Second Battle of Saltville
The Second Battle of Saltville, was fought near the town of Saltville, Virginia, during the American Civil War. The battle was a Union victory, and marked the end of a Union excursion known as Stoneman's 1864 raid or Stoneman's raid into Southwest Virginia. The Union objective at Saltville was to destroy a salt works that produced over half of the salt used by the Confederacy to preserve meat—including that used to supply the Army of Northern Virginia.
After the defeat of Brevet Major General Stephen G. Burbridge's expedition against Saltville earlier in the year, Union Major General George Stoneman reassembled a force to again try to destroy the saltworks there. Stoneman's force included Burbridge's Division and a brigade under Brigadier General Alvan C. Gillem. Starting in Tennessee and moving to Southwestern Virginia, Stoneman defeated a Confederate force in Virginia's Battle of Marion on the December 17–18. In that battle, Union forces drove away a Confederate force commanded by Major General John C. Breckinridge.
After the action at Marion, Stoneman's force advanced to Saltville. Breckinridge was not present, but he had 500 men at Saltville under the command of Colonel Robert Preston. Union Brigadier General Gillem led the Union advance and attacked first. Burbridge joined the fight shortly afterwards, and the two Federal columns overwhelmed the town's defenses. Colonel Preston ordered a retreat, and Stoneman's troops entered the town and severely damanged the saltworks, accomplishing the objective of the Union raid. After the fight, Union troops returned to Kentucky and Tennessee while suffering losses from severe cold and harassment by a brigade commanded by Brigadier General Basil W. Duke.