The
Jones-Imboden Raid was a
Confederate military action conducted in western
Virginia (now the state of
West Virginia) in April and May 1863 during the
American Civil War. The raid, led by
Brig. Gens. William E. Jones and
John D. Imboden, was aimed at disrupting traffic on the vital
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and reasserting Confederate authority in transmountain Virginia in an effort to derail the growing statehood movement in the region. The raid was successful from a military vantage as severe damage was inflicted upon the railroad and other critical Union resources and valuable supplies and recruits were obtained. From a political standpoint, however, the raid was a failure, having little effect on the sentiment for the formation of a new state.