Civil War 150, Battle of Hoke’s Run

This occurred on July 2, 1861. It happened near Hainesville in what would have been Virginia at the time. West Virginia didn't formally become a state until it left Virginia on June 20, 1863. Hainesville is around 25 miles or so from Harpers Ferry. The area around Harpers Ferry would prove to be an on going battle ground for most of the war.

Some of the details of the Battle of Hoke's Run:

On July 2, Maj. Gen. Robert Patterson’s division crossed the Potomac River near Williamsport and marched on the main road to Martinsburg. Near Hoke’s Run, Abercrombie’s and Thomas’s brigades encountered regiments of T.J. Jackson’s brigade, driving them back slowly. Jackson’s orders were to delay the Federal advance only, which he did, withdrawing before Patterson’s larger force.

On July 3, Patterson occupied Martinsburg but made no further aggressive moves until July 15, when he marched to Bunker Hill. Instead of moving on Winchester, however, Patterson turned east to Charles Town and then withdrew to Harpers Ferry.

Patterson stayed at Harpers Ferry while Union and Confederate forces fought the First Battle of Manassas a few weeks later. This inactivity helped to contribute to the Union defeat at Manassas.