From May to July of 1861—a short distance away from the birthplace and boyhood home of Stonewall Jackson - Major General George Brinton McClellan’s Army of the Ohio invaded the rugged hills and mountains of “Western”  Virginia. The army’s mission was to seize and secure the B & O Railroad, drive out Confederate opposition and secure Western Virginia for the Union. By the second week of July, McClellan was so successful that he was hailed as a Union hero. The “Young Napoleon” was subsequently called to Washington to take charge of a Union army that had suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Manassas, or Bull Run.

 

One month later, Major General Robert E. Lee took charge of Confederate forces in the region. Weeks of rain (and snow!) in August impeded his operations, but during the second week of September, Lee managed his first battle plan of the war: a three-pronged attack against the Union-held fortress on Cheat Mountain. The plan failed, and among Lee’s losses was Lt. Col. John A. Washington, his aide-de-camp and the last owner of Mount Vernon. Lee’s reputation suffered, but he learned much from this campaign.

 

On this July tour, we will wind along the same trails, scale the same mountains, and march on the fields stained with the blood of those who fought and fell in McClellan and Lee’s first campaigns of the war - led by the most knowledgeable guide in this arena of operations. On Friday morning of our tour, we will follow in the footsteps of the soldiers who marched overnight to Philippi (June 2-3, 1861) and relive the first land action of the Civil War and also discuss the first amputation of the war. We then will head to Belington to study the engagement at Laurel Hill, and the Confederate camp at that locale. After lunch we will embark on an afternoon-long tour and discussion of the battle of Rich Mountain, complete with viewing the soldiers’ signatures that still decorate the boulders on the mountaintop! Our day will end on the other side of the mountain at Beverly, the home of Stonewall Jackson’s controversial sister as well as McClellan’s headquarters, which we will visit and learn about his “secret weapon,” the telegraph..

 

On Saturday morning we will head south through the Tygart Valley to Union headquarters near Huttonsville to pick up the August and September campaign in the Alleghenies. We will spend the day developing General Lee’s battle plan by traversing the ground of his attacking troops. The pinnacle of the tour experience will be Cheat Mountain Summit, complete with preserved fortifications and defended by a colonel who became the only field commander to defeat Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson in separate Civil War actions!

 

This tour will be unique for its unforgettable landscape in an area as fascinating as it is remote—terrain incomprehensible to students of the Civil War who have never tramped on the ground. Very few would ever be able to find on their own the spots highlighted in this tour. Join us and discover how the War was fought in the spring and summer of 1861 away from the plains of Manassas!

 

About Our Tour Leader

W. Hunter Lesser is the author of Rebels at the Gate: Lee and McClellan on the Front Line of a Nation Divided and Battle of Corricks Ford. He is a charter member of the Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation, and is regarded as the leading authority on this campaign.

 

    Friday,  July 16

8:00 AM             Depart from Hampton Inn Elkins, Elkins, WV and Begin Tour

about 12:15 PM   Lunch at Field of Fire Park Pavilion at Rich Mountain battlefield

5:00 PM                    Arrive Back at Hampton Inn Elkins

Saturday, July 17

8:00 AM              Depart from Hampton Inn Elkins and Continue Tour

11:30 AM             Lunch at the Hermitage in Bartow, WV

3:30 PM                     Arrive Back at Hampton Inn Elkins

 

Registration Fees (lodging not included):         Adult: $325         Under Age 23: $ 95

If You Must Cancel: Your registration fee will be 100% refunded.

 

What is Included in your Registration:

·        the services of an expert historian chosen for his knowledge and experience

·        transportation to all sites

·        Friday and Saturday lunches

·        refreshments and snacks during the tour

·        maps & related materials       

 

Base Location & Lodging: We will be based at the Hampton Inn Elkins, 480 Plantation Drive, Elkins, WV 26241 where we have reserved a block of sleeping rooms at the special rate nightly of $89.00 - Single or Double. Hotel guests will receive a complimentary daily hot breakfast. To reserve a room under our block, call 304-630-7500 and identify yourself as a registrant for the CWEA tour.

 

Directions: From I-79 - Take the US-33 Exit, Exit 99 and follow US-33 East for 34 Miles. Continue to follow US-33E to Elkins Exit, merging with US 250 South. At exit, turn right to continue US-33E/250S.At light turn left and fallow US-33E/250S for 5 miles at sixth light, then left onto Plantation Drive.

 

From I-64 - Take the US-219 exit, Exit 169 and follow US-219 North 101.5 miles to Plantation Drive. Turn right at the traffic light onto Plantation Drive.

From I-81 - Take the US-33 West Exit, Exit 247-B and follow US-33 West for 101.5 miles to US-219/250. Turn left and follow US-219/250 South 1.2 miles to Plantation Drive. Turn left at the traffic light onto Plantation Drive and fallow onto the hotel's access road.

 

Closest Major Airport is Pittsburgh International Airport, 169 miles away and about 3 hours drive time.

 

Next closest is Dulles International Airport, 180 miles away