WHEELING, W.Va. – West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling will host author and historian Philip Hatfield on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, at 2 p.m., where Hatfield will present a lecture on “The Battle of Hurricane Bridge.” The event is free and open to the public.
The Battle of Hurricane Bridge is an often-overlooked Civil War action occurring at the small, and otherwise quiet, western Virginia village. For five hours behind the limited protection of an unfinished earthen fort, the green Union troops of the 13th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, under the command of Captain James Johnson, fought to hold off the hardened Confederate veterans of the 8th and 16th Virginia Cavalry, commanded by Brigadier General Albert Gallatin Jenkins.
Ultimately, the March 28, 1863, battle of Hurricane Bridge directly contributed to the Union army maintaining control of the James River and Kanawha Turnpike, a key supply line, and enabled federal control of the Kanawha Valley for the remainder of the war. The battle flag of the 13th West Virginia Infantry is one of the featured flags on display at West Virginia Independence Hall.
Dr. Hatfield, Ph.D., is a member of the Company of Military Historians, and holds a doctorate in psychology from Fielding University; a master’s degree in psychology from Marshall University; and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and history from the University of Charleston. Dr. Hatfield is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and has written five books and numerous articles related to the Civil War.
For more information, contact Debbie Jones, WVIH site manager, at (304) 238-1300 or Deborah.J.Jones@wv.gov.
West Virginia Independence Hall has been on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1970. It was originally built as a federal custom house in 1859, served as the home of the pro-Union state conventions of Virginia during the spring and summer of 1861 and as the capitol of loyal Virginia from June 1861 to June 1863. It also was the site of the first constitutional convention for West Virginia.
Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1988, the museum is maintained and operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, with the cooperation and assistance of the West Virginia Independence Hall Foundation. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, except for major holidays. The museum is located on the corner of 16th and Market Streets in Wheeling.