A. Brooks Fleming House
Posted by: 
dukemartin
N 39° 29.036 W 080° 08.534
17S E 573767 N 4370832
This is the home that Aretas Brooks Fleming lived in during the war, and later became the 8th governor of West Virginia.
Waymark Code: WMTMTA
Location: West Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 12/13/2016
Views: 3
Behind you is the home of Aretas Brooks Fleming (1839-1923), the eighth governor of West Virginia (1890-1893). During the war, he was the Marion County prosecuting attorney and served in the Fairmont Home Guard. At the time of the raid, he instructed and provisioned Mannington's Home Guard. Detachments of the 23 Illinois Infantry, the 106th New York Infantry, and the 6th West Virginia Infantry also guarded Fairmont.
Early on April 29, 1863, Gen. William E. Jones's forces attacked Fairmont from the west to destroy the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bridge over the Monongahela River at present-day 12th Street. To your left, a block away, are abutments of the suspension bridge that spanned the Monongahela River, joining Fairmont and Palatine. Across the river in Palatine, part of the garrison (including Fleming) was stationed ion the foundry to protect the eastern ends of this bridge and the railroad bridge upstream. The Federals had removed the suspension bridge's floorboards to prevent the Confederates from crossing.
Jones divided his command, sending his main column in Fairmont upriver to the railroad bridge while a detachment fought its way across the suspension bridge, laying found timbers for flooring as they went.
The Confederates secured both bridges and captured many Federals, including those in the foundry. A train bearing Union reinforcements arrived from Grafton but was driven away from the rail bridge, which Jones destroyed. He also paroled the prisoners before leaving for Bridgeport. He reported three men wounded and left in the care of "kind friends."
Fleming was promoted to captain by the Paw Paw militia for his service during the raid. He later became a leading West Virginia politician and industrialist, especially in the filed of coal mining.
Type of site: Historic Home
Address:
Jefferson Street
Fairmont, WV USA
26554
Admission Charged: No Charge
Driving Directions:
Phone Number: Not listed
Website: Not listed
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