The Battle of Moorefield was a cavalry battle in the American Civil War, which took place on August 7, 1864. The fighting occurred along the South Branch of the Potomac River, north of Moorefield, West Virginia, in Hardy County. The National Park Service groups this battle with Early's Washington Raid and operations against the B&O Railroad, and it was the last major battle in the region before General Philip Sheridan took command of Union troops in the Shenandoah Valley. This Union triumph was the third of three major victories for Brigadier General William W. Averell, who performed best when operating on his own.
Ruins of bank and home in Chambersburg in 1864
Gen. John McCausland
Gen. William W. Averell
Moorefield, West Virginia
Moorefield is a town and the county seat of Hardy County, West Virginia, United States. It is located at the confluence of the South Branch Potomac River and the South Fork South Branch Potomac River. Moorefield was originally chartered in 1777; it was named for Conrad Moore, who owned the land upon which the town was laid out. The population was 2,527 at the 2020 census.
Hardy County Courthouse in Moorefield
Aerial view of the business district of Moorefield, West Virginia. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has constructed levees along the South Fork to protect the town from flooding.
Aerial view of Moorefield and the surrounding terrain
US 48 in Moorefield