Haunted Carnifex Ferry Battlefield

[NH Civil War Gal]

I have never heard of this battlefield before and the Patterson House. @Joshism did you know that West Virginia actually had a lighthouse? A big one. Who knew?

 

[JOHN42768]

Thinking maybe Deer Poachers

 

[lupaglupa]

I think building a joke lighthouse is actually pretty cool.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

@Stone in the wall Why didn't we go here? Have you ever been there?

 

[R. Porter]

Thinking maybe Deer Poachers

Thinking you're right. I'd be inclined to leave, not because of ghosts but because I might get accidentally shot. Blaze orange doesn't work at night.

 

[ErnieMac]

Carnifex Ferry Battlefield is located about 200 miles south of Pittsburgh and 40 miles east of Charleston WV as the crow flies (a good bit further if you aren't a crow). It's about 15 minutes off of US Rt. 19 near Summersville WV. I took the opportunity to visit on a sunnday afternoon in February 2015.

By early September 1861 Federal troops had occupied northwest West Virginia and, more recently, the Kanawha River Valley (Charleston area). Confederate BG John B. Floyd leading an 2000-man brigade of Virginia troops moved to contest the Federal occupation. After crossing the Gauley River and surprising a Federal regiment at nearby Keslers Cross Lanes Floyd established an entrenched camp on the Patterson farm situated on a plateau overlooking the Gauley near the Carnifex Ferry crossing.

BG William Rosecrans commanding three brigades of Federal troops total about 6000 men moved on Floyd. Rosecrans arrived in front of Camp Gauley on the afternoon of September 10, 1861, and immediately attacked, feeding his men into the battle in a piecemeal fashion as the arrived. The battle lasted the afternoon with the Confederates holding off the Confederate attacks until nightfall. With reinforcements unavailable, Floyd withdrew across the Gauley during the night.
Carnifex Ferry was a small battle by CW standards - roughly 160 Federal casualties and 30 Confederate. Its main significance occurred about six weeks later when West Virginians held an election in which they voted to apply to become a separate state in the Union. Had Confederate operations been successful the Kanawha valley areas may not have been able to participate in that election.

View of the Gauley from near the battlefield. The ferry was located to the right of the photo.

Recreation of Floyd's entrenchments facing the direction of Rosecran's attack. Patterson house in background.

Rosecrans line of attack.

The traces of the Old Ferry Road used by Floyd to withdraw.

 

[bdtex]

Carnifex Ferry Battlefield is located about 200 miles south of Pittsburgh and 40 miles east of Charleston WV as the crow flies (a good bit further if you aren't a crow). It's about 15 minutes off of US Rt. 19 near Summersville WV. I took the opportunity to visit on a sunnday afternoon in February 2015.

By early September 1861 Federal troops had occupied northwest West Virginia and, more recently, the Kanawha River Valley (Charleston area). Confederate BG John B. Floyd leading an 2000-man brigade of Virginia troops moved to contest the Federal occupation. After crossing the Gauley River and surprising a Federal regiment at nearby Keslers Cross Lanes Floyd established an entrenched camp on the Patterson farm situated on a plateau overlooking the Gauley near the Carnifex Ferry crossing.

BG William Rosecrans commanding three brigades of Federal troops total about 6000 men moved on Floyd. Rosecrans arrived in front of Camp Gauley on the afternoon of September 10, 1861, and immediately attacked, feeding his men into the battle in a piecemeal fashion as the arrived. The battle lasted the afternoon with the Confederates holding off the Confederate attacks until nightfall. With reinforcements unavailable, Floyd withdrew across the Gauley during the night.
Carnifex Ferry was a small battle by CW standards - roughly 160 Federal casualties and 30 Confederate. Its main significance occurred about six weeks later when West Virginians held an election in which they voted to apply to become a separate state in the Union. Had Confederate operations been successful the Kanawha valley areas may not have been able to participate in that election.

View of the Gauley from near the battlefield. The ferry was located to the right of the photo.
View attachment 566186

Recreation of Floyd's entrenchments facing the direction of Rosecran's attack. Patterson house in background.
View attachment 566189

Rosecrans line of attack.
View attachment 566195

The traces of the Old Ferry Road used by Floyd to withdraw.
View attachment 566193

Thanks for the pictures.

 

[Stone in the wall]

@Stone in the wall Why didn't we go here? Have you ever been there?

Well now, that's going to be about a 300 mile ride from here at Harpers Ferry and no I have not been there.
But if you want to go, a stop at Phillippi (1861 Battle) would is only a little side tracked off that trip.

Next time could maybe take shorter trip to Romney/Hanging Rock, Falling Waters/Hokes Run or Shepherdstown.
Romney changed hands something like 60 times during the war. Some of the first commanders there became Generals and it looks like a future ACW hall of fame:
Col Lew Wallace
Col A P Hill
Col John Vaughn
Capt Turner Asby-appointed a Brigadier, killed two weeks later, before Confederate Senate confirmed it
and of coarse ol' Stonewall himself was already a General

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Well now, that's going to be about a 300 mile ride from

I had no idea!

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Romney/Hanging Rock, Falling Waters/Hokes Run

We need to do these.

 

[ErnieMac]

Future ACW hall of fame from Carnifex Ferry.

• Confederate:

Col. Henry Heth​

Col. John McCausland​

Col. Alexander W. Reynolds​

Col. Gabriel C. Wharton​

• Federal

Col. Henry W. Benham​

Col. Hugh B. Ewing​

Maj Rutherford B. Hayes​

Col. William Haines Lytle​

Col. Robert L. McCook​

Col. Eliakim Scammon​

Col. William Sooy Smith​

​

 

[ErnieMac]

Candidate for the Carnifex Ferry ghost:

 

[stu613]

We need to do these.

A candidate, instead of Gburg? Maybe Eddie, Edwardo, Elizabeth, Ernie or whatever his name is might meet us and give us the grand tour! ( we might even get a van where the sliding door works (if i dont break it first). We could even fly into Pittsburg which might make it easier than Baltimore.

 

[davepi2]

Nice battlefield to visit, easy to find and only about 20 miles from the New River Gorge Bridge.

 

[The Ninth Ohio]

Future ACW hall of fame from Carnifex Ferry.

• Confederate:

Col. Henry Heth
Col. John McCausland
Col. Alexander W. Reynolds
Col. Gabriel C. Wharton​

• Federal

Col. Henry W. Benham
Col. Hugh B. Ewing
Maj Rutherford B. Hayes
Col. William Haines Lytle
Col. Robert L. McCook
Col. Eliakim Scammon
Col. William Sooy Smith
​

Also

Col. August Moor (future brigadier 8th Corps)
Maj. Gustav Kämmerling (future colonel 9th Ohio)
1st Sgt. Gustav Tafel (future lieutenant colonel 106th Ohio and mayor of Cincinnati)

 

[bdtex]

Candidate for the Carnifex Ferry ghost:
View attachment 566275

View attachment 566276

With good reason.