Battle of Lewisburg

Battle of Lewisburg (HM14B4)

Location: Lewisburg, WV 24901 Greenbrier County
Buy West Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 37° 48.168', W 80° 26.856'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 517 views
Inscription

A Brief Fight

Early in May 1862, Union Col. George Crook, 36th Ohio Infantry, led his command from Charleston to raid the Virginia Central Railroad near Covington. After tearing up track and burning a bridge, he and his men arrived in Lewisburg on May 17, with Confederate Gen. Henry Heth's forces pursuing at a distance.

At about dawn on May 23, the sound of artillery and the rattle of small-arms fire awakened the inhabitants of Lewisburg. Crook's forces were camped behind the grounds of the present-day community college. Heth approached from the east, advancing up Washington Street. At first it appeared as though the Confederate attack would succeed, but the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry charged and broke Heth's line. With the Federals in pursuit, the Confederates retreated, crossed the Greenbrier River at Caldwell, and burned the bridge behind them. The battle lasted little more than an hour, and the Confederate casualties greatly exceeded those of the Federals.

Several building in Lewisburg were used as temporary hospitals, including John Wesley Methodist Church, Old Stone Presbyterian Church, and the former Greenbrier County Library building. The Southern dead were laid out in the Old Stone Church and later buried without ceremony.

Lewisburg, though primarily under Union control throughout the war, remained a point of contention between Union and Confederate forces contending for control of the railroads and turnpikes. The Ohio and Virginia units that fought here faced three more years of war and battles, including those at Antietam and Cold Harbor.
Details
HM NumberHM14B4
Series This marker is part of the West Virginia Civil War Trails series
Tags
Placed ByWest Virginia Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, October 3rd, 2014 at 6:38pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 548629 N 4184079
Decimal Degrees37.80280000, -80.44760000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 37° 48.168', W 80° 26.856'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds37° 48' 10.08" N, 80° 26' 51.36" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)304
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 115 Church St, Lewisburg WV 24901, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. Does the marker have a number?
  7. What year was the marker erected?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?