Army of West Virginia
The Army of West Virginia served under Brigadier-General George Crook during Major General Philip Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign in 1864.
On June 24, 1863, the United States War Department issued General Orders No. 186, creating the Department of West Virginia, commanded by Brigadier-General Benjamin Franklin Kelley. Troops assigned to the department were taken from the 8th Army Corps. Major General Franz Sigel succeeded Kelley as commander of the district from March 10 to May 21, 1864. Major General David Hunter succeeded Sigel from May 21 to August 8, 1864. When Lieutenant General Ulysses Grant sent Major General Philip Sheridan to the Shenandoah Valley to command the forces under Hunter's command during Early's Valley Campaign, Hunter asked to be relieved of his command. On August 8, 1864, Brigadier-General George Crook succeeded Hunter as department commander.
During Sheridan's operations in the Shenandoah Valley in 1864 Sheridan commanded a large force numbering between thirty thousand and fifty thousand soldiers, who were assembled to drive Confederate General Jubal Early out of the valley. Among them were approximately 7,500 men, commanded by Crook and known as the Army of West Virginia.
The Army of West Virginia served with distinction at the Battle of Opequon (September 19), the Battle of Fisher's Hill (September 22), and the Battle of Cedar Creek (October 19) during the autumn of 1864. At the conclusion of Sheridan's Valley Campaign, the soldiers of the Army of West Virginia were dispersed to various districts in the Department of West Virginia.
Among the men who served with the Army of West Virginia were two future U.S. presidents. Rutherford B. Hayes commanded the army's Second Division, and William McKinley served on Crook's staff.
Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiments that served with the Army of West Virginia:
23rd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
34th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
36th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
91st Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
116th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
123rd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
133rd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
134th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
135th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
140th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
141st Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
146th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
148th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
152nd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
153rd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
154th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
155th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
156th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
160th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
161st Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
167th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
176th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Ohio Volunteer Cavalry Regiments that served with the Army of West Virginia:
8th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Cavalry
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Related Entries
- Jubal Anderson Early
- Philip Henry Sheridan
- Ohio Volunteer Infantry
- Rutherford B. Hayes
- George Crook
- Battle of Cedar Creek
- Battle of Opequon
- William McKinley, Jr.
- Sheridan’s Valley Campaign
- David Hunter
- Ulysses S. Grant
- Philip Henry Sheridan
- Sheridan’s Valley Campaign
- Shenandoah Valley Campaigns of 1864
- Early’s Valley Campaign
- Franz Sigel
