page_title: Wytheville Raid
section_title: Return march
hierarchical_section_title: Wytheville Raid / Return march
caption_attribution_description: English: View of mountains north of Wytheville, Virginia, USA during early October
context_page_description: The Wytheville Raid or Toland's Raid was an attack by an undersized Union brigade on a Confederate town during the American Civil War. Union Colonel John Toland led a brigade of over 800 men against a Confederate force of about 130 soldiers and 120 civilians. The location of Wytheville, the county seat of Wythe County in southwestern Virginia, had strategic importance because of a nearby lead mine and the railroad that served it. This mine supplied lead for about one third of the Confederate Army's munitions, while the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad transported Confederate troops and supplies; plus telegraph wires along the railroad line were vital for communications. In addition to logistics of moving the lead to bullet manufacturing facilities, this rail line also connected an important salt works of an adjacent county with the wider Confederacy.
  Toland's entire brigade was mounted, and consisted of a mounted infantry regiment plus eight companies of cavalry. It approached the small town of Wytheville on the evening of July 18.
context_section_description: Eight to ten houses were set on fire by the Union army.  A small amount of damage was inflicted on the railroad line, but it was later repaired in less than an hour. Later in the evening, Lieutenant Colonel Franklin began planning the brigade's next move. After consulting with Colonel Powell and regimental commanders, he determined that a return to the safety of base camp was the best alternative—especially without good intelligence on the strength of the enemy forces assumed to be moving toward Wytheville. The brigade left town less than 12 hours after it arrived.
  Franklin's brigade departed on the same road it used to enter Wytheville, the road that leads to Tazewell Courthouse (Jeffersonville). It was a good decision to leave, because the Confederate army had already begun an attempt to block their return home. One of the two main roads available for the return trip was occupied by troops under the command of Colonel John McCausland, and the other road was blocked by the command of Brigadier-General John S. Williams. Two cavalry units were in pursuit, including Major May's cavalry that had harassed the brigade as it approached Wytheville.
  Because of the difficult situation, the Union brigade paroled its prisoners, and continued its retreat north by obscure and winding mountain paths. Many horses "gave out" and were left on the mountain paths. Some of the worn animals fell to their deaths on the steep trails. The brigade was able to capture  additional horses, so only about 100 men returned to home camp dismounted. The rear guard was attacked on July 19 and 20, but repulsed its pursuers. The Union brigade reached the safety of Union lines at Fayetteville on July 23, having received no rations for four days. Confederate Colonel McCausland believed that the retreating Union brigade should have been captured. His report said "I am also of the opinion that the cavalry force that was in Tazewell, under General Williams and Colonel May, was sufficient to have captured the enemy, if it had been properly managed."
caption: Mountains north of Wytheville
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