Battle of Cheat Mountain

Battle of Cheat Mountain (Battle of Cheat Summit Fort)
Part of the American Civil War
Earthworks at Fort Milroy, pictured in 2006
Date September 12–15, 1861 Location Cheat Mountain, Pocahontas and Randolph Counties, Virginia (now West Virginia) 38°37′17″N 79°52′50″W / 38.62139°N 79.88056°W / 38.62139; -79.88056 Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	Confederate States (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Joseph J. Reynolds Nathan Kimball George R. Latham	Robert E. Lee Samuel Read Anderson Albert Rust Henry R. Jackson
Strength
5,000[1]	3,000[1]
Casualties and losses
10 killed, 14 wounded, 64 captures (88 total)[2]	~90[3] (exact amount unknown)[2] 100 killed, 20 captured (Reynolds and Kimball)

The Battle of Cheat Mountain, also known as the Battle of Cheat Summit Fort, took place from September 12 to 15, 1861, in Pocahontas County and Randolph County, Virginia (now West Virginia) as part of the Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of the Civil War in which Robert E. Lee led troops into combat. During the battle, Lee attempted to surround the Union garrison atop Cheat Mountain, but the attack was never launched, due to false information from prisoners and poor communications among the various Confederate commands.