The Battle of Saltville

The Battle of Saltville was a minor battle that occurred during the Civil War. It took place at the saltworks at Saltville, Virginia. There were two battles, but this post will deal with the first one, that took place from October 1st-3rd 1864. The armies from both sides were made up of regular troops, homeguards, and guerrilla troops. There was also a black cavalry regiment. The Confederate forces were led by George Dibrell, and the Union forces were led by Stephen Burbridge. The goal of this battle was to take control of the saltworks. The battle is most famous for what took place afterwards. After the battle Champ Ferguson disobeyed the orders of George Dibrell, and went on a killing spree. Dibrell was actually reprimanded for Ferguson's actions. He killed over 100 black Union troops who were lying wounded on the battlefield. Ferguson cut up the bodies of the soldiers who were laying dead on the battlefield. By the time he was finished many could not be identified. This would become known as the Saltville Massacre. It was a truly horrific event. Many historians believe that this helped to seal Ferguson's fate. The Battle of Saltville, even though it is considered a "minor battle," is important to our understanding of the Civil War.

Above is a picture of Gen. George Dibrell

Above is a picture of Champ Ferguson

Above is a picture of Gen. Stephen Burbridge

For more information on the Battle of Saltville, I suggest that you check out the book Cumberland Blood by Thomas Mays. Mays gives a very detailed account of the Battle of Saltville.

Since the Battle of Saltville is considered a "minor battle," it does not have a page on the Civil War Trust website.

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond.