Today in Wheeling History: May 27--The 1st Virginia Infantry (Union), composed mainly of recruits from the northern panhandle of western Virginia, departed Wheeling via the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to engage Confederate forces, marking the beginning of their three-month term of service in the Civil War (1861).
The 1st Virginia Infantry (Union), later known as the 1st West Virginia Infantry, was organized in Wheeling in May 1861, drawing recruits primarily from the northern panhandle counties of Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, and Marshall. The regiment, under Colonel Benjamin F. Kelley, was the first loyal regiment formed on Southern soil and played a significant role in the early campaigns of the Civil War in western Virginia. They departed Wheeling on May 27, 1861, and participated in the Battle of Philippi on June 3, where Col. Kelley was wounded, marking him as the first Union officer injured in the war.
The regiment served its three-month term in the mountains of western Virginia, helping to secure the region for the Union. Many of these soldiers later re-enlisted for three years' service in the 1st West Virginia Infantry, which went on to fight in several major engagements, including the battles of Winchester, Port Republic, and Cedar Creek. Though the majority of the regiment's soldiers were native West Virginians (39%), a significant portion came from neighboring states like Ohio (23%) and Pennsylvania (18%), as well as immigrant populations (11%). The 1st West Virginia Infantry played a vital role in the Union war effort and contributed to the eventual creation of the state of West Virginia in 1863.
To learn more: (https://tinyurl.com/4jjvfpfj) (https://tinyurl.com/4sn4bczh) (https://tinyurl.com/4b8ca2pr) (https://tinyurl.com/39cte4p5) (https://tinyurl.com/5a45nvrx) (https://tinyurl.com/yjx2sm4t) (https://tinyurl.com/33r5hzpa) (https://tinyurl.com/4yvw2fha) (https://tinyurl.com/478e3zu3)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling National Heritage Area
The 1st Virginia Infantry (Union), later known as the 1st West Virginia Infantry, was organized in Wheeling in May 1861, drawing recruits primarily from the northern panhandle counties of Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, and Marshall. The regiment, under Colonel Benjamin F. Kelley, was the first loyal regiment formed on Southern soil and played a significant role in the early campaigns of the Civil War in western Virginia. They departed Wheeling on May 27, 1861, and participated in the Battle of Philippi on June 3, where Col. Kelley was wounded, marking him as the first Union officer injured in the war.
The regiment served its three-month term in the mountains of western Virginia, helping to secure the region for the Union. Many of these soldiers later re-enlisted for three years' service in the 1st West Virginia Infantry, which went on to fight in several major engagements, including the battles of Winchester, Port Republic, and Cedar Creek. Though the majority of the regiment's soldiers were native West Virginians (39%), a significant portion came from neighboring states like Ohio (23%) and Pennsylvania (18%), as well as immigrant populations (11%). The 1st West Virginia Infantry played a vital role in the Union war effort and contributed to the eventual creation of the state of West Virginia in 1863.
To learn more: (https://tinyurl.com/4jjvfpfj) (https://tinyurl.com/4sn4bczh) (https://tinyurl.com/4b8ca2pr) (https://tinyurl.com/39cte4p5) (https://tinyurl.com/5a45nvrx) (https://tinyurl.com/yjx2sm4t) (https://tinyurl.com/33r5hzpa) (https://tinyurl.com/4yvw2fha) (https://tinyurl.com/478e3zu3)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling National Heritage Area
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