Battle of Saltville I

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v • d • e Burbridge's Raid into Southwest Virginia

1st Saltville

Union re-enactors recreate the Battle of Saltville in Saltville, Virginia on Aug. 20, 2006.

Confederate artillery re-enactors fire on Union troops during the 2006 Battle of Saltville re-enactment.

View of part of the Saltville battlefield.

The Battle of Saltville (1 October – 3 October 1864), was fought near the town of Saltville, Virginia, during the American Civil War. The battle was fought by both regular and homeguard Confederate units against regular Union troops, including one of the few black cavalry units, over an important saltworks in the town. The Union troops were led by Major General Stephen G. Burbridge.

The battle was a Confederate victory, stained by war crimes committed against captured and wounded black troops by irregular guerrilla forces. A second battle occurred two months later when Union general George Stoneman defeated Confederate defenders and burned the saltworks.

[edit] Further reading

Bush, Bryan S. (2008). Butcher Burbridge: Union General Stephen Burbridge and His Reign of Terror Over Kentucky. Morley, Missouri: Acclaim Press. ISBN 0979880254.