Civil War In Paw Paw WV – Secrets Of Union Troops And Railroad Defense
Although Paw Paw did not witness a major battlefield clash during the Civil War, the town played an important and often overlooked role in the conflict because of its strategic location along key transportation routes. Situated on the Potomac River and directly along the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad, Paw Paw became a place of military significance during the war years, particularly for Union forces seeking to protect vital supply lines.
A Strategic Crossroads
When the Civil War began in 1861, transportation corridors were among the Union Army’s highest priorities. Railroads and canals moved troops, weapons, food, and information at speeds previously impossible. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which passed through Paw Paw, was one of the most important rail lines in the nation, connecting the eastern seaboard to the Ohio River Valley and the Midwest.
Likewise, the nearby Potomac River and Chesapeake & Ohio Canal formed a natural transportation corridor through the region. Together, these routes made Paw Paw a strategic point worth defending. Control of this area helped ensure that Union forces could move supplies efficiently while preventing Confederate forces from disrupting rail and canal traffic.
Because of this importance, Paw Paw and the surrounding area became a focus of Union military attention early in the war.
Union Occupation and Camp Chase
To protect the railroad and surrounding transportation routes, the Union Army established a major encampment just east of Paw Paw known as Camp Chase. (This camp should not be confused with the better-known Camp Chase prison camp in Ohio.) The Paw Paw Camp Chase served as a defensive and logistical encampment, housing Union troops assigned to guard the railroad, river crossings, and nearby infrastructure.
Historical accounts indicate that thousands of Union soldiers passed through or were stationed at Camp Chase over the course of the war, with some estimates suggesting that as many as 16,000 troops were present in the area at various times. From their elevated position overlooking Paw Paw, soldiers could observe the railroad corridor below and respond quickly to threats.
Today, the site of Camp Chase is believed to correspond with what is now Camp Hill Cemetery, a quiet and scenic location that offers sweeping views of the town and river — a reminder of Paw Paw’s wartime past.
Life in a Town at War
While Paw Paw did not experience large-scale combat, the presence of Union troops would have dramatically affected daily life for local residents. Soldiers required food, water, firewood, and shelter, and townspeople often found themselves living alongside — and sometimes supplying — the occupying army.
The Civil War was especially complex in this region. What is now West Virginia separated from Virginia during the conflict, officially becoming a state in 1863. Many communities in the Eastern Panhandle, including Paw Paw, contained residents with divided loyalties, though Union control of the railroad corridor meant that the town remained firmly under Union influence for much of the war.
Unlike parts of the South, Paw Paw and much of Morgan County had relatively few enslaved people, and the local economy was based more on small farms and trade than on plantation agriculture. This contributed to a different wartime experience than that of areas farther south, though the uncertainty, disruption, and strain of war were still very real.
Defending the Railroad
One of the Union Army’s main concerns in the region was the threat of Confederate raids. Rather than engaging in large battles, Confederate forces often relied on smaller, fast-moving units to damage tracks, destroy bridges, and interrupt supply lines along the B&O Railroad.
To counter this threat, Union troops stationed near Paw Paw conducted patrols, guarded bridges and tunnels, and constructed defensive structures such as blockhouses near key points along the railroad. The constant vigilance required to protect these routes meant that Paw Paw remained militarily relevant even when no fighting occurred directly within the town.
This type of service — guarding infrastructure rather than fighting pitched battles — was essential to the Union war effort and helped ensure the steady flow of men and materials throughout the conflict.
Command and Military Movements
Union forces operating in the Paw Paw area were part of a broader effort to secure the region stretching from the Potomac River into the Shenandoah Valley. General Frederick W. Lander, a prominent Union officer, commanded troops in this area during the early years of the war and used towns along the B&O Railroad, including Paw Paw, as staging and support points.
From camps like Camp Chase, troops could be deployed to respond to threats along the railroad or to participate in operations farther east and south. While Paw Paw itself was not the site of major offensives, it played a supporting role in these larger military movements.
After the War
When the Civil War ended in 1865, Union troops gradually left the area, and Paw Paw returned to civilian life. The railroad, once fiercely guarded, again became a driver of commerce and connection rather than conflict.
Yet the legacy of the Civil War remained. Veterans returned home, memories of occupation lingered, and the town’s role in protecting vital transportation routes became part of its historical identity — even if it was not always widely recognized.
Today, Paw Paw’s Civil War story is one of strategy rather than battle, of service rather than spectacle. Its importance lay in its location, its infrastructure, and its contribution to keeping the Union connected during one of the nation’s most difficult periods.
By preserving and sharing this history, Paw Paw honors not only the soldiers who passed through the town, but also the residents who lived through a time of division, uncertainty, and change — and helped shape the community that exists today.