Jones-Imboden Raid

The Jones-Imboden Raid
Part of the American Civil War
Date April (1863-04-29) – May, 1863 (1864-05-30) Location Western Virginia (present day West Virginia) western Maryland Result Confederate victory
Belligerents
United States of America	Confederate States of America
Commanders and leaders
Robert C. Schenck Benjamin S. Roberts	William E. Jones John D. Imboden
Strength
45,000 (Total Middle Military Department)	7,000
Casualties and losses
Livestock driven off 1,000 head of cattle 1,200 horses Resources destroyed 16 rail bridges 150,000 barrels of oil Human casualties 700 prisoners 30 killed	unknown

The Jones–Imboden Raid was a Confederate military action conducted in western Virginia (now the state of West Virginia) in April and May 1863 during the American Civil War. The raid, led by Brig. Gens. William E. Jones and John D. Imboden, was aimed at disrupting traffic on the vital Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and reasserting Confederate authority in transmountain Virginia in an effort to derail the growing statehood movement in the region. The raid was successful from a military vantage as severe damage was inflicted upon the railroad and other critical Union resources and valuable supplies and recruits were obtained. From a political standpoint, however, the raid was a failure, having little effect on the sentiment for the formation of a new state.

The raid was first proposed by John Hanson McNeill of McNeill's Rangers. His plan was the destruction of an important bridge of the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad, which was vital to the Union supply lines through western Virginia. McNeill's idea was expanded into a two-prong attack. Gen. Jones was to attack the B&O between Grafton (West) Virginia and Oakland, Maryland. Gen. Imboden would attack Union garrisons at Beverly, Philippi, and Buckhannon. The object of the raid was to secure supplies, disrupt the B&O Railroad, raise recruits and, if possible, cripple the Unionist government in Wheeling.

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