Welcome to Camp Bartow Historic Site and the Battle of Greenbrier River

Welcome to Camp Bartow Historic Site and the Battle of Greenbrier River. . , In 2017, the West Virginia Land Trust purchased land at Camp Bartow, an important part of the Battle of Greenbrier River on October 3, 1861. This 14-acre property lies in the heart of the battlefield and was a campground of the 31st Virginia Infantry. As part of the First Campaign of the Civil War, the battle proved instrumental in the push for West Virginia statehood in 1863., West Virginia's identity is rooted in the land and its resources. The West Virginia Land Trust is proud to partner with people who want to protect and perpetuate that legacy. The organization selects projects with lasting benefits that reflect the needs of West Virginia, such as protecting drinking water, creating recreational opportunities, conserving wildlife habitat, preserving historic and cultural sites, engaging youth and community groups, and supporting scientific research.,

"Away up in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains…at a point where the valley road intersects the old Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike…is a post office in a farm house. The name of the place is Travellers Repose." , Ambrose Bierce, from A Bivouac of the Dead

, Travellers Repose , Travellers Repose was a storied inn, post office, mill and farmstead. Burned during the Civil War, the inn was rebuilt in 1869. Jessie Beard Powell, great-granddaughter of original owner Andrew Yeager, continued the family tradition of hospitality until her death in 2013 at age 98., [Captions:] , West Virginia LandTrust , Learn more about WVLT activities, events, volunteer opportunities, and how to donate at www.wvlandtrust.org!, Please , Foot traffic only. Take trash with you. Keep pets on a leash. Stay off the earthworks. Do not remove artifacts. Be courteous of other visitors. Respect all plants and wildlife., In case of emergency, dial 911 , BFD Fire and Rescue, Arbovale (304) 456-4070 , Pocahontas Memorial Hospital (304) 799-7400 , WV State Police, Marlinton (304) 799-4101, Travellers Repose served as a post office during the war, as this envelope (right) from a Confederate soldier shows., Confederates Fortify Camp Bartow , On August 13, 1861, two brigades under Confederate General Henry R. Jackson seized Travellers Repose from the Yeager family. Jackson re-named it Camp Bartow in honor of a fellow Georgian, Francis Bartow, killed during the Battle of First Manassas. Army tents soon filled the meadows and soldiers dug fortifications on the hills, hoping to block a Federal advance into the Shenandoah Valley., Battle of Greenbrier River , Early on October 3, a spirited artillery duel began. Thirteen federal guns poured shot and shell into Camp Bartow. From the hills behind Travellers Repose, up to seven Confederate six-pounders replied. The guns fired with extraordinary rapidity. General Joseph J. Reynolds and his 5,000 Federals from Cheat Mountain failed to dislodge the 1,800 Southern troops, a rare victory for Confederates in Western Virginia., Union General Reynolds would not admit defeat and styled his effort as merely an "armed reconnaissance." Confederate General Jackson scoffed at Reynolds' claim. The Battle of Greenbrier River boosted Confederate morale and blunted a Union advance toward the Shenandoah Valley.,

"To meet those cannonballs and muskets is an awful thing; a man can see death tolerable plain." , Shepherd Pryor, 12th Georgia Infantry, CSA

, Aftermath , By late November 1861, the Confederates were forced to abandon Camp Bartow. The Confederates endured a terrible winter on the windswept heights of Camp Allegheny, while Union troops shivered in their own deep freeze on Cheat Mountain. By April 1862, the armies moved east. The First Campaign was over, but it had been a stern proving ground for armies and leaders who would shape American history., Jackson feared that Camp Bartow was not as strong as it appeared. The two Confederate brigades stationed here were barely able to cover the mile-long defenses, weakened by sickness and detached service., [Captions:] , During the battle, the Loomis Battery, 1st Michigan Light Artillery, fired six rifled Parrot cannons that could throw a 10-pound projectile more than a mile!, Jessie Beard Powell (above) and Loomis Battery reenactors with an original Parrot gun that fired at Camp Bartow during the Battle of Greenbrier River.