May 17, 1862---The Battle of Pigeon Roost, Virginia

MAY 17, 1862:            

 The Battle of Pigeon Roost. This small battle occurred in Princeton, Mercer County, Virginia, and was the culmination of a month-long series of engagements, in which Union forces attempted to destroy the Virginia & Tennessee Railway in southwest Virginia. 

This Union force had two officers destined to become U.S. presidents, Lieutenant Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes and Sergeant William McKinley.  

The battle ensued as the Union men noisily approached Princeton from the southeast, unaware that Confederates were lying in ambush. The attack left an estimated 18 Federal troops killed and 38 wounded. No further fighting ensued even though both armies were drawn up for battle facing each other. After the battle, Union forces began to withdraw northward, ending the campaign to destroy the railroad.