Military operations began in western Virginia immediately after the secession of the State. The political movement made in May to cut a new State out of the western side of Virginia, was encouraged by a prompt gathering of United States troops in Ohio and Pennsylvania. General McClellan, the commanding general of the department, moved across the Ohio early in May, and with Rosecrans began a military occupation of this part of Virginia. Governor Letcher met the movement by forwarding such troops as could be spared, and the Confederate government, taking upon itself the defense of this region, sent General Wise into the Kanawha valley and commissioned General Floyd to raise a brigade in southwest Virginia to co-operate with Wise. Colonel Porterfield, commanding a small body of Confederates, was also sent to seize the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, but his force was inadequate to the task. Garnett and Pegram, overmatched by Rosecrans and McClellan, were forced away from the mountain positions they had attempted to hold. The Confederates won in several affairs, but the day went against them at Phillipi, June 3d; Rich mountain, July nth, and Carrick's ford, July 13th. As the outcome of these combats the Federals under McClellan held military control of northwestern Virginia, and this important left flank of the Confederate general line of defense was broken down as early as the 15th of July.
The military situation in Maryland, another of the States lying between the South and the armies of invasion, may be considered here in association with the state of affairs in Missouri, Kentucky and western Virginia. It is doubtless true that Maryland would have decided to unite with the Confederate States if the question had been left to the free action of its people. Its importance to the Confederacy was not exceeded by that of any other State. Unfortunately, the Confederate government was not able to occupy this valuable ally at once, and it fell
