Battle of Cheat Mountain facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Cheat Mountain (Battle of Cheat Summit Fort)
Part of the American Civil War
Earthworks at Fort Milroy
Date September 12–15, 1861 Location Pocahontas and Randolph Counties, Virginia (now West Virginia) 38°37′17″N 79°52′50″W / 38.62139°N 79.88056°W / 38.62139; -79.88056 Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	Confederate States (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Joseph J. Reynolds Nathan Kimball George R. Latham	Robert E. Lee Samuel Read Anderson Albert Rust
Strength
3,000	5,000
Casualties and losses
88	~90 (exact amount unknown)

The Battle of Cheat Mountain, also known as the Battle of Cheat Summit Fort, happened from September 12 to 15, 1861. It took place in what is now West Virginia, during the American Civil War. This battle was important because it was the first time Robert E. Lee led soldiers into a fight during the war. Lee tried to surround the Union soldiers on Cheat Mountain. However, his attack never really started. This was due to wrong information from captured soldiers and poor communication among his own commanders. The Union forces ended up winning this battle.

Why the Battle Happened

In May 1861, Union soldiers from Ohio moved into western Virginia. They were led by George B. McClellan. Their goals were to protect Ohio and Pennsylvania from Confederate attacks. They also wanted to help the pro-Union government in Wheeling.

After winning a battle at Rich Mountain, McClellan moved to lead a larger army. William Rosecrans took command in western Virginia. Rosecrans focused on protecting important travel routes. Joseph J. Reynolds was put in charge of the Cheat Mountain area. He had about 1,800 men to defend the Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike.

One group of Union soldiers, the 14th Indiana, guarded Fort Milroy on Cheat Mountain. The rest of Reynolds's soldiers were at Camp Elkwater. This was near the Tygart Valley River, where Reynolds set up his main camp.

Robert E. Lee was a top general for the Confederacy. Confederate President Jefferson Davis sent him to western Virginia. Lee's job was to bring together the Confederate forces and win back lost land. Lee arrived in late July. He scouted the Union positions himself.

Lee then made a plan. He wanted to attack both Union positions at the same time. One attack would be on Fort Milroy on Cheat Mountain. The other would be on Reynolds's camp at Elkwater. Lee divided his army into six groups for this battle.

Who Fought in the Battle

Union Forces

The Union army had soldiers from West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. These included infantry (foot soldiers), cavalry (soldiers on horseback), and artillery (soldiers who use cannons).

Confederate Forces

The Confederate army had soldiers from Virginia, Tennessee, and Arkansas. These were mainly infantry regiments.

The Battle Itself

Map of the Cheat Mountain Battlefield.

The Confederate attacks were not well organized. Heavy rain, thick fog, rough mountains, and dense forests made it hard to see. Because of this, the three Confederate groups meant to attack Cheat Summit Fort acted alone. They never even met up with each other.

The Union soldiers on Cheat Summit knew the area very well. They used this to their advantage. They also got false information from captured Union soldiers. This information, plus two strong Union attacks, made the Confederate leaders think they faced a huge army.

So, two Confederate leaders, Rust and Anderson, pulled back their 3,000 men. They thought they were facing a much larger force. But in reality, they were only fighting about 300 determined Union soldiers outside the fort. At Elk Water, Reynolds's soldiers stayed strong in their well-built defenses.

The Confederates did not push their attack. A member of Lee's staff, Colonel John A. Washington, was killed while checking the Union lines. He was a great-grandnephew of George Washington. Reynolds felt so confident that he sent two of his own regiments from Elk Water to help the fort. But these extra Union soldiers were not even needed.

Lee then decided to call off the attack. After moving around the area for a few days, he pulled his troops back on September 17. Meanwhile, Reynolds started planning his own attack against the Confederates.

What Happened After

The Union forces lost 88 soldiers in total. This included 10 killed, 14 wounded, and 64 captured. The Confederates did not report their losses. However, Union leaders Reynolds and Kimball claimed 100 Confederates were killed and 20 were captured.

This battle did not change much for either side in the larger war. Both armies ended up in similar positions as before the fight. In October, Lee left Cheat Mountain. He moved to another area in West Virginia. But he had to cancel his plans for more attacks because of low supplies and bad weather. Lee was called back to Richmond on October 30. He had not achieved much in western Virginia.