Kentucky 39th Volunteer Infantry (Union)

Saltville

Salt was a crucial resource during the Civil War. It not only preserved food in the days before refrigeration, but was also vital in the curing of leather. Control or destruction of the South's most important salt production facilities was critical to the Union war effort. In early October 1864, coincident with Maj. Gen. Phil Sheridan's burning of the Shenandoah Valley, Union cavalry and infantry raiders led by Brig. Gen. Stephen G. Burbridge attempted to destroy the Confederate saltworks near Saltville in…READ MORE