The Soldiers
West Virginia has the unique distinction of
attaining its statehood due directly to the turmoil of
the Civil War. Formerly the western section of Virginia, this region possesses
geographical,
economic, and settlement patterns which have always set it apart from its eastern
neighbors.
Issues involving political apportionment, internal improvements, and slavery exacerbated
these differences in the decades preceding the conflict. When Virginia opted to secede
from
the Union in early 1861, leaders primarily from the northwestern region of the state began
the
process which eventually led to the creation of the new state of West Virginia on June 20,
1863.
Though no great battles approaching the magnitude of Gettysburg or Chickamauga were
fought on West Virginia soil, the state nonetheless saw a great deal of military activity
during
the four years of conflict. Several significant battles, including Rich Mountain, Harper's
Ferry,
Shepherdstown, and Droop Mountain took place in the state, as well as countless actions,
skirmishes, and movements. Raids by independent Confederate units, partisan rangers, and
guerrillas were frequent occurrences in the "Mountain State" during this period.
Due in large
part to the presence of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the region had strategic
significance
to both sides, resulting in large numbers of Union troops being stationed in the state
from the
summer of 1861 on. Most of these troops were from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
The State of West Virginia, however, should not be considered a "Union" state.
Like
Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and other border states, the loyalties of its citizens were
divided. Numbers given by researchers in the past have put the head count of Union
soldiers
from West Virginia at about 30,000, with Confederate figures ranging from a low of 8,000
to a high of 20,000. The Union figures, however, include at least several thousand
Pennsylvanians and Ohioans serving in West Virginia regiments, with lesser numbers from
other states and foreign countries. A more accurate estimate of the number of West
Virginia
citizens who wore the Union blue is between 22,000 and 25,000.