Key Facts
- Date
- December 20–21, 1864
- Confederate defenders
- ~500 men under Colonel Robert Preston
- Salt production impact
- Over half of Confederate salt supply produced here
- Part of
- Stoneman's 1864 raid into Southwest Virginia
- Preceding engagement
- Battle of Marion, December 17–18, 1864
Strategic Narrative Overview
Stoneman assembled a force including Burbridge's Division and a brigade under Brigadier General Alvan C. Gillem, advancing from Tennessee into Southwest Virginia. On December 17–18, Union forces defeated a Confederate force under Major General John C. Breckinridge at the Battle of Marion. Stoneman then pushed forward to Saltville, where Breckinridge had left only about 500 defenders under Colonel Robert Preston. Gillem's advance attacked first, followed by Burbridge, and the combined Federal columns overwhelmed the town's defenses.
01 / The Origins
Salt was a critical resource for the Confederacy, used to preserve meat for armies including the Army of Northern Virginia. The saltworks at Saltville, Virginia, produced more than half of this supply. An earlier Union attempt to destroy the facility—the First Battle of Saltville—had failed under Brevet Major General Stephen G. Burbridge. Union Major General George Stoneman was tasked with mounting a second, more effective raid into Southwest Virginia to accomplish the mission.
03 / The Outcome
Colonel Preston ordered a Confederate retreat, and Stoneman's troops occupied Saltville, severely damaging the saltworks and achieving the raid's primary objective. Union forces subsequently withdrew to Kentucky and Tennessee. The return march was costly due to extreme cold and persistent harassment by a Confederate brigade under Brigadier General Basil W. Duke. The destruction of the saltworks represented a significant blow to Confederate logistical capacity in the final months of the war.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
George Stoneman, Stephen G. Burbridge, Alvan C. Gillem.
Side B
1 belligerent
Robert Preston, John C. Breckinridge, Basil W. Duke.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.