The Saltville Massacre During The Civil War

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During the civil war, there were two battles in Saltville, VA. The first battle took place on October 2, 1864, and it resulted in a confederate victory; the following day, the Saltville Massacre occurred. The second battle, the topic of this report, took place on December 20 and 21st. This was the second time Union troops actively attempted to capture the Saltworks. Days before the attack in Saltville, the Union troops fought in Marion and Wytheville. Confederate John Breckinridge had roughly 500 men stationed in Saltville under the command of Colonel Robert Preston. Basil W. Duke, a Confederate general officer, also had another cavalry unit stationed in the town. The Union troops outnumbered the Confederates 1400 to 500. The main commanders