Winfield, sited on land owned by Charles Brown, who started a ferry there in 1818, was named for Gen. Winfield Scott, hero of the Mexican-American War. The Putnam County seat, it was incorporated in 1868. Its location along the Kanawha made it an important hub for trade and commerce and gave it strategic value during the Civil War. Use of the ferry ended with the opening of a bridge in 1957. On October 26, 1864, Lt. Col. Vincent Witcher and Capt. Phillip Thurmond led two Confederate columns against Federal troops protecting Winfield and local river traffic. Though outnumbered, Company D of the 7th West Virginia Cavalry under Capt. John Reynolds repulsed the attack, killed Thurmond, and took several prisoners without suffering any major casualties.