9th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 9th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War . Service . Organization . The 9th West Virginia was organized at Guyandotte , in western Virginia between November 28 , 1861 , and April 30 , 1862 . Its major was congressman Kellian Whaley . In April 1862 , two periods of recruitments were made with the earlier at Cottageville . About two weeks later , Company K was recruited from those who worked the riverboats and repair out of Kanawha Harbor and the other landings . These were often detailed on board to protect the packetboats and river crossings . They were recruited by Col . Kellian Whaley and Lt . Col . William C . Starr . Starr was the General Manager of the Hartford Salt Works and familiar with the river logistics workers . Kellian Whaley , of the timber business , was also familiar with the riverboat repairmen in supplying material and wood fuel to the steamboat business . Elements of the 9th WVIR and 8th WVIR were stationed at Point Pleasant , W . Va . , District of the Kanawha , W . Va . , Dept . of the Ohio , October , 1862 to March , 1863 . Theodore Lang writes , " The regiment was composed largely of refugees , who , having been driven from home , were fighting with a desperation that was not excelled by any troops in any army . " Joe Geiger ( Vol 54 1995 : 28 - 41 ) writes of 1861 , " July 13 , however , the Second Kentucky moved into the Kanawha Valley and civil chaos in the county resumed unchecked . " This organizing Union infantry was recruited from the counties along the Ohio , Kanawha and Little Kanawha rivers and their tributaries . During this recruiting phase , it was first attached to the District of the Kanawha , West Virginia , to May , 1862 . It was transferred to the 4th Brigade , Kanawha Division , West Virginia , to September , 1862 . Next , it was reassigned to the District of the Kanawha , West Virginia , Dept . of the Ohio , to January , 1863 . The 9th was assigned to Milroy ' s Command , Winchester , Va . , 8th Army Corps , Middle Department , to February , 1863 . Its following command was under the 2nd Brigade , 2nd Division , 8th Army Corps , to June , 1863 . After this , the 9th was assigned to its home region to the 1st Brigade , Scammon ' s Division , West Virginia , to August , 1863 . Change in command structure led the 9th Infantry to its home area command of the 2nd Brigade , Scammon ' s Division , West Virginia , to December , 1863 . As West Virginia was now recognized as a state , the 9th was assigned to the 2nd Brigade , 3rd Division , West Virginia , to April , 1864 . The 9th Infantry ' s last command assignment was the 2nd Brigade , 2nd Infantry Division , West Virginia , to November , 1864 . Initial service : 1861 - 62 . From November to July , 1861 , the recruits were assigned to garrison duty in the Kanawha Valley with detachments at Fayette , Gauley Bridge , Summersville , Point Pleasant , Coalsmouth and Calhoun until July , 1862 . Some companies scouted in Roane and Clay Counties from May 8 to the 21st . Companies " A " and " F " saw action at Summersville on July 25 . They moved over to Flat Top Mountain on July 28 and then to the battles at Summersville and Gauley August 14 . The Union had ordered 5 , 000 troops away from the Kanawha region to Virginia which led to the Second Battle of Bull Run . Albert G . Jenkins and his 550 Confederate Cavalry took advantage of this weakening in the region . They took control of the towns from Monroe County to Jackson County and raided from there into Ohio during the month of August , 1862 . Some claim it was a diversion tactic . Meanwhile , General William W . Loring pushed back Joseph A . J . Lightburn at Fayetteville to Charleston on September 11 . Lightburn and the staff made the plan and the dispatch was sent . Elements fought at Cotton Hill and Gauley Ferry on September 11 and again at Charleston on September 13 , slowing Loring ' s advance . This allowed time for an armada of packets and barges to assist evacuations during the Battle of Charleston . The flotilla of barges and civilian packets evacuated the salt miners , residents and civilian government during the " Confederate Overrun of Charleston , West Virginia " . The local privateer packets had small cannons . They were alongside of the 9th at the mouth of Elk River and the 5th Infantry on the Kanawha , firing into the main Confederate columns coming down the Kanawha River until all the civil boats and barges were well underway to Point Pleasant . Then Lightburn ' s cavalry fought their way back to the road to Ravenswood drawing away some of Loring ' s cavalry while privateers blasted into the Confederate Infantry , but , was followed by Confederate field artiliary . Having held their line , the 9th and 5th infantry began their boarding side boats and moving the skirmish line down river towards Point Pleasant . Loring ' s infantry fight progressed down the Kanawha shores well above the refugee fleet seemingly going to take the fight all the way to the mouth of the river . Lightburn had figured on rejoining the frontline troops at the mouth of the Kanawha where an Ohio artillery detachment set a trap for Loring ' s troops . Some historians have regarded this as one of the most intelligent execution of a military recall and retreat manoeuvre exercised . But , Loring knew when to stop his push . The Confederate occupation of six weeks was for the salt from which they caravan to the south to keep their meats supply from spooling . A counter - assault took the Union some time to reorganize and was executed from October 21 to November 10 , 1862 . The 9th and 5th were a part of the Union expedition up the Kanawha Valley by boat and horse . General Loring withdrew and left the salt works destroyed . Stationed at Point Pleasant to guard the packets and refugees , the K - Company had a significant number civilian steamboat workers recruited . 1863 - 64 . From January to June , 1863 , the 9th Infantry was ordered to Winchester and then Beverly . They scouted to Wardensville , Strasburg , and the area from April 25 to the 30th . They were at Winchester on May the 4th . The 9th marched to West Creek arriving on May 23 and back again to Winchester June 18 . After these skirmishes and battles they were recalled to their routine sentry duty guarding river fords and towns in the Kanawha Valley until May , 1864 . They were the sentry line on the West Virginia shores during the Battle of Buffington Island . In the spring of 1864 , the 9th was ordered to join George Crook ' s expedition against the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad which took place from May 2 to the 19th . They took action at Cloyd ' s Mountain on May 9 and at New River Bridge on May 10 . Some elements were at Cove Mountain or Grassy Lick near Wytheville on May 10 , also . The 9th fought at Salt Pond Mountain and Gap Mountain on May 12 and the 13th . Soon afterwards , they were assigned to Major General David Hunter ' s expedition against Lynchburg from May 26 to July 1 . They fought at Lexington on June 11 , moved on to battle at Diamond Hill June 17 and marched to the battle at Lynchburg on June 17 and July 18 . A recall was ordered and July 9 retreated to Charleston from June 19 to July 1 . Moving from there , they were at Buford ' s Gap June 20 and around the Salem area on June 21 . The 9th skirmished the Shenandoah Valley from July 12 to 15 . The marched to Stephenson ' s Depot July 20 . They were at the Battle of Kernstown , Winchester , July 23 to 24th and Martinsburg on July 25 . Several of the best men were selected for detached service in Blazer ' s Scouts , a mounted unit that was to guard supply lines and combat John S . Mosby ' s rangers . The 9th West Virginia Infantry was a part of Sheridan ' s Shenandoah Valley Campaign August from 6th to November 1 . They were at Halltown August 24 and 26 and Berryville September 3 . They participated in the Battle of Opequon , Winchester , September 19 . They moved on to Fisher ' s Hill September 22 . From there , the 9th took part in the Battle of Cedar Creek on October 19 . From there , they marched to Camp Russell and remained until November , 1864 . The 9th West Virginia was amalgamated with 5th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment on November 9 , 1864 , to create the 1st West Virginia Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment . After the war , General Isaac H . Duval recounted , " We were in some defeats as well as many victories , and in our defeats and retreats the Ninth Regiment was never panic - stricken , but always came off as it went into battle , shoulder to shoulder . We never allowed the enemy to go through us in advancing or retreating . " Casualties . The 9th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment suffered 3 Officers and 96 enlisted men killed in battle or died from wounds , and 1 officer and 107 enlisted men dead from disease for a total of 207 fatalities . Colonels . Colonel Leonard Skinner , December , 1861 . Lieutenant - colonel William C . Starr , December , 1861 . Major Benjamin M . Skinner December , 1861 . Colonel Isaac H . Duval , September 9 , 1862 . Colonel Carr B . White , Brigade Commander May 9 , 1864 .