page_title: 2nd West Virginia Cavalry Regiment
section_title: Wytheville Raid
hierarchical_section_title: 2nd West Virginia Cavalry Regiment / Kanawha Valley / Wytheville Raid
caption_attribution_description: English: Lt. Col. John J. Hoffman, commander of the 2nd West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment during 1864, cropped from the book History of the Second Regiment, West Virginia cavalry volunteers, during the war of the rebellion (1892).
context_page_description: The 2nd West Virginia Cavalry Regiment served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized in Parkersburg, Virginia during September 1861. Most of the original members of this regiment were from southeastern Ohio, and planners thought that this regiment would become the 4th Ohio Cavalry. Their application was rejected by the governor of Ohio, so the unit became the 2nd Regiment of Loyal Virginia Volunteer Cavalry. The "Loyal Virginia" part of the name was replaced with "West Virginia" after the state of West Virginia was officially admitted to the Union in 1863. Today, the National Park Service lists them as 2nd Regiment, West Virginia Cavalry under a heading of Union West Virginia Volunteers.
  The regiment's first full–fledged war experience happened in early January 1862 in northeastern Kentucky, where they assisted the command of Colonel James A. Garfield. For the next two years, most of the regiment's fighting was in the mountainous backwoods of what later became the southern portion of West Virginia, especially the Kanawha River Valley.
context_section_description: The Wytheville Raid was an expedition from the Union camps in the Kanawha Valley to Wytheville, Virginia. The raid was first organized on July 13, 1863. As it was led by Colonel John Toland, it is also known as Toland's Raid. Wytheville had a strategic significance because of a nearby lead mine. The lead mine was the source for much of the lead used by the Confederacy to produce bullets for its army. A salt mine, located west of Wytheville, was also important to the Confederacy. Another target was the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, which served both mines. The railroad was also important for transporting Confederate soldiers and supplies.
  By this time, the state of West Virginia had joined the union—and the 2nd Regiment of Loyal Virginia Volunteer Cavalry was now known as the 2nd West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. Seven companies of the cavalry regiment left Camp Piatt and joined with the 34th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (who were also mounted) to form a brigade.  The cavalry totaled to 365 men, while the infantry totaled to 505. The cavalry's commander, Colonel William H. Powell, was second in command of the entire brigade.  Colonel John T. Toland, from the 34th Ohio Infantry, was the brigade commander. During the trip to Wytheville, the Union force was joined (and resupplied) by two regiments from the 1st West Virginia Cavalry. One company from the 2nd West Virginia returned to camp with the empty supply wagons.
  After several skirmishes and an aborted attempt to sever the rail line west of Wytheville, the brigade arrived at the town. Colonel Toland ordered three companies of cavalry to charge in columns down Wytheville's main street. This was not the preference of Colonel Powell, but Toland "vigorously renewed in unnecessary language" his order to Powell. This first group of Union cavalry was ambushed by a rebel group consisting of Confederate soldiers, Home Guard, and local citizens—who had been warned that a large group of Union horsemen was heading in their direction. Many of the local citizens fired their weapons at the cavalry from inside the cover of homes and businesses—while their targets had been ordered to ride in column down the town's fenced main street. One soldier called the street "an avenue of death".
  Captain Dennis Delaney of the 1st West Virginia Cavalry was at the front of the Union charge, and he was shot dead. His first lieutenant was mortally wounded.  Both colonels were shot within the first 10 minutes of the action. Colonel Powell was seriously wounded while he was with the lead group of three regiments, causing Colonel Toland to move to the front. With Powell disabled, Major John J. Hoffman became commander of the cavalry regiment. Hoffman was leading the second group of cavalrymen that charged into the "avenue of death". He was thrown over his horse after it was killed from gunfire, which temporarily stunned him. His column was prevented from advancing because of numerous dead horses in the road—and also trapped on the street by fences. Colonel Toland arrived at the "avenue of death", and refused to take cover despite warnings from the cavalry regiment's Company H. He was shot through the heart by a marksman shooting from a two-story house.
  The 2nd West Virginia, without its two cavalry leaders, became disorganized. The cavalry was led by company commanders (typically captains or lieutenants), who guided only their own company. The infantry commander, Lieutenant Colonel Freeman E. Franklin wisely sent his infantry forward dismounted, and they were "not sitting ducks like the cavalry." Major Hoffman's portion of the cavalry, which was dismounted and trapped on the street, eventually pushed the fencing down. They were joined by infantry and fought from building to building. The Union soldiers burned the buildings that had been used by the rebels as cover when they shot at the blue-coated horsemen. Despite significant losses of horses and officers, the Union brigade was eventually able to secure the town. However, the Union Army did not achieve its major goals: little damage was done to the 
caption: John J. Hoffman
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