Confederate forces retreat:
“As the Union columns advanced,
Porterfield’s poorly armed 800 recruits retreated to Philippi, about 17 miles (27 km) south of Grafton.
Philippi was the county seat of Barbour County, which had voted in favor of Virginia’s secession ordinance.
A palmetto secession flag had been flying above the courthouse since January, 1861.[5]
At Philippi, a covered bridge spanned the Tygart Valley River and was an important segment of the vital Beverly-Fairmont Turnpike.”
Union attacks:
“Col. Kelley devised a two-prong attack against the Confederate force in Philippi, approved by Gen. Morris on his arrival in Grafton on June 1.”
PRIMARY WING:
The principal advance would be 1,600 men led by Kelley himself, and would include six companies of his own regiment, nine of the 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment under Col. Robert H. Milroy, and six of the 16th Ohio Infantry.
In order to deceive the enemy into thinking the objective was Harpers Ferry, they departed by train to the east.
They disembarked at the small village of Thornton and marched south on a back road on the same side of the river as Philippi, intending to arrive at the rear of the town.”
SECOND WING:
“Meanwhile, the 7th Indiana under Col. Ebenezer Dumont were sent to Webster, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southwest of Grafton. They would unite with the 6th Indiana under Col. Thomas T. Crittenden and the 14th Ohio under Col. Steedman.
The column, with a total of 1,400 men under Col. Dumont (with the assistance of Col. Frederick W. Lander, volunteer aide-de-camp to Gen. McClellan), would march directly south from Webster on the Turnpike.
In this way, the Union force would execute a double envelopment of the outnumbered Confederates.”