Stoneman's 1864 raid, also known as Stoneman's raid into Southwest Virginia, was an American Civil War expedition by Union troops into southwestern Virginia. The expedition occurred from December 10 through December 29, 1864. Union Major General George Stoneman led cavalry and mounted infantry from Tennessee and Kentucky into territory under the command of Confederate Major General John C. Breckinridge. The purpose of the raid was to damage infrastructure used for the Confederate war effort. Targets included salt mines in Saltville, Virginia; lead mines in southern Wythe County; and the railroad used to transport those resources. The salt was used by for food preservation and the lead was used to make bullets. The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad was used to transport both resources for the Confederacy, and it was also used to transport Confederate troops.
The expedition began at Bean Station, Tennessee, on December 12, the forces from Tennessee and Kentucky combined. Skirmishing occurred near Bristol, Tennessee. In Virginia, skirmishing happened near Glade Spring and near Abington on December 15 as the Union troops moved toward the salt mines. Avoiding the heavily–guarded salt mines, Stoneman's troops had a small fight (classified as an action) at Marion on December 16, and also captured the Confederate regional headquarters at Wytheville. On December 17 the lead mines in southern Wythe County were captured and severely damaged. On December 17 and 18, Stoneman had the largest fight of the expedition near Marion. After Breckinridge and his forces retreated from Marion on December 19, Stoneman was able to capture Saltville and damage its salt mines. This occurred on December 20 and 21.
While Stoneman was involved in the various skirmishes and actions, one of his regiments destroyed a significant quantity of railroad infrastructure, including bridges, locomotives, and railcars. After Saltville, the two Union forces split as one unit returned to Kentucky and one unit returned to Tennessee. The return trip was difficult because of cold weather, worn-out horses, and harassment by Confederate militia and cavalry.
Union Brevet Major General Stephen G. Burbridge was the commander of a division from Kentucky that joined Stoneman and a brigade from Tennessee commanded by Brigadier General Alvan C. Gillem. They traveled from Bean Station, Tennessee, to Bristol and Virginia. The raid in Virginia occurred mostly in Washington, Smyth, and Wythe counties.
Dec. 12 - Action at Big Creek near Rogersville - The Union regiments involved were the 8th, 9th, and 13th Tennessee Cavalries.
The American Civil War (1861–1865) was the deadliest conflict in American history, killing an estimated 620,000 to 750,000 soldiers and an unknown number of civilians. The Confederate States of America, formed by eleven seceding Southern states, faced the Union in four years of warfare across 23 states and territories. Major engagements included First and Second Bull Run, Antietam (the bloodiest single day in American history, September 17, 1862), Chancellorsville, Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), Vicksburg (surrendered July 4, 1863), and Sherman's March through Georgia and the Carolinas (1864–1865). President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, transforming the war's stated purpose to include the abolition of slavery and enabling the enlistment of approximately 180,000 Black men in the United States Colored Troops. Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. The war resolved the question of secession and ended American slavery, though Reconstruction would face sustained resistance in its attempt to secure civil rights for formerly enslaved people.
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