Battle of Marion

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


caption = Location of the battle.
date = December 17–18, 1864
place = Smyth County, Virginia
casus =
territory = Southwest Virginia
result = Union victory
combatant1 = flagicon|USA|1863 Union (USA)
combatant2 = flagicon|CSA|1863 Confederacy (CSA)
commander1 = George Stoneman
commander2 = John C. Breckinridge
strength1 = 4,200Mosgrove (1999)] – 5,500Foote (1992), pp. 721–723]
strength2 = 1,200 – 1,500Heritage Preservation Services: Battle Summary]
casualties1 = 89 killed, 55 woundedHeritage Preservation Services: Battle Summary]
casualties2 = 91 killed, 29 wounded

The Battle of Marion (December 17–18, 1864) [US War Dept (1894), pg. 437] was fought between the Union army and the Confederate army during the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. George Stoneman's cavalry raided southwestern Virginia to destroy Confederate industrial infrastructure. Stoneman's plan was approved by his commanding officer on December 6, 1864, and after about a week of preparations, Stoneman and his troops left Tennessee on December 17.US War Dept (1894), pg. 442]

Near the town of Marion, a Confederate force of between 1,200 and 1,500 men engaged Union forces in a battle that lasted two days. On the first day, the Confederates managed to hold the Union forces back. However, after brief fighting on the second day, the Confederates ran short of ammunition and were forced to withdraw. The casualties for this battle were around 274 for both sides.Guerrent (1999), pg. 142]

After the battle, the Union expedition set out to destroy the salt mines, lead works, and anything else in the area that could be of benefit to the Confederates. [Marvel (1992) pg. 128] The damage to the lead mines near Wytheville kept them out of production for three months, and even then only reduced manufacture of ammunition was possible. Salt production—essential for preserving meat supplied to the troops—was not resumed for over a month. All railroad locomotives, cars, depots and bridges in the vicinity were destroyed in the raid. Stoneman claimed to have captured 34 officers and 845 enlisted men during the raid into Virginia.Heritage Preservation Services: Battle Summary]

Background

The town of Marion is in southwest Virginia on the Middle Fork of the Holston River, about half way between the salt works at Saltville and the lead mines near Wytheville. Many of the town's families were politically divided and fought on opposing sides. Until the winter of 1864, the town of Marion had been protected from fighting by its geographic location in a mountainous region. [Guerrent (1999), pg. 131] Stoneman, deputy commander of the Department of the Ohio and in charge of all Union cavalry in eastern Tennessee, proposed an expedition into southwest Virginia to destroy all facilities and supplies of benefit to the Confederate war effort. This gained the approval of Maj. Gen. John Schofield on December 6, 1864.Heritage Preservation Services: Battle Summary]

Stoneman used troops under Brig. Gens. Alvan Gillem and Stephen Burbridge,Henry Giltner] including the 5th and the 6th U.S. Colored Cavalry who had participated in the failed previous attempt to destroy the salt works at the first Battle of Saltville. Stoneman ordered Burbridge to bring his division of 4,200 cavalrymen [Marvel (1992) pg. 129] through the Cumberland Gap to join Stoneman and Gillem at Knoxville, Tennessee, where Gillem was refitting his own command into a picked force of 1,500 men. Stoneman did not reveal the objectives of the expedition to his subordinates until three days after it had departed Knoxville on December 10. On December 12, Stoneman's force flanked and forced back Confederate Brig. Gen. Basil W. Duke's cavalry at Rogersville, Tennessee. The Federals defeated and scattered the Confederates the next day at Kingsport, Tennessee. There Gillem captured 84 prisoners, including Col. Richard C. Morgan and the brigade's supply train.Heritage Preservation Services: Battle Summary]

On December 14, the Union regiments began to push Duke's cavalry back toward Abingdon, Virginia. The next day, Stoneman and his cavalry went into camp at Glade Spring, Virginia, which was about convert|13|mi|km west of Marion. On December 16, Stoneman's cavalry rode toward Marion, destroying infrastructure and public buildings along their path. [Guerrent (1999), pg. 147]

The force opposing Stoneman was the forces of Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge, former Vice-President of the U.S., and also candidate for U.S. President in 1860, now the commander of the Department of Southwest Virginia. His command consisted of approximately 1,000 regular troops with another 500 militia reserves. Most of the companies had been transferred to the Army of Northern Virginia to help in the defense of Richmond.Chaltas & Brown (2003)] Breckinridge's forces consisted of Colonel Henry Giltner's brigade (formed from the soldiers of the 4th Kentucky Cavalry and the 10th Kentucky Cavalry), the 10th Kentucky Mounted Rifles (later renamed the 13th Kentucky Cavalry), and the 64th Virginia Mounted Infantry. It also included Basil Duke's cavalry, Brig. Gen. George Cosby's cavalry, and Colonel Vincent Witcher's 34th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry.

On the night of December 16, Breckinridge and his troops moved out of Saltville, Virginia, in an effort to stem Stoneman's advance. Taking the regular troops with him, Breckinridge left Colonel Robert Preston in charge of the 500 militia men to defend the salt works. Breckinridge sent Witcher and his men of the 34th on ahead of the main force and ordered them to harass the Union forces. At about 3 a.m., Breckinridge and his small company began to cross Walkers Mountain. In the last few days before the march, 4 inches (10 cm) of rain had fallen, leaving the roads muddy and travel difficult. By about 4 a.m., they reached the main road near Seven Mile Ford, Virginia where Breckinridge halted to wait for daylight before continuing.Chaltas & Brown (2003)]

Battle

Advance

Around noon of December 17, 1864, Breckinridge's men mounted their horses and rode towards Marion. Meanwhile, Stoneman sent some of his Tennessee regiments to Wytheville to destroy anything that looked valuable. Stoneman also sent two regiments of cavalry to destroy the lead mines and smelting facilities that were located about ten miles (16 km) from Wytheville.Mosgrove (1999)]

Stoneman and Burbridge continued on toward Marion where they encountered Witcher and his men. Burbridge's front regiment easily pushed back Witcher's small regiment, who stopped just so they could fire a volley into the Union cavalry. They then continued to retreat toward Marion. Witcher sent a courier to inform Breckinridge that they were coming to join them at Marion. [Guerrent (1999), pg. 149]

First day

Breckinridge's front regiment was the 10th Kentucky Mounted Rifles, under the command of Colonel Benjamin Caudill. Caudill's men dismounted and fired into the Union cavalry, causing several casualties. As the rest of Breckinridge's troops began to arrive on the scene, Stoneman's men secured the high hill overlooking the river.Chaltas & Brown (2003)] Breckinridge observed that these hills were the best defensive positions in the area; following which he ordered the men of the 10th Kentucky Mounted Rifles to charge up the hill and drive out the Union forces. The rest of Giltner's Brigade also joined in the charge, routing the Union soldiers. The result of the charge ended with the Confederate forces in control of the hill.Chaltas & Brown (2003)]

Burbridge then began to form his men up in columns to counterattack the Confederate defenses. [US War Dept (1894), pg. 439] As soon as the men were in position, he ordered all columns to charge. After the signal, the Union regiments marched forward, only to be pushed back again by the Confederate volley. [Marvel (1992) pg. 124] Confederate artillery commander Major Richard Page and his battery of four 10-pounder Parrott rifles began to fire, attempting to slow the charge. The cannon fire forced the Union soldiers to fall back with many casualties.Weaver (1992)]

The Union officers then reorganized their men and advanced again. Like the previous charge, this charge also was repelled. One more charge occurred, and the Union forces were again pushed back. The Confederates had held onto their position during the first day of battle. Breckinridge ordered his men to move forward and build new breastworks.Heritage Preservation Services: Battle Summary] These new defensive positions placed the two armies less than one hundred fifty yards apart. During the night, one Union officer was ordered to take positions at the covered bridge near the river. He and 75 men took up positions in and around the covered bridge. This was the only advance of that night by the Union forces.

econd day

The Union regiment that was positioned at the covered bridge fired the first few volleys at the Confederates to harass their front positions. Burbridge attacked just as the fog lifted.Chaltas & Brown (2003)] Columns of Union men charged across the fields into the same fire they had received the day before. A combination of different Union regiments managed to push the 4th Kentucky Infantry and Cosby's positions back. Cosby rallied his men and counterattacked, retaking their breastworks.Henry Giltner]

The Union soldiers that had taken positions at the covered bridge the night before began to take pressure from the 4th Kentucky in their front. They realized their location was not safe and some tried to run back to the Union lines. As these men attempted to retreat from their positions at the bridge, the Confederates near the bridge picked most of them off. The remaining Union soldiers at the bridge decided to wait out the battle. Later in the day Burbridge ordered one of his regiments to charge across the bridge on horseback to relieve the pressure on the trapped men. The regiment took a few casualties and then retreated.Heritage Preservation Services: Battle Summary]

On the far right, Duke was pressed hard by the heavy columns of attacking Union soldiers. Seeing this, Colonel Giltner sent his regiment to reinforce Duke. Before the 2nd arrived, Duke and his men counterattacked the Union line and routed it. Duke and Witcher then combined forces and charged the Union's extreme left flank, routing one of the Union's colored regiments.Chaltas & Brown (2003)]

Burbridge and his men then fell into a disorderly retreat. The confederate rail breastworks had held, but the holding of the line had resulted in the use of a huge amount of ammunition. Each Confederate defender had fired at least seventy-five rounds, with some having fired as many as a hundred rounds. The Union Commanders then ordered another charge with a large cavalry regiment that reinforced the Union infantry. The unexpected fighting capabilities of the small Confederate force had temporarily created a reprieve for the salt works.

Aftermath and significance

Breckinridge ordered his field officers to inspect the troops and to report back with the condition of his troops. The number of men wounded and killed had depleted his troops to a point that he judged that he could no longer hold back the Union forces at his front lines.Heritage Preservation Services: Battle Summary] Ammunition in the camp was also running low; each man had no more than ten cartridges apiece. With their supplies destroyed by Stoneman's troops at the towns of Wytheville and Abingdon, there was little hope of being resupplied or reinforced in the near future.Chaltas & Brown (2003)]

Although the vastly outnumbered Confederates had inflicted casualties and slowed the Union advance on Saltville, they were unable to stop it. Finding their own path to Saltville's defenses blocked, Breckinridge and his men retreated further south, while the Union raiders advanced. Saltville fell to a night attack on December 20–21 and the salt works were destroyed by the Union forces.

Salt had always been in short supply in Virginia and after the raid it became "practically nonexistent", giving Lee's sutlers "no means of preserving what little meat they could lay hands on ... for the hungry men in the trenches outside Petersburg and Richmond". Additionally, damage to the lead mines near Wytheville would keep them from contributing fully to the war effort for three monthsHeritage Preservation Services: Battle Summary] and many wells were fouled disrupting water supply. Many of the railroad locomotives, cars, depots, and bridges in the vicinity were destroyed beyond repair by the raid. In a memoir, Stoneman claimed to have captured 34 officers and 845 enlisted men during the raid into Marion, Virginia.Heritage Preservation Services: Battle Summary]

Notes

References

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External links

* [http://www.marionva.org/attractions/wartrails/ Virginia Civil War Trails description of the battle]
* [http://www.marionva.org/history/ History of Marion County]
* [http://www.bencaudill.com/documents_msc/battle_of_marion.html Step by step of the battle]

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