Camp Bartow and the Battle of Greenbrier River

On August 13, 1861 Confederate General Henry Jackson seized Travelers’ Repose from the Yeager family. He named the area Camp Bartow to honor a fellow Georgian, Francis Bartow, who was killed at the Battle of First Bull Run. The camp soon filled the hills and earthworks were dug to protect the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, an important road that penetrated into the Shenandoah Valley. Camp Bartow sat astride the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike in a formidable position on high hills on both sides. From here the road leads directly up to the top of Allegheny Mountain and Camp Allegheny.

**Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike looking in the direction of Camp Allegheny**

**Camp Bartow on the hill to the right of the road. The road is running in front of the parked van from right to left**

A more distant view of both sides of Camp Bartow is shown below. The road in the picture is current route 250. Toward the end of the road on the left side is a metal guard rail. This is the modern Greenbrier River bridge. Route 250 makes a sharp left turn after the bridge along the river (9 o’clock on a clock) while the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike comes off at around 11 o’clock. Travelers’ Repose is the building that is seen just above the guardrail on the opposite side of the river.

These hills are behind the Yeager House on the left side of the Turnpike and were part of Camp Bartow.

Travelers’ Repose was an inn that sat at Camp Bartow.

The Yeager House is next to Travelers’ Repose. Today it is a rental house.

On October 3,1861, Union General Joseph Reynolds led 5,000 men and 13 cannons to try and dislodge 1800 Confederates. Skirmishing began about a mile west of Camp Bartow between the 9th IN and 12th GA around 7:00 AM. An artillery duel ensued an hour later between 13 Union and 6 Confederate guns. Six of the Union guns were rifled Parrotts of the 1st MI Light Artillery, the Fourth U.S. Artillery, and the 1st (U.S.) VA Light Artillery. The Rebel guns were overseen by Captains Pierce Anderson, William Rice, and Lindsey Shumaker. Firing slowed around 9:30 when Federal infantry advanced to test the Confederate left flank. They were repulsed by Colonel Albert Rust’s 3rd AR. After 3 hours only one Confederate gun was still firing, the others were taken offline to cool. With this the Union decided to test the Rebel right flank with the 7th, 14th and 15th IN and the 24th OH. This advance was also repulsed when the Confederate cannons began firing cannister. By 1:00 PM with ammunition running low Reynolds broke off the battle and headed back for Cheat Mountain. The Union suffered 8 killed and 35 wounded. Confederate casualties were also light, given that over 1100 rounds of artillery were fired at Camp Bartow, with 6 killed, 33 wounded and 13 captured. The 7th IN lost their flag when they forgot it and left it leaning up against a tree. After the battle they were given the embarrassing nickname of the “banner regiment”.

From the hills shown above seven Confederate 6-pounder cannons and 1,800 men were able to hold the position. After the battle General Reynolds claimed that he was only conducting a reconnaissance mission. Henry Jackson lost confidence in his position and abandoned Camp Bartow and withdrew to Camp Allegheny on November 22nd, where he established winter quarters. Both sides were now encamped for the winter on two mountaintops about 30 miles apart. It was a difficult winter for both sides.

Recently in 2017 the West Virginia Land Trust purchased 14 acres of land at the Camp Bartow site. It was the campground of the 31st VA. Interpretation has begun at the site. A trail has been marked off with 4 numbered posts and one tablet marker. I’m not sure what the numbers represent.

If you look carefully in the picture below at the base of the tree line in the upper part of the picture you can see the tablet marker to the left of center.