Battle of Charleston (1862)

The Battle of Charleston was a Confederate victory in Kanawha County, Virginia, on September 13, 1862, during the American Civil War. Troops led by Major General William W. Loring defeated a Union force led by Colonel Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn. This battle, which featured extensive use of artillery but few casualties, was the second major fight in Loring's Kanawha Valley Campaign of 1862 that succeeded in driving Union forces out of the Kanawha River Valley. All points in the Kanawha River Valley were in the southwestern part of Virginia at the time of the battle, but are now part of the state of West Virginia.

After a victory in the Battle of Fayetteville on September 10, and a pursuit down the Kanawha River, Loring caught Lightburn's force at Charleston during the morning of September 13. Much of the fighting became an artillery duel, especially after Lightburn brought his command to the west side of the Elk River. Once Lightburn burned a bridge across the river, it became difficult for Loring to continue his pursuit. Lightburn retreated to the safety of Ohio, but abandoned the direct route along the Kanawha River to avoid Confederate cavalry waiting for him. He brought 700 wagons of supplies with him.

Loring did not conduct much of a pursuit, and was content to gather supplies in Charleston. His report claimed he captured supplies worth at least $1,000,000 (equivalent to $30,520,000 in 2023), and the nearby salt-mines were saved. He established headquarters in Charleston, and released a declaration urging locals to join him. In less than four weeks, he offended Confederate leadership and was replaced by Brigadier General John Echols. The Union commander in the Kanawha Valley prior to Lightburn was Jacob Dolson Cox. In October, Cox was promoted to major general and returned to the valley. Confederate troops were gone by November.