soldiers were killed. 20 were captured, along with a "number of citizens and Negroes," and the Confederate prisoners were freed. Confederate losses are unknown., Around the time the fighting was ending, Toland's main force , "a solid mass of blue," as one citizen remembered , appeared on the outskirts of Wytheville.,

"He [Maj. May] came up with their rear guard at the foot of Walker's Mountain, 8 miles from Wytheville, and dashed into it." , , Confederate Gen. John S. Williams

, [Caption:] , This is the Stony Fork Road (old Highway 52) looking north about six miles from Wytheville. Walker Mountain can be seen in the distance. Col Toland's men marched into Wytheville on this road. , Courtesy Wythe County Historical Society