Kanawha Division
Kanawha Division | |
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Active | 1862-1864 |
Country |
The Kanawha Division was a
History
Kanawha Brigade
On July 1, 1861 Brig. Gen.
Second Bull Run
By 1862 the unit grew to the size of a division. As early as June 1862 the name "Kanawha Division" was officially being used[2] for service in the Mountain Department. In preparation for the upcoming battle of Second Bull Run, Cox and the Kanawha Division were transferred to the Army of Virginia. Only one brigade under Col. Eliakim P. Scammon was involved in the engagement and that was only in the preliminary fighting near Bull Run Bridge on August 27. In the aftermath of Bull Run the Kanawha Division was transferred to the Washington Defenses which Cox also assumed command of upon his arrival in Washington.
Maryland Campaign
During the
West Virginia and Morgan's Raid
After Antietam, Cox was transferred to duty in the Department of the Ohio and the Kanawha Division returned to West Virginia. George Crook replaced Scammon in command of the division during the winter of 1862/1863 until he was also transferred further west, at which time Scammon returned to command. By the time Scammon returned to command the division lost its official designation as the "Kanawha Division" and was now designated the 3rd Division in the Department of West Virginia. This period also marked a time of relative inactivity for the division. Fighting devolved to
Cloyd's Mountain
Crook took command of the Kanawha Division in February 1864.[1] At the time only a few regiments remained from the original Kanawha Division which had fought at South Mountain and the division was officially designated the 2nd Division in the Department of West Virginia. The division had three brigades commanded respectively by colonels Rutherford Hayes, Carr B. White and Horatio G. Sickel. West Virginia Union regiments were dispersed throughout the three brigades, the original Ohio regiments were divided between Hayes and White and two Pennsylvania regiments were added with the arrival of Colonel Sickel. Crook led the division into action at the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain and then joined David Hunter's army for the Battle of Lynchburg.
Army of the Kanawha and Army of West Virginia
On July 2, 1864 George Crook took command of what he called the Army of the Kanawha. At the same time Crook also personally commanded the 1st and 2nd "Kanawha" Divisions of his army. By the end of July
Despite the inquiries of several brigadier generals for command of the Kanawha Division, Crook decided to keep Hayes in command, much to the Ohio politician's delight.[1] Hayes and Crook helped coordinate the successful flank attack at the battle of Fisher's Hill carried out by Hayes' division. At the battle of Cedar Creek the entire Union army was caught off guard by the Confederate surprise attack and Crook's entire command bore the weight of the initial assault. Hayes was wounded and narrowly escaped capture. Despite this poor showing of Hayes and the Kanawha Division, earlier successes in the campaign assured their reputations would escape any permanent blemish.[1] Hayes remained in command of the Kanawha Division until December 1864. Cedar Creek would be its last major fight of the war.
Command History
Commander | Date | Official Designation | Major Battles |
---|---|---|---|
BG Jacob D. Cox | 1–25 July 1861 | Kanawha Brigade, Dept of Ohio | |
BG Jacob D. Cox | 25 July-11 Oct 1861 | Kanawha Brigade, Army of Occupation | Battle of Kanawha Gap |
BG Jacob D. Cox | 11 Oct 1861-26 June 1862 | Kanawha Brigade, Dist. of Kanawha | Battle of Princeton Court House |
BG Jacob D. Cox | 26 June-30 Aug 1862 | Kanawha Division, Army of Virginia | Second Battle of Bull Run |
BG Jacob D. Cox | 30 Aug-7 Sept 1862 | Kanawha Division, Defenses of Washington | |
BG Jacob D. Cox | 7-14 Sept 1862 | Kanawha Division, IX Corps | Battle of South Mountain |
Col Eliakim Scammon | 14 Sept-Oct 1862 | Kanawha Division, IX Corps | Battle of Antietam |
BG George Crook | Oct 1862-21 Jan 1863 | Kanawha Division, Dept of the Ohio | |
21 Jan-27 Mar 1863 | Kanawha Division, Dept of the Ohio | ||
BG Eliakim Scammon | 27 Mar 1863-3 Feb 1864 | 3rd Division, Dept of West Virginia | Morgan's Raid |
BG George Crook | 3 Feb-28 Apr 1864 | 3rd Division, Dept of West Virginia | |
BG George Crook | 28 Apr-2 July 1864 | 2nd Division, Dept of West Virginia | Battle of Cloyd's Mountain |
BG George Crook | 2–22 July 1864 | 2nd Division, Army of the Kanawha | |
Col Isaac H. Duval | 22 July-8 Aug 1864 | 2nd Division, Army of the Kanawha | Second Battle of Kernstown |
Col Isaac H. Duval | 8 Aug-19 Sept 1864 | 2nd Division, Army of West Virginia | Battle of Opequon
|
Col Rutherford Hayes | 19 Sept-24 Dec 1864 | 2nd Division, Army of West Virginia | Battle of Fisher's Hill, Battle of Cedar Creek |
Col Isaac H. Duval | 24 Dec 1864-Jan 1865 | 2nd Division, Army of West Virginia | |
BG Joseph A. J. Lightburn |
Jan 1865-22 May 1865 | 2nd Division, Army of West Virginia | |
BG William P. Carlin |
22 May–July 1865 | 2nd Division, Army of West Virginia | units mustered out |
Units
These regiments fought in the Kanawha Division from South Mountain to Cedar Creek
- 12th Ohio Infantry
- James Comly and William McKinley)
- 36th Ohio Infantry (notable members included George Crook)
- 1st Ohio Artillery
References
- ^ a b c d e George Crook and Rutherford B. Hayes Archived 2007-02-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Eicher p.471
- ^ Eicher p.187
- ^ Antietam on the Web: Kanawha Division Archived 2007-10-27 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- https://web.archive.org/web/20071027092509/http://aotw.org/officers.php?unit_id=25
- http://www.antietam.stonesentinels.com/MarkersUS/M059.php
- https://web.archive.org/web/20081121040647/http://www.civilwarghosts.com/shopsite/ghosts/product183.html
- https://web.archive.org/web/20080820020632/http://www.dimacleod.co.uk/history/antietam/us-kan.htm
- http://www.ohiocivilwar.com/acw1.html