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Battle of Droop Mountain order of battle

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The following army units were involved in the Battle of Droop Mountain on November 6, 1863, near Hillsboro, West Virginia, in the American Civil War. Hillsboro, spelled "Hillsborough" on some maps from that century, is located in the mountainous terrain of Pocahontas County, West Virginia. A Union brigade commanded by Brigadier General William W. Averell defeated a smaller Confederate force commanded by Brigadier General John Echols and Colonel William L. "Mudwall" Jackson. A second Union force commanded by Brigadier General Alfred N. Duffié, tried to prevent the Confederate retreat, but did not engage at Droop Mountain. Aware of Duffié's troops, Confederate forces escaped before he arrived.[1]

old map with troop positions on mountain
Averell's three-sided attack from north side

The Union Army units, and their commanders, are listed first. The Confederate Army units, and their commanders, follow. Many of the men on both sides were from West Virginia.[1] In one case, Confederate Captain James McNeil of the 22nd Virginia Infantry Regiment was captured by the 3rd West Virginia Mounted Infantry—the regiment of McNeil's half brother, Private Alfred McKeever.[2] Not shown is the Confederate force commanded by Brigadier General John D. Imboden, which did not arrive at Droop Mountain in time for the battle and unsuccessfully pursued Averell in the days after the battle.[3]

Abbreviations used

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Military rank

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Other

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Union Army Department of West Virginia

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Fourth Separate Brigade

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BG William W. Averell[4]

Lt Jacob H. Mork, Acting Assistant Adjutant General[5]
Lt John Rodgers Meigs, Engineer and Acting Aide-de-Camp[6]
Lt Alexander J. Pentecost, Acting Quartermaster[7]
Pvt Francis S. Reader, clerk[8]
Group Regiments and Others
Infantry

Col Augustus Moor
(28th Ohio Infantry)[9]


Additional Information

Mounted Infantry

Col John H. Oley
(8th West Virginia Infantry)[12]


Additional Information

Cavalry

Col James M. Schoonmaker
(14th Pennsylvania Cavalry)[13]


Additional Information

  • Company A of the 1st West Virginia Cavalry was also known as the Kelley Lancers.[17]
  • Company C of 16th Illinois Cavalry was also known as the Chicago Dragoons.[17]
  • Company C of the 16th Illinois Cavalry was part of a flanking maneuver, while the remainder of Gibson's Battalion was held in reserve or had picket duty until it pursued the enemy in retreat.[19]
  • The cavalry regiment and battalion were armed with carbines.[11]
Signal and Batteries


Additional Information

  • Battery B was also known as "Keeper's Battery".[22]
  • Keeper's Battery had six guns.[20]
  • Battery G was also known as "Ewing's Battery".[22]

Approximately 3,900 men in brigade.

Duffié's Brigade, Scammon's 3rd Division

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BG Alfred N. Duffié[23]

Cpt Alexander H. Rictor, acting inspector general[24]
Group Regiments and Others
Infantry

Col Carr B. White
(12th Ohio Infantry)[25]
Mounted Infantry
Cavalry
Signal and Batteries

Additional Information

  • Duffié's force did not directly engage in the Battle of Droop Mountain. Their movement toward Lewisburg caused the Confederates to retreat from Droop Mountain and escape through Lewisburg before Duffié arrived there. Duffié encountered enemy pickets at Little Sewell Mountain on November 6 and one company of cavalry west of Lewisburg on November 7.[29]
  • The mounted part of Duffié's force totaled 970 officers and men with 1,025 horses.[23]
Principal Union commanders
  •  
    BG William W. Averell
  •  
    BG Alfred N. Duffié
  •  
    Col James M. Schoonmaker
  •  
    Col John H. Oley
  •  
    Col Thomas M. Harris
  •  
    Ltc Francis W. Thompson

Confederate Department of Western Virginia and Tennessee

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BG John Echols[30]

Maj George McKendree, brigade quartermaster
Cpt R. H. Catlett, staff
Cpt W. R. Preston, staff[31]
Echols' Brigade numbered about 1,558 only seven days before the Battle of Droop Mountain, and he claimed he had no more than 1,700 men directly under his command.[32]
Echols' Brigade Regiments and Others

Col George S. Patton Sr.
(22nd Virginia Infantry)[33]


Additional Information

  • A portion of the 22nd Virginia Infantry's Company D was detached, leaving the main body with 550 men.[37]
  • The 22nd Virginia Infantry was originally known as the 1st Kanawha Regiment, which evolved from the Kanawha Riflemen.[38]
  • The 23rd Virginia Infantry Battalion was also known as the 1st Battalion and as Derrick's Battalion.[35]
  • The 23rd Virginia Infantry Battalion had an estimated 200 to 350 men at Droop Mountain.[35]
  • The 26th Virginia Infantry Battalion was originally known as Edgar's Battalion.
  • The 26th Virginia Infantry Battalion's Company I was detached at Dublin Depot.[36]
  • The 26th Virginia Infantry Battalion's 400 men were detached to protect a road about 12 miles (19 km) from Droop Mountain and did not engage.[32]
  • Chapman's battery had roughly 120 men and four guns, but one was detached with the 26th Virginia Battalion.[32]
  • At Droop Mountain, Chapman's battery and Jackson's battery were under the command of Major William L. McLaughlin.[39]
Jackson's Brigade Regiments and Others

Col William L. "Mudwall" Jackson
(19th Virginia Cavalry)[40]


Additional Information

  • A squadron of 300-400 men from the 19th Virginia Cavalry became cutoff from Jackson's main force and did not participate in the battle.[43]
  • Total effectives at Droop Mountain for Jackson's Brigade was 750.[44]
  • Kessler's Battalion, with the addition of two more companies, became the 46th Battalion Virginia Cavalry in early 1864.[41]
  • Lurty's Battery was mounted and rode with the cavalry. Its guns were two 12-pounder howitzers.[44]
Ferguson's (Jenkins') Brigade Regiments and Others

Col Milton Jameson Ferguson
(16th Virginia Cavalry)[44]


Additional Information

  • Brigade commander BG Albert G. Jenkins had been wounded on July 2 at the Battle of Gettysburg, leaving Ferguson in charge of the brigade.[44]
  • Six companies of the 14th Virginia Cavalry were at Droop Mountain. The remainder remained upon picket duty near Lewisburg, covering the road from Nicholas County.[47]
  • The 16th Virginia Cavalry was not at Droop Mountain because it was guarding the western approaches to Lewisburg.[46]
  • Captain Jackson's Battery had two guns. One was a 10-pounder Parrott, and the other was a 3-inch rifle.[46] The two guns were the only long-range guns available to Echols.[48]
Principal Confederate commanders
  •  
    BG John Echols
  •  
    Col William L. "Mudwall" Jackson
  •  
    Col George S. Patton

Notes

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b "Battle of Droop Mountain". West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History. Archived from the original on 2020-09-14. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  2. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 170
  3. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 76
  4. ^ Scott 1890, p. 503
  5. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 160
  6. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 31
  7. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 61
  8. ^ a b c d Lowry 1996, p. 13
  9. ^ Scott 1890, p. 510
  10. ^ a b Lowry 1996, p. 102
  11. ^ a b c d Lowry 1996, p. 32
  12. ^ Scott 1890, p. 515
  13. ^ a b Scott 1890, p. 517
  14. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 12
  15. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 15
  16. ^ a b Lowry 1996, p. 21
  17. ^ a b c d e Lowry 1996, p. 22
  18. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 23
  19. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 105
  20. ^ a b Lowry 1996, p. 29
  21. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 30
  22. ^ a b Scott 1890, pp. 505–506
  23. ^ a b Scott 1890, p. 522
  24. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 68
  25. ^ Scott 1890, p. 525
  26. ^ a b Lowry 1996, p. 36
  27. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 34
  28. ^ a b Lowry 1996, p. 35
  29. ^ Scott 1890, p. 523
  30. ^ Scott 1890, p. 528
  31. ^ Scott 1890, p. 532
  32. ^ a b c d Lowry 1996, p. 46
  33. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 42
  34. ^ Scott 1890, p. 531
  35. ^ a b c Lowry 1996, p. 43
  36. ^ a b Lowry 1996, pp. 44–45
  37. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 40
  38. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 39
  39. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 83
  40. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 47
  41. ^ a b Lowry 1996, p. 49
  42. ^ a b Lowry 1996, p. 50
  43. ^ Lowry 1996, pp. 65–66
  44. ^ a b c d Lowry 1996, p. 52
  45. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 54
  46. ^ a b c Lowry 1996, p. 56
  47. ^ Scott 1890, p. 546
  48. ^ Lowry 1996, p. 57

References

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