Battle of Winfield, West Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Winfield
Part of the American Civil War
Date October 26, 1864 (1864-10-26) Location Winfield, Putnam County, West Virginia 38°32.034′N 81°53.544′W / 38.533900°N 81.892400°W / 38.533900; -81.892400 Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	Confederate States (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Capt. John Reynolds	Lt. Col. Vincent Witcher Capt. Phillip Thurmond  †
Units involved
Company D, 7th West Virginia Cavalry	Thurmond's Rangers, 44th Virginia Cavalry 34th Virginia Cavalry Battalion
Strength
1 company, 83 men	2 columns, 425 men
Casualties and losses
None	Unknown killed and wounded Several captured

The Battle of Winfield was a small but important fight during the American Civil War. It happened on October 26, 1864, in Winfield, West Virginia. In this battle, a smaller group of Union soldiers successfully defended the town against a larger attack by Confederate troops.

Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Witcher and Captain Phillip Thurmond led the Confederate forces. They attacked Federal (Union) troops who were protecting Winfield. The Union soldiers were also guarding the Putnam County Courthouse. They also protected boats moving on the Ohio River.

Even though they were greatly outnumbered, Company D of the 7th West Virginia Cavalry fought back the attack. This Union company was led by Captain John Reynolds. They managed to kill Captain Thurmond and capture several Confederate soldiers. The Union side did not have any major injuries or deaths.

Lt. Col. Witcher led the first group of Confederate soldiers. These men were from the 34th Virginia Cavalry Battalion. Capt. Thurmond led the second group, which included his own unit called Thurmond's Rangers. This unit was part of the 44th Virginia Cavalry.

Why Winfield Was Important

Winfield is located along the Kanawha River. This made it a very important place for trade and business during the war. It also had a lot of strategic value. If you controlled this part of the river, you could control all the steamboat traffic. This included boats moving on the upper Kanawha River.

A large group of 425 Confederate soldiers rode towards the town in the dark. They found out that Union soldiers were already there.

Company D of the 7th West Virginia Cavalry had been sent to Winfield for a main reason. Their job was to protect the steamboat traffic. Another important job for these Union troops was to guard the Putnam County Courthouse and the town of Winfield. They protected it from Confederate attacks. This was a task the soldiers were happy to do. Many of the men in Company D were from Putnam County and nearby areas in West Virginia.