THE KANAWHA EXPEDITION - BUFFALO TO RED HOUSE, (WEST) VIRGINIA

On this day the 16th Ohio continued marching along the Kanawha River toward Charleston. After a marching eight miles, they reached Red House, Virginia, about noon and made their camp. Pvt. Peter Perrine, Company C, writes, Hardly had we got our tents pitched when the long roll was beat. It was a false alarm. It should be noted that DeCourcey's brigade was now less than 30 miles from Charleston, a city then held by the Confederates. They camped here until the 29th.

Cpl. Theodore Wolbach, Company E, writes:

On the 25th as we were marching along, we came to where the road formerly crossed a little gully on a trestle-work. The planks were torn off, which made it unsafe to cross. The troops were turned to the left and marched around the place. Some of the boys thought it would be just as well if they crossed the defective trestle, and at some risk walked over. DeCourcey saw it and ordered them back. The boys didn't like it but obeyed the superior orders. This evening we unfolded our tents at a place called Red House. There was no town, only a large, red, frame building, used as a tavern. Here an important road from the east intersects the valley road.

* Some information and italicized quotations from a series of articles entitled Camp and Field - The Old 16th Ohio,, written in the 1880s by Theodore Wolbach, late Corporal in Company E, 16th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

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Wide and close view modern day maps of 16th Ohio's march from Buffalo to Red House, (West) Virginia, Ohio, October 25, 1862 (positions approximated):

Blue pin - Portland (Oak Hill), Ohio
Red pin - Raccoon Creek campsite
Green pin - Gallipolis, Ohio
Yellow pin - Tenmile Creek, (West) Virginia
Lavender pin - Buffalo, (West) Virginia
Aqua pin - Red House, (West) Virginia