Battle of Princeton Courthouse

Battle of Princeton Courthouse

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Princeton Courthouse
partof=the American Civil War


caption=
date=May 15 to May 17, 1862
place= Mercer County, West Virginia
result= Confederate victory
combatant1=United States of America
combatant2=Confederate States of America
commander1=Jacob Dolson Cox
commander2= Humphrey Marshall
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1=
casualties2=

The Battle of Princeton Courthouse was fought from May 15 to May 17, 1862, in Mercer County, West Virginia, in conjunction with Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign. It was a minor victory for the Confederate States Army.

Background

By early May 1862, Union forces were positioned to invade Virginia at two places. Brig. Gen. Robert H. Milroy's column, its axis of march the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, advanced from Cheat Mountain and occupied in succession Camp Allegheny, Monterey, McDowell, and Shenandoah Mountain. Retreating before the oncoming Federals, Confederate Brig. Gen. Edward "Allegheny" Johnson pulled back to Westview, six miles west of Staunton.

Battle

Union soldiers of Brig. Gen. Jacob D. Cox's District of Kanawha threatened the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad. By mid-May, the Federals, although ousted from Pearisburg, held Mercer County and braced for a lunge at the railroad. Confederate Brig. Gen. Humphrey Marshall arrived from Abingdon, Virginia, with the Army of East Kentucky.

Seizing the initiative, Marshall bested Cox's two brigades during three days of fighting, May 15 to May 17, in Mercer County, centering on Princeton Courthouse. There were 129 casualties in total.

Aftermath

Breaking contact with the Confederates on the night of May 17, Cox withdrew 20 miles (30 km). Col. George Crook, commanding Cox's 3rd brigade, marched to and occupied the city of Lewisburg, where on May 23 he defeated Brig. Gen. Henry Heth's brigade. He withdrew upon learning that Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's army had routed a Union division at Winchester on May 25.

References

* [http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/wv009.htm National Park Service battle description]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Battle of Princeton — The Battle of Princeton (January 3, 1777) was a victory for General Washington s revolutionary forces over British forces near Princeton, New Jersey. The site is administered as a state park operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of… …   Wikipedia

  • List of battles (geographic) — This list of battles is organized geographically, by country in its present territory. For other lists of battles, see List of battles. Angola* Battle of Mbwila 1665 * Battle of Quifangondo 1975 * Battle of Cassinga 1978 * Battle of Cuito… …   Wikipedia

  • West Virginia in the American Civil War — Confederate States in the American Civil War South Carolina Mississippi Florida Alabama …   Wikipedia

  • Campaign — Pays  Royaume Uni Langue Anglais Genre Histoire militair …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis — Cornwallis redirects here. For other uses, see Cornwallis (disambiguation). For other people named Charles Cornwallis, see Charles Cornwallis (disambiguation). His Excellency The Most Honourable General The Marquess Cornwallis KG …   Wikipedia

  • Cornwallis in North America — Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull Charles, Earl Cornwall …   Wikipedia

  • Nathanael Greene — This article is about the American Revolutionary War general. For other people with a similar name, see Nathaniel Greene (disambiguation). Textbox Text Box Military Person |birth date=August 7, 1742 (1742 07 27) |death date = June 19,… …   Wikipedia

  • American Revolutionary War Campaigns — There were 16 campaigns in the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War streamer is scarlet with a white center stripe with golden yellow inscription. Scarlet is the color of the mother country and the white stripe symbolizes the virgin land of… …   Wikipedia

  • Robert Lawson (Virginia) — Robert Lawson (d. 1805) was an officer from Virginia in the American Revolutionary War.In early 1776 Lawson was commissioned a major in the 4th Virginia Regiment of the Continental Army. He eventually became the colonel in command of the regiment …   Wikipedia

  • Greene, Nathanael — born Aug. 7, 1742, Potowumut, R.I. died June 19, 1786, Mulberry Grove, Ga., U.S. American general. He served in the colonial legislature and as commander of the colonial militia (1775). He led troops in the Continental Army at Boston and New York …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”