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Son.New York: Arcade, 1997.IMBODEN, JOHNDANIEL
Imboden, John Daniel
(February 16, 1823–August 15, 1895)
Confederate General
I
mboden was a bold and capable partisan
fighter in the Shenandoah Valley. In 1863,
he led one of the Civil War’s most destruc-
tive raids into West Virginia, capturing great
amounts of food and supplies for the hard-
pressed Confederacy. That same year he also
distinguished himself by protecting Robert
E. Lee’s supply column after the Battle of
Gettysburg.
John Daniel Imboden was born near Fish-
ersville, Augusta County, Virginia, on Febru-
ary 16, 1823, and attended nearby Washington
College (present-day Washington and Lee Col-
lege) in 1841–1842. He subsequently taught
school for a time before studying law and
opening a practice at Staunton. Developing a
taste for politics, Imboden was elected to the
Virginia state legislature and served two
terms. He was a staunch secessionist but was
unable to win a seat in the state convention
that mulled over and finally passed the seces-
sionist ordinance in 1861. Previously, Imbo-
den had taken great interest in military af-
fairs, and he helped organize a local company,
the Staunton Artillery. The moment Virginia
seceded from the Union, both he and Turner
Ashby immediately marched to Harpers
Ferry and helped capture the federal arsenal
there on April 19, 1861. Promoted to colonel,
Imboden with his unit next served under Gen.
Pierre G.T. Beauregard at Manassas Junction,
where on July 21, 1861, the famous Battle of
Bull Run occurred. Imboden’s artillery was
closely engaged supporting the troops under
Gen. Barnard Elliott Beeand proved instru-
mental in assisting the stand at Henry Hill
House. He next helped organize a cavalry
unit, the First Partisan Raiders, in the spring
of 1862. With these men he accompanied the
brilliant Shenandoah campaign of Gen.
Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson and
played conspicuous roles in the Battles of
Cross Keys and Port Republic that June. He
subsequently joined Gen. Robert E. Lee’s ill-
fated invasion of Maryland that fall and as-
sisted in capturing the Union garrison at
Harpers Ferry in September.
Imboden was promoted to brigadier gen-
eral on January 28, 1863. Despite his lack of
formal military training, he displayed consid-
erable flair for independent command. On
April 20, 1863, he led a force of 3,200 cavalry
into the hills of West Virginia, assisted by a
similar-sized force under Gen. William E.
“Grumble” Jones. Over the next 37 days the
raiders covered 400 miles, cut the vital Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad lines by tearing up
170 miles of track, and eventually seized large
quantities of badly needed livestock. They
then attacked the Kanawha Valley petroleum