3/23/62 Echols was severely wounded while serving in the
Valley Campaign, disabling him for several weeks.
4/16/62 Echols was promoted to Brig Gen during his convalescence. Later in the year, he was assigned to command a Bgde of the army of Western Va. He participated as a Bgde Cdr in Loring's occupation of the Kanawha Valley in Sept. After Loring withdrew to the mountains, Echols replaced him in command of the Dept of Western Va He promptly reoccupied Charleston, but was forced to retreat by a superior enemy force.
After the defeat in May by Crook, Heth spent the rest of the summer withdrawing, much to the anger of local residents, until he was transferred to Tenn [6/25] & replaced by Gen Echols, a VMI graduate.
7/23/62 Giles CH-Loring endorses recommendation of officers of Wharton's Bgde for his promotion to Gen as long as it doesn't interfere with Gen Echols' command who by order has been assigned to a Bgde in this Dept.
One of the Bgdes is assigned by order of the War Dept to Gen Williams, the other will necessarily be commanded by Gen Echols should he come here upon his recovery
9/4/62 Camp
Narrows,
Giles Co., Direct to
Dublin, Care of
Capt Stone, Co I 50th Va Regt.,
Gen Echols' Bgde-
Since the last letter forces under Gen Loring had taken Charleston in early Sept, Loring then refused to cooperate with R. E. Lee & instead of pressing on the Ohio River had remained in Charleston before marching his troops back to Lewisburg in Oct. For this offense he was sacked & replaced by Gen Echols, who promptly ordered a return to Charleston.
10/15 Sec of War Randolph to Echols-You will assume the command of the forces lately commanded by Gen Loring, who has been directed to turn over to you his command & his orders & instructions. You will march the forces back into the Kanawha Valley, & make its defense your first object. Should circumstances allow you to carry out the instructions sent from the Dept to Gen Loring, & the season be not too far advanced for the operations therein indicated, you will execute those instructions. I regret to hear of your feeble health, & will endeavor to relieve you from the burdens imposed upon you as soon as possible. In the meanwhile, if you should find yourself physically unable to exercise the command, you will turn it over to Gen Williams. Acknowledge by telegraph the receipt of your order.
10/17 Under Echols' leadership the army started back to Charleston.
Later, the Union armies were reinforced & Echols was driven back to Raleigh & thence to the Lewisburg-Princeton Line. As the Federals still had control of Beverly in the north & thus recovered the central Kanawha Valley region, the situation at the end of 1862 was about the same as at the end of 1861.
11/9 Echols asks for leave of absence due to his health & for Gen Williams to take command
11/25/62 Gen Jones is assigned to the command of the Trans-Allegheny or Western Dept of Va, extending west to the eastern boundary of Ky & as far west of that boundary as circumstances may allow. He will repair to The Narrows of the New River & assume the command. He will give his attention to the protection of the Va & Tenn RR against any encroachments of the enemy, & will make such use of the forces under Gen Marshall, at Abingdon, & of the troops at other places within his command as in his judgment the best interests of the service may require.
While the Chancellorsville Campaign was getting underway, Gen Heth was recalled to Lee's Army of Northern Va, & Gen John Echols reformed the New River Army to the Army of South Western Va in the spring of 1863.
7/20/63 Monroe County, Echols to Seddon-In the communication which I had the honor of making to you on the 16th, in reply to your kind letter of the 10th, in regard to my taking temporary command of this military Dept during the absence there from of Maj-Gen Jones, which you stated had been ordered, I omitted to state that which it was my duty, probably, to have done & which I beg to state now.
I am satisfied from my acquaintance with the Dept, which is, I think, full & accurate, & from my knowledge of the strength & position of the enemy in front of us, that this section, with the great interests of the RR & salt-works, cannot be protected & defended if any portion of the troops now here shall be removed.
I hope that I may be pardoned for saying this much, but I could not say less & feel that I had done my duty to the Gov't & its cause, & to the region of country in which I feel so deep an interest.
11/6/63 the battle of Droop Mountain was fought by Federal forces led by Gen Averell & CS forces under Gen Echols & Col (later Gen) Wm L. Jackson.
8/22/64 Echols returned to duty as the cdr of the District of Southwest Va in Aug of 1864. He defeated a Federal force at the Battle of Saltville in Oct of that year. When he learned of Lee's retreat from Petersburg & Richmond, he gathered a force of 7,000 men & marched to meet Lee. He learned of Lee's surrender while moving to meet him. Echols then moved his command to join Johnston's army in NC. When Johnston surrendered, Echols fled with the CS Gov't in an attempt to escape the country without being forced to surrender. He was captured at Augusta, Ga
Jan 21st, 1865—
Capt Lynch sent to
Grayson County, Va, to collect stragglers. About this time
Gen Breckinridge was appointed Sec of War in place of
Seddon, &
Gen Echols succeeded to the command. Bridges destroyed by
Stoneman last month quickly rebuilt by
Major Poore, Chief of Engineers.
2/28/65 Dept of Western Va & East Tenn, commanded by Gen Echols
4/12/65 Gen Echols disbanded the Dept of East Tenn & Southwestern Va at Christiansburg, Va, upon learning of Lee's surrender through a telegram waiting for him when he mustered his forces in Christiansburg. The command's 16 Arty piece carriages were cut apart, the gun barrels were spiked, & the ammunition was destroyed. All who wished were allowed to return home.
After Echols dissolved the Dept, Gen Cosby took the remainder of his Bgde west into Ky to surrender to federal authorities. Echols led the remaining troops of Vaughn's Bgde & Duke's Bgde, toward NC hoping to link up with Gen Johnston & the Army of Tenn. The former Dept's District of Western NC remained unaffected & intact.
4/16 the remnant force from East Tenn-Southwest Va split, with some few following Gen Echols toward the Army of Tenn & the remaining majority, under the overall command of Gen Vaughn, hoping to meet up with Wheeler's Cav.
4/19 The two Bgdes under Echols joined the bodyguard of President Davis under command of Gen John C. Breckenridge made up of Gen Dibrell's Bgde, Gen Ferguson's Bgde & Col Wm C. P. Breckenridge's Bgde.
4/26/65 Gen Johnston surrendered the Div of the West under himself, the Army of Tenn & etc. Gen Echols, formerly of the Dept of East Tenn & SW Va, was by this time with Johnston, having left the column of Vaughn's & Duke's Bgdes on 4/16.
Forum Host
Bringing the