The Battle of Middle Creek

At this site, on Jan. 10, 1862, Union troops under Col. James A. Garfield defeated Confederates led by Gen. Humphrey Marshall. Garfield's 1,100 Ohioans and Kentuckians advanced up Middle Creek and clashed with Marshall's 1,967 Virginians and Kentuckians. Marshall's main force occupied ridge on the south side of Middle Creek. The battle began about noon, with the Union troops fighting their way up the ridges and the Confederates counterattacking down them. Turning point came at 4:00 p.m., when Garfield's reserves arrived from Paintsville. Faced with fresh Union troops and advancing shadows, Marshall withdrew his troops from ridge and retreated. Union losses: 3 killed, 18 wounded; Confederate losses: 12 killed, 15 wounded.

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The Fitzpatrick Farm - The Battle of Middle Creek was fought on land owned by Henry Clay Fitzpatrick (1823-1895), son of Jonathan Fitzpatrick and grandson of Bath Co., Va., native John Fitzpatrick, Revolutionary War veteran, who established a farm here sometime before 1800. John is buried on Graveyard Point, Garfield's command post during battle. Henry's son Hiram H. Fitzpatrick, Floyd County Clerk, inherited the farm and passed it to his son Henry D. Fitzpatrick, Sr. and daughter Osa F. Ligon. Next owners were Henry D. Fitzpatrick, Jr., president of The Bank Josephine, and Osa's daughter, Sally Ligon Clarke. Farm is now owned by Middle Creek National Battlefield Foundation, founded in 1992 by Franklin D. Fitzpatrick, son of H. D. Fitzpatrick, Jr.

Dedicated October 26, 2002.