On This Day

Stoneman's Raid: Expedition by Union troops into southwestern Virginia

Stoneman's 1864 raid, also known as Stoneman's raid into Southwest Virginia, was an American Civil War expedition by Union troops into southwestern Virginia.

Stoneman's 1864 raid, also known as Stoneman's raid into Southwest Virginia, was an American Civil War expedition by Union troops into southwestern Virginia. The expedition occurred from December 10 through December 29, 1864. Union Major General George Stoneman led cavalry and mounted infantry from Tennessee and Kentucky into territory under the command of Confederate Major General John C. Breckinridge. The purpose of the raid was to damage infrastructure used for the Confederate war effort. Targets included salt mines in Saltville, Virginia; lead mines in southern Wythe County; and the railroad used to transport those resources. The salt was used by for food preservation and the lead was used to make bullets.

Historical Significance

Stoneman's 1864 raid, also known as Stoneman's raid into Southwest Virginia, was an American Civil War expedition by Union troops into southwestern Virginia.

Events Before

  1. Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation to free enslaved people in Confederate states

    Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.

  2. P. T. Barnum stages wedding of Tom Thumb & Mercy Lavinia Warren, both midgets, in NYC

    P. T. Barnum stages wedding of Tom Thumb & Mercy Lavinia Warren, both midgets, in NYC

  3. Prince of Wales, Albert Edward (21) weds Princess Alexandra of Denmark (18) at Windsor Castle in St. George's chapel

    King Christian IX of Denmark (8 April 1818 – 29 January 1906), known as the "father-in-law of Europe", ruled Denmark from 1863 to 1906.

  4. Confederate cruiser SS Georgiana is destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions and medicines valued at ove

    Confederate cruiser SS Georgiana is destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions and medicines valued at over $1,000,000. The wreck is discovered exactly 102 years later by teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence.

  5. Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith, enters the garden of Ridván near Baghdad. He makes his declaration as a Messen

    Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith, enters the garden of Ridván near Baghdad. He makes his declaration as a Messenger of God during the 12 days he spends there.

Events After

  1. New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10-12 Broad Street, near Wall Street, in New York City

    The New York Stock Exchange Building (also NYSE Building) is the headquarters of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), located in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City.

  2. Confederate Brigadier-General John Pegram marries Hetty Cary (US Civil War)

    Confederate Brigadier-General John Pegram marries Hetty Cary (US Civil War)

  3. Congress passes, by a vote of 121-24, the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States

    Congress passes, by a vote of 121-24, the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States except as punishment for a crime [1] [2]

  4. Robert E. Lee is named general-in-chief of Confederate forces

    Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general whose early actions in the American Civil War led to his appointment as the overall commander of the Confederate…

  5. General Robert E. Lee is appointed General-in-Chief of the Confederate Armies during the US Civil War

    Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general whose early actions in the American Civil War led to his appointment as the overall commander of the Confederate…

More from the 1860s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 12, 1864?
Stoneman's 1864 raid, also known as Stoneman's raid into Southwest Virginia, was an American Civil War expedition by Union troops into southwestern Virginia. The expedition occurred from December 10 through December 29, 1864. Union Major General George Stoneman led cavalry and mounted infantry from Tennessee and Kentucky into territory under the command of Confederate Major General John C.
Why is Stoneman's Raid: Expedition by Union troops into southwestern Virginia significant?
Stoneman's 1864 raid, also known as Stoneman's raid into Southwest Virginia, was an American Civil War expedition by Union troops into southwestern Virginia.

Explore More