Romney In The Civil War - Romney WV - Battlefields on Waymarking.com

Romney In The Civil War-Strategic Location on the Turnpike

Romney experienced many troop movements and skirmishes during the course of the war because of its location on the vitally important North Western Turnpike. The road linked Winchester, near the northern end of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, with Parkersburg on the Ohio River. The earliest engagement fought here occurred on June 13, 1861, when a Federal force under Col. Lewis Wallace stormed the covered bridge and briefly occupied the town. Romney allegedly changed hands about sixty times during the war, sometimes more than once within a twenty-four hour period.

The proximity of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Cumberland, Maryland, and at New Creek Station (present-day Keyser, West Virginia) magnified Romney’s importance. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal also ran near the northern border of Hampshire County across the Potomac River. In addition, the South Branch River Valley’s numerous farms made tempting targets as Union and Confederate forces sought to replenish supplies.

Many residents of Romney and Hampshire County sympathized with the Confederacy during the war because of the county’s strong agricultural tiesto the Shenandoah Valley. There also were large farms in the area that utilized slave labor. Romney was caught in the middle: to the north lay Cumberland, a stronghold of Union sympathy, and to the east was Winchester, one of the Confederacy’s northernmost cities. Each city was within a short march of Romney, making the town a target of many scouting actions, foraging expeditions, and positioning maneuvers on the part of both parties.

Name of Battle: Skirmish at Romney Name of War: U.S. Civil War Date(s) of Battle (Beginning): 06/13/1861 Entrance Fee: Not Listed Parking: Not Listed Date of Battle (End): Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Post a photo of you in front of a sign or marker posted at the site of the battle (or some other way to indicate you have personally visited the site.

In addition it is encouraged to take a few photos of the surrounding area and interesting features at the site.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   07/12/2023 Don.Morfe visited it