Civil War in Fayette County West Virginia

The definitive book on the Civil War theatre in Fayette County. Lifelong resident of Fayette County, Tim McKinney is well known all over the region for his meticulous research and well written books on the Civil War. Generous amounts of photographs, maps, sketches, and letters, along with the nature of the fighting over extremely rough terrain, make this history enjoyable for war buffs as well as the casual reader.

From the Richmond Dispatch, 1861:

In Mountain Warfare the learning of strategist is of little importance. In a country where it is impossible to find enough level land to muster a company of militia, there is little scope for ingeniously studied military plans.

It is impossible for the books to embrace the thousand topographical features of a wild region, where all nature seems drunk and the hills and mountains in high frolic.

The only rule of warfare in such a region is to throw away all rule. The policy there is to fight and march, to march and fight. Ingenious ink and paper plans of campaign are about as useless in the region about the Big Sewell Mountain as a McCormick's reaper in a mountain "wheat" field.

The great requisites of an army fit for mountain warfare are good legs and plenty of ammunition. The best general for such an army is he who will keep them most actively on the march and most constantly loading and firing.

Physical exertion is the great thing in mountain warfare; the refined strategy of science can have no play.