Battle of Kabletown
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Kabletown was a battle between Confederate
and Union forces near the end of the American Civil War
. Captain John S. Mosby
, with nine companies of cavalry, defeated Captain Richard R. Blazer's outnumbered Blazer's Scouts
.
's Overland Campaign
came to a close. He had laid siege to Petersburg
. Captain Blazer's Scouts
, a Union company, had already raided the city of Lynchburg, Virginia
in the campaign against Richmond. Captain John S. Mosby
of the Confederates decided to stop these raids against Virginia by bringing them to battle. On November 18, 1864, the forces met at Kabletown, West Virginia
.
, to Captain Richard R. Blazer's one. Mosby was able to defeat Blazer's Scouts due to superior numbers, inflicting 42 casualties, almost half of the Union force. This short cavalry skirmish was the Blazer's Scouts' final battle. Mosby had defeated the most famous scouting company of the Union Army.
by defeating its scouts.
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
and Union forces near the end of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Captain John S. Mosby
John S. Mosby
John Singleton Mosby , nicknamed the "Gray Ghost", was a Confederate cavalry battalion commander in the American Civil War...
, with nine companies of cavalry, defeated Captain Richard R. Blazer's outnumbered Blazer's Scouts
Blazer's Scouts
Blazer's Scouts was the name for a military company aligned with the Union Army during the second half of the American Civil War. They were particularly active in tracking down and confronting Confederate partisans and guerrillas in West Virginia and Virginia, particularly those of Colonel John S....
.
Background
In late 1864, General Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
's Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
came to a close. He had laid siege to Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
. Captain Blazer's Scouts
Blazer's Scouts
Blazer's Scouts was the name for a military company aligned with the Union Army during the second half of the American Civil War. They were particularly active in tracking down and confronting Confederate partisans and guerrillas in West Virginia and Virginia, particularly those of Colonel John S....
, a Union company, had already raided the city of Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
in the campaign against Richmond. Captain John S. Mosby
John S. Mosby
John Singleton Mosby , nicknamed the "Gray Ghost", was a Confederate cavalry battalion commander in the American Civil War...
of the Confederates decided to stop these raids against Virginia by bringing them to battle. On November 18, 1864, the forces met at Kabletown, West Virginia
Kabletown, West Virginia
Kabletown is an unincorporated town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, USA. The town lies along a spring-fed stream called Bullskin Run near the Shenandoah River on Kabletown Road . Kabletown's population was 10,073 in 2000....
.
Battle
Mosby had nine companies, the 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry
The 43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, also known as Mosby's Rangers, Mosby's Raiders or Mosby's Men, was a battalion of partisan cavalry in the Confederate army during the American Civil War...
, to Captain Richard R. Blazer's one. Mosby was able to defeat Blazer's Scouts due to superior numbers, inflicting 42 casualties, almost half of the Union force. This short cavalry skirmish was the Blazer's Scouts' final battle. Mosby had defeated the most famous scouting company of the Union Army.
Aftermath
Blazer's Scouts were disbanded officially in January 1865. The Confederates had weakened the Union VIII Corps under Philip SheridanPhilip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
by defeating its scouts.