Union troops won at Philippi, in what is now West Virginia, on 3 June 1861. The Confederates fled, and the action is often described as the first organized land battle of the American Civil War, though casualties were limited.
A rout, not a siege
Union Brigadier General Thomas A. Morris led about 3,000 men against a Confederate force of about 800 newly recruited soldiers under Colonel George A. Porterfield. The Confederates retreated all the way to Huttonsville, almost 50 miles to the south, and journalists dubbed the action the "Races at Philippi".1
Casualties were limited: the American Battlefield Trust estimates 30 in all, 4 Union and 26 Confederate.2
Why it is remembered
It was a small engagement, but the victory brought McClellan, who had ordered the advance, into the national spotlight, and it bolstered the Second Wheeling Convention on the road to West Virginia statehood.3› Battle of Rich Mountain, 1861
Frequently asked questions
When and where was the Battle of Philippi?
It was fought on 3 June 1861 at Philippi, in Barbour County, in what is now West Virginia.
Who won the Battle of Philippi?
The Union, under Brigadier General Thomas A. Morris, defeated Colonel George A. Porterfield's Confederate force.
Was it really a battle?
It was a small action with few casualties, but the American Battlefield Trust calls it the first organized land battle of the Civil War.
Notes
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