Battle of Philippi (1861) 1861
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 3 June 1861 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1861 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | 19th century (1800–1913) | derived from year |
| Location | United States | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | North America | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | American Civil War | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 39.1518, -80.0397 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Philippi formed part of the Western Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War and was fought in and around Philippi, Virginia (now West Virginia), on June 3, 1861. A Union Army victory, it was the first organized land action of the war but is generally viewed as a skirmish rather than a battle.
The Northern press, however, celebrated it as an epic triumph, which encouraged Congress to call for the drive on Richmond that ended with the Union defeat at First Bull Run in July. It brought overnight fame to Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan and was notable for the first battlefield amputations. As the first of a series of victories that pushed Confederate forces out of northwest Virginia, it strengthened the Union government in exile, which would soon create the new state of West Virginia.
As the largely-untrained Confederates had fled the battlefield with barely any resistance, the Union jokingly referred to the engagement as the Philippi Races.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Philippi (1861) (revision 1374446016), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of Corrick's Ford 1861 · 31 km
- Battle of Rich Mountain 1861 · 33 km
- Battle of Cheat Mountain 1861 · 61 km
- Battle of Bulltown 1863 · 61 km
- Battle of Greenbrier River 1861 · 73 km
- Battle of Camp Allegheny 1861 · 80 km
Other battles of the American Civil War
- Battle of Aquia Creek 1861
- Battle of Arlington Mills 1861
- Battle of Athens (1861) 1861
- Battle of Ball's Bluff 1861
- Battle of Barbourville 1861
- Battle of Big Bethel 1861
- Battle of Blackburn's Ford 1861
- Battle of Bolivar Heights 1861
- Battle of Boonville 1861
- Battle of Camp Allegheny 1861
All 498 battles of the American Civil War →
Browse more: battles in United States · North America · 19th century battles