Attack on Fairmont

Attack on Fairmont. Watching from the Kearsley House. , (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 against the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Taking separate routes, they later reported that they marched 1,100 miles, fought several engagements, captured 100 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. , Here, at the foot of the Fairmont suspension bridge, Confederate Gen. William E. Jones watched on April 29, 1863, as his men attacked Fairmont to destroy the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bridge upstream at present-day 12th Street. Jones, behind you at the Kearsley House, later Skinner’s Tavern, watched the fight for the suspension bridge. You can still see some of the bullet-pocked bridge piers on the riverbanks. The suspension bridge (1852–1908) spanned the Monongahela River between Fairmont and Palatine. , Jones divided his force, sending the main column up the Beverly and Fairmont Turnpike on this side of the river to the railroad bridge, while the 12th Virginia Cavalry and the 35th Virginia Battalion fought their way across the suspension bridge here. The Union defenders at the Palatine foundry included the Fairmont and Mannington Home Guards and detachments from the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry and the 6th West Virginia Infantry. The foundry garrison had removed the floorboards, but the Confederates replaced them, charged across, captured the foundry, and rode upstream to the railroad bridge. , A trainload of Union reinforcements arrived from Grafton but was driven off. Jones reported “12 killed and many wounded” among the defenders, and only three Confederates wounded, whom he left in the care of “kind friends.” That night, Jones paroled 260 Federal prisoners confined in the courthouse (1844–1897) yard before leaving to attack Bridgeport. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bridge was destroyed but was repaired a few weeks later. , “The fruits of this day’s work . .. were 4 railroad bridges destroyed, 1 piece of artillery, 300 small-arms, 260 prisoners, and many fresh horses captured. . . . My orders were in all cases to respect private property. One or two stores were plundered, but as far as practicable the goods were restored.” , Gen. William E. Jones