Battle of Cove Mountain

Battle of Cove Mountain Part of American Civil War Date May 10, 1864 (1864-05-10) Location Wythe County, Virginia Result Inconclusive Belligerents United States (Union) CSA (Confederacy) Commanders and leaders William W. Averell William E. Jones Strength 2,500 4,000 Casualties and losses 300

The Battle of Cove Mountain was a minor skirmish of the American Civil War, fought on May 10, 1864, in the southwest corner of Virginia near Cove Mountain in Wythe County.

On that day, Union Brig. Gen. William W. Averell's brigade encountered a Confederate brigade under the command of Brig. Gen. William E. "Grumble" Jones. Averell attacked the Confederate positions but was repulsed. The Confederates received reinforcements from Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan and counterattacked, chasing the Union forces through the cove area of Wythe County Virginia. The Confederates held the battlefield as the sun went down. The next day, Averell returned to West Virginia after failing to accomplish his objectives.

References

• National Park Service battle description
• CWSAC Report Update and Resurvey: Individual Battlefield Profiles
• Kennedy, Frances H., ed., The Civil War Battlefield Guide, 2nd ed., Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998, ISBN 0-395-74012-6.