Army of West Virginia

Active| August 9, 1864 - December 19, 1864
Country|  United States of America
Branch|  United States Army
Type| Field Army
Engagements| American Civil War
Commanders
Notable
commanders| Brig. Gen. George Crook
Col. Thomas Harris
Brig. Gen. Isaac Duval
Col. Joseph Thoburn
Col. J. Howard Kitching
Col. Rutherford B. Hayes
Brev. Maj. William McKinley

Military unit

The Army of West Virginia served in the Union Army during the American Civil War and was the primary field army of the Department of West Virginia. It campaigned primarily in West Virginia, Southwest Virginia and in the Shenandoah Valley. It is noted for having two future U.S. presidents serve in its ranks: Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley, both from the 23rd Ohio Infantry. With fighting in the Valley ended, the Army of West Virginia's designation was discontinued.

## History

[edit]

Brigadier General George Crook was appointed to command the Department of West Virginia on July 25, 1864. At the time, Crook's field army was named Army of the Kanawha. On August 9, 1864, the field army of the Department of West Virginia was given the title "Army of West Virginia". This "army" would eventually consist of three divisions and for all practical purposes functioned as a corps in Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah. This command has often been referred to as the VIII Corps.[1] It should not be confused with the official Union VIII Corps, which was commanded by Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace and on guard duty along the B & O Railroad during this time. Crook led the army through the Shenandoah Valley Campaign and fought in all the major engagements.

The 1st Division was led by Col. Joseph Thoburn until he was killed in action at Cedar Creek. He was succeeded by Col. Thomas M. Harris. The 2nd "Kanawha" Division was led by Col. Isaac H. Duval until he was wounded at Third Winchester. Command of the division passed to Col. Rutherford B. Hayes who led the division at Cedar Creek. A Provisional Division led by Colonel J. Howard Kitching joined just prior to the battle of Cedar Creek. Exact composition of the Provisional Division is unknown other than approximately 1,000 soldiers including the 6th New York Heavy Artillery.[2] Kitching was severely wounded at Cedar Creek and died the following year as a result. His place was taken by Col. Wilhelm Heine.

On December 19, 1864, with the fighting in the Valley over, the official designation as "Army of West Virginia" was discontinued but Crook retained command of the Department of West Virginia. Hayes' division remained in the Department of West Virginia while Thoburn's (Harris') and Kitching's (Heine's) divisions were transferred to the Army of the James.

## Commander

[edit]

* Major General Franz Sigel
* Major General David Hunter (21 May–8 Aug 1864)
* Major General George Crook (8 Aug–19 Dec 1864)

## Major battles

[edit]

* Battle of Cloyd's Mountain
* Battle of New Market
* Battle of Piedmont
* Battle of Lynchburg
* Battle of Cool Spring
* Battle of Rutherford's Farm
* Second Battle of Kernstown
* Battle of Berryville
* Battle of Opequon
* Battle of Fisher's Hill
* Battle of Cedar Creek

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Eicher does not confirm that the Army of West Virginia was synonymous with the VIII Corps in his book Civil War High Commands.
2. ^ "Cedar Creek Battlefield" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-09-07. Retrieved 2009-06-03.

* Civil War Home

Formations of the Union army

Independent
departments|

* Department of the East: District of Central New York
* District of Massachusetts
* District of Western New York

* Department of the Pacific: District of Arizona
* District of Humboldt
* District of Oregon
* District of California
* District of Southern California
* District of Utah

* Department of the Potomac

* Department of the South: District of Florida
* District of Hilton Head
* District of North Carolina
* District of Savannah
* Northern District (Charleston)

* Department of Virginia and North Carolina: District of Eastern Virginia
* District of North Carolina

Middle Military
Division|

* Middle Department: Department of Rappahannock
* Department of Shenandoah
* Mountain Department
* District of Baltimore
* District of Eastern Shore

* Department of Pennsylvania: Department of the Monongahela
* Department of the Susquehanna

* Department of Washington: District of Alexandria
* District of Saint Mary's
* District of Washington
* District of Annapolis

* Department of West Virginia: District of Harper's Ferry
* Kanawha District

Military Division
of the
Mississippi|

* Cavalry Corps of the Military Division of the Mississippi

* Department of the Cumberland: District of the Etowah
* District of Middle Tennessee
* District of Northern Alabama
* District of West Tennessee

* Department of the Ohio: District of East Tennessee
* Department of Kentucky
* District of Cairo
* District of Western Kentucky

* Northern Department: District of Indiana
* District of Illinois
* District of Michigan

Military Division
of West
Mississippi|

* Department of Arkansas: District of Eastern Arkansas
* District of the Frontier
* District of Little Rock

* Department of the Gulf: District of Baton Rouge and Port Hudson
* District of Carrollton
* District of Key West and Tortugas
* District of La Fourche
* District of West Florida and South Alabama

* Department of Kansas: District of Colorado
* District of Nebraska
* District of North Kansas
* District of South Kansas
* District of Upper Arkansas

* Department of Missouri: District of Central Missouri
* District of North Missouri
* District of Rolla
* District of Saint Louis
* District of Southwest Missouri

* Department of New Mexico: District of Arizona

* Department of the Northwest: District of Iowa
* District of Minnesota
* District of Wisconsin
* District of Dakota

Field armies|

* Army of Arkansas
* Army of the Border
* Army of the Cumberland
* Army of the Frontier
* Army of Georgia
* Army of the Gulf
* Army of the James
* Army of Kentucky
* Army of the Mississippi
* Army of the Ohio
* Army of the Potomac
* Army of the Shenandoah
* Army of the Southwest
* Army of the Tennessee
* Army of Virginia
* Army of West Mississippi
* Army of West Virginia

Army corps|

* First Army Corps
* Second Army Corps
* Third Army Corps
* Fourth Army Corps
* Fifth Army Corps
* Sixth Army Corps
* Seventh Army Corps
* Eighth Army Corps
* Ninth Army Corps
* 10th Army Corps
* 11th Army Corps
* 12th Army Corps
* 13th Army Corps
* 14th Army Corps
* 15th Army Corps
* 16th Army Corps
* 17th Army Corps
* 18th Army Corps
* 19th Army Corps
* 20th Army Corps
* 21st Army Corps
* 22d Army Corps
* 23d Army Corps
* 24th Army Corps
* 25th Army Corps
* Cavalry Corps

* v
* t
* e

Rutherford B. Hayes

* 19th President of the United States (1877–1881)
* 29th and 32nd Governor of Ohio (1868–1872, 1876–1877)

Life|

* 23rd Ohio Infantry Regiment
* Kanawha Division
* Battle of South Mountain
* Army of West Virginia
* Battle of Cloyd's Mountain
* Ohio State University
* Spiegel Grove
* 1876 United States presidential election
* 1876 Republican National Convention
* Compromise of 1877
* Electoral Commission
* Oakwood Cemetery

Presidency|

* Red Room
* Inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes
* United States Civil Service Commission
* Star Route scandal
* Great Railroad Strike of 1877
* Baltimore railroad strike of 1877
* Specie Payment Resumption Act
* Villa Hayes
* Presidente Hayes Department
* Chinese Exclusion Act
* List of federal judges appointed by Rutherford B. Hayes

Public image|

* Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
* USS President Hayes
* These Are My Jewels
* Laudo Hayes Firm Day
* Club Presidente Hayes
* Hayes County, Nebraska
* Rutherford B. Hayes High School
* University, Hayes and Orton Halls

Family|

* Lucy Webb Hayes (wife)
* Webb Hayes (son)
* Rutherford P. Hayes (son)

* ← Ulysses S. Grant
* James A. Garfield →

* Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template