Battle of Marion

Union Maj. Gen. George Stoneman, seeking to destroy crucial Confederate infrastructure, led more than 5,000 cavalrymen into Southwest Virginia in Dec. 1864. Here at Marion, Stoneman’s main column encountered about 1,000 Confederate cavalry and mounted infantry under Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge, a former vice president of the United States. On 17 and 18 Dec., the Confederates defended high ground against numerous charges by the Union forces, including two U.S. Colored Cavalry Regiments. Their ammunition nearly depleted, the Confederates withdrew after the second day. Advancing to Saltville, the Federals destroyed the salt works and carried off supplies.