Spirit of ’61 Roundup for June 2026

Welcome to the inaugural monthly recap of blog posts for Spirit of ’61, a digital encyclopedia of early Civil War Virginia. We explore the first half of 1861, from the Secession Winter to the First Battle of Bull Run. Before the first large battles were fought, Virginia was already living through a political, military, and social crisis that would shape the course of the war. Spirit of ’61 exists to document that story.

We published several interesting articles in June, including:

Detailed Overview of the Tygart Valley-Cheat River Campaign

Throughout the months of April and May, we have been exploring Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan’s campaign in northwestern Virginia, from the role of Virginia’s unionists in creating an alternative state government, to little-known skirmishes like the Action at Righter’s House. This overview covers the entire campaign, the Union and Confederate goals, and why one side succeeded and the other failed so conclusively.

Building Fort Collier: Confederate Engineers and the Defense of Winchester

Long before the Third Battle of Winchester, Fort Collier began as a desperate Confederate effort to defend the Lower Shenandoah Valley during the opening months of the Civil War. Discover how Joseph E. Johnston, engineer William H.C. Whiting, and local Virginia militia transformed Isaac Stine’s farm into a strategic stronghold that still survives today as one of Winchester’s overlooked Civil War sites.

Off to War with the Liberty Hall Volunteers: The Early War Experiences of a Virginia College Company

Guest writer Jeffrey A. Felton explores the early war experiences of the Liberty Hall Volunteers from Washington College in Lexington, Virginia.

What Day Did Lew Wallace Attack Romney?

Books and historical signage have long associated the date of June 13, 1861 with Col. Lew Wallace’s brief occupation of Romney, based on his own official report of the action. But Wallace was mistaken, resulting in decades of confusion. The event actually occurred a day earlier.

We also had a few 165th anniversaries this month. Throughout 2026, we have been highlighting events that weren’t included in the 160th anniversary series five years ago, including:

Governor John Letcher Transfers Control of Virginia’s Provisional Army and Navy to the Confederate Government

On June 6. 1861, Virginia Governor John Letcher issued a proclamation transferring Virginia’s volunteer forces, along with the officers of its provisional army and navy, to the authority of Jefferson Davis and the Provisional Government of the Confederate States. Read the primary source and discuss its ramifications.

7th Ohio Infantry Seizes Gold in Weston Earmarked for Construction of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

On the morning of June 30, 1861, newly elected governor of the Reorganized State of Virginia, Francis Harrison Pierpont, sent John List of the Northwestern Bank of Virginia to Weston to seize gold earmarked for construction of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in the name of the new government.