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The Sinking Creek Raid took place in Greenbrier County, Virginia (now West Virginia) during the American Civil War. On November 26, 1862, an entire Confederate army camp was captured by 22 men from a Union cavalry during a winter snow storm. The 22 men were the advance guard for the 2nd Loyal Virginia Volunteer Cavalry, which was several miles behind. This cavalry unit was renamed 2nd West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry in 1863, after West Virginia became a state. The Confederates, who were the rebels in the American Civil War, had an army camp near the foot of a mountain in Sinking Creek Valley. Their camp contained about 500 soldiers, who were surprised by the small group of Union cavalry men. Many of the rebels did not have their weapons loaded. The Union cavalry raced into the camp with sabers drawn, and quickly convinced the rebels to surrender in exchange for their lives. Over 100 rebel soldiers were taken prisoner. More than 100 horses and about 200 rifles were also captured, in addition to supplies and tents. The leaders of the raid, Major William H. Powell and Lieutenant Jeremiah Davidson, both received promotions shortly afterwards. Powell was later awarded the Medal of Honor for this action. General George R. Crook said the Sinking Creek Raid was "one of the most daring, brilliant and successful of the whole war". Powell would eventually become a general. Davidson would rise to the rank of captain in the cavalry, and major in the infantry. ==Background== During September 1862, the Union army was forced to retreat from Western Virginia (the Kanawha River Valley) to Ohio by the Confederate army. The army's commander was replaced by General Jacob Dolson Cox, who reorganized the troops. Cox and the troops gradually returned to Charleston for winter quarters. Among the Union troops was a cavalry regiment known as the 2nd Regiment of Loyal Virginia Volunteer Cavalry. This regiment was organized a year earlier, and consisted mostly of volunteers from Ohio counties near the Ohio River and Virginia. Its commander was Colonel John C. Paxton. The regiment’s winter quarters was at Camp Piatt, Virginia, about southeast of Charleston on the Kanawha River. The camp had a strategic location at the intersection of the Kanawha River, the James River, and the Kanawha Turnpike.〔(【引用サイトリンク】publisher=Groundspeak, Inc. )〕 The Kanawha River and Kanawha Turnpike were water and land routes to the Ohio River. Union troops and supplies were often moved by steamboat up the Kanawha River to Charleston and Camp Piatt.〔(【引用サイトリンク】publisher=West Virginia Humanities Council )〕 Charleston also had strategic value since a salt works was located nearby. The 2nd Virginia Cavalry was glad to be back at winter quarters in Camp Piatt, Virginia, and believed they had completed their work for the year. On November 23, 1862, Colonel Paxton received a surprising order from the new division commander, recently promoted Brigadier General George Crook. Thus, Paxton would lead cavalry and infantry in an attack on two rebel camps. One rebel camp was located in Sinking Creek Valley, and the other was two miles west of the valley near Williamsburg.〔 Before the regiment departed, General Crook confidentially told Major William H. Powell not to return to camp without good results. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sinking Creek Raid」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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