By the spring of 1862, Union forces controlled almost all of what was to become the state of West Virginia. One of the most remarkable regiments of the Civil War that included two future presidents would move south to occupy the village of Pearisburg, Virginia. This placed the Federals within twenty miles of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, a vital southern rail link. Although the fight that followed was small by Civil War standards, it reflected much of what was happening in the larger war.

This is a fresh look at the American Civil War from the standpoint of the natural resources necessary to keep the armies in the field. This story of the links between minerals, topography, and the war in western Virginia now comes to light in a way that enhances our understanding of America’s greatest trial. Five mineral products – niter, lead, salt, iron, and coal – were absolutely essential to wage war in the 1860s. For the armies of the South, those resources were concentrated in the remote Appalachian highlands of southwestern Virginia. From the beginning of the war, the Union knew that the key to victory was the destruction or occupation of the mines, furnaces, and forges located there, as well as the railroad that moved the resources to where they were desperately needed. To achieve this, Federal forces repeatedly advanced into the treacherous mountainous terrain to fight some of the most savage battles of the War.

Soon after Giles County was formed in 1806, George Pearis offered 53 acres, lumber, and stone to build the first courthouse. The building was constructed, and Pearisburg was established in 1808 at the geographic center of the county. The original courthouse was replaced in 1836 with the current brick structure that has been recently renovated and is still in use today. Giles County's story is one of water crossings and floods, agriculture, industrial development, railroads, tourism, and distinct communities isolated by the mountains and water. Natural resources, including mountains, springs, creeks, limestone cliffs, and 37 miles of the New River in Giles County, have shaped the settlement, industry, transportation, commerce, recreation, and tourism of the area. Photographs of life in each of these small communities depict the varied history of Giles County and those who have been drawn to this place.

Historians usually assume that the battles fought in Southwestern Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and Eastern Tennessee played an insignificant role in the outcome of the Civil War. This book challenges that assumption. Focusing on the career of Colonel Andrew Jackson May, for whom the defense of the region was a personal crusade, it reveals that the victories which the Confederates won in this theater, allowing them to retain control of Preston’s Saltworks and the Virginia-Tennessee railroad, preserved the integrity of the Confederacy and thereby prolonged the war.

Official records produced by the armies of the United States and the Confederacy, and the executive branches of their respective governments, concerning the military operations of the Civil War, and prisoners of war or prisoners of state. Also annual reports of military departments, calls for troops, correspondence between national and state governments, correspondence between Union and Confederate officials. The final volume includes a synopsis, general index, special index for various military divisions, and background information on how these documents were collected and published. Accompanied by an atlas.