Battle of Corrick's Ford

The Battle of Corrick's Ford^[1] took place on July 13, 1861, on the Cheat River in western Virginia (now the state of West Virginia) as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. By later standards the battle was a minor skirmish. Often considered a final part of the Battle of Rich Mountain, it was the end of a series of battles between the forces of Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan and Confederate Brig. Gen. Robert S. Garnett.^[2]

Battle of Corrick's Ford
Part of the American Civil War
Date July 13, 1861 Location Tucker County, Virginia (now West Virginia) 39°05′16″N 79°41′06″W Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States of America	Confederate States of America
Commanders and leaders
George B. McClellan William S. Rosecrans Thomas A. Morris	Robert S. Garnett †
Strength
20,000	4,500
Casualties and losses
10–53	20 killed and wounded 600 missing

Battle

McClellan had defeated part of Garnett's force on July 11, 1861, at the Battle of Rich Mountain. On hearing of the defeat, Garnett fell back toward Virginia with approximately 4,500 men around midnight that night. He began to march towards Beverly, but received false information that McClellan's men occupied the town. The Confederates backtracked, abandoned the Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike at Leadsville, and crossed Cheat Mountain into the Cheat River Valley. Union Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Morris pursued them with his Indiana brigade.

Around noon on July 13, Morris overtook Garnett's rear guard at Corrick's Ford on the Cheat River, and attacked the retreating Confederates. Garnett personally directed the rear guard of the Confederate skirmishers in order to delay the Union attack. He soon withdrew to another ford a mile or two farther away. The running skirmish resumed and as Garnett again prepared to retreat, a Union volley killed him instantly.^[3] The Confederates fled, abandoning their dead commander, one cannon, and nearly 40 wagons. A friend in the Union Army recovered Garnett's body after the battle. He was the first general officer killed in the Civil War.

Control of western Virginia was now firmly in Union hands and it stayed that way for the rest of the war. The campaign propelled Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan to command of the Army of the Potomac.

Memorials

Two monuments mark the Battle of Corricks Ford. A six-ton boulder affixed with a bronze plaque was dedicated in 1926 and later moved to a site which is now along US Route 219. Another monument to the battle was unveiled at the courthouse in 1938.^[4]

Battlefield preservation

The Civil War Trust (a division of the American Battlefield Trust) and its partners have acquired and preserved 26 acres (0.11 km²) of the battlefield.^[5]

References

1. Hendricks, R F. "Battle of Corricks Ford". The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
2. "Rich Mountain Battle Summary". National Park Service. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
3. Maxwell, Hu (1884). History of Tucker County, West Virginia. Preston Publishing Company. p. 331.
4. "Tale of the Monuments". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
5. "Saved Land". American Battlefield Trust.

External links

• Media related to Battle of Corrick's Ford at Wikimedia Commons
• Corricks Ford Battlefield Park
• Corricks Ford Battlefield Master Plan