West Virginia and the Civil War: Mountaineers Are Always Free (Civil War Sesquicentennial Series)

West Virginia and the Civil War examines the state's formation, its people, and their roles during the Civil War on both Union and Confederate sides. West Virginia was the only state created as a result of the Civil War, and it was the most divided state in the nation. Approximately forty thousand of its residents served in combat forces, with about twenty thousand on each side. The state experienced numerous battles, skirmishes, raids, and guerrilla warfare. Locations such as Harpers Ferry, Philippi, and Rich Mountain became significant during 1861. When Virginia seceded from the Union on April 17, 1861, leaders from the northwestern region initiated the political process that led to West Virginia's creation on June 20, 1863. This work represents the first comprehensive history of West Virginia and its Civil War experience in more than fifty years.