Battle of Winfield, West Virginia

Battle of Winfield
Part of the American Civil War
Date October 26, 1864 (1864-10-26) Location Winfield, Putnam County, West Virginia 38°32.034′N 81°53.544′W Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	Confederate States (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Capt. John Reynolds	Lt. Col. Vincent Witcher Capt. Phillip Thurmond †
Units involved
Company D, 7th West Virginia Cavalry	Thurmond's Rangers, 44th Virginia Cavalry 34th Virginia Cavalry Battalion
Strength
1 company, 83 men	2 columns, 425 men
Casualties and losses
None	Unknown killed and wounded Several captured

Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Witcher and Captain Phillip Thurmond led two columns of Confederates on October 26, 1864, against Federal troops protecting Winfield, the Putnam County Courthouse and local traffic on the Ohio River. Though outnumbered, Company D of the 7th West Virginia Cavalry under Captain John Reynolds repulsed the attack, killing Thurmond and taking several prisoners without suffering any major casualties.

Lt. Col. Witcher led the first column, consisting of men from the 34th Virginia Cavalry Battalion, and Capt. Thurmond led the second column, consisting of his own Thurmond's Rangers, which was organized as part of the 44th Virginia Cavalry.

Background

Winfield's location along the Kanawha River made it an important hub for trade and commerce, and of strategic value during the war as a result. Control of this section of the riverfront enabled control of all steamboat traffic on the upper Kanawha.

Riding under the cover of darkness, a force of 425 Confederate troops approached the town, where they learned of the Union garrison's presence there.

Company D of the 7th West Virginia Cavalry had been ordered to Winfield primarily to protect steamboat traffic. A secondary role for Union troops was to guard the Putnam County Courthouse and town of Winfield from Confederate attack; not an unpopular task given the company's men were from Putnam and surrounding counties in West Virginia.