On Jan. 10, 1862, at this site, Union troops under Col. James A. Garfield defeated Confederates led by Gen. Humphrey Marshall in the Battle of Middle Creek. Garfield's 1,100 Ohioians and Kentuckians advanced up Middle Creek and clashed with Marshall's 1,967 Virginians and Kentuckians, whose main force occupied a ridge on the south side of Middle Creek. The battle began about noon, with Union troops fighting their way up the ridges and Confederates counterattacking down them. The turning point came at 4:00 p.m., when Garfield's reserves arrived from Paintsville. Faced with fresh Union troops and advancing shadows, Marshall withdrew his troops from the ridge and retreated. Union losses were 3 killed and 18 wounded, and Confederate losses were 12 killed and 15 wounded. The battle was fought on land owned by Henry Clay Fitzpatrick, son of Jonathan Fitzpatrick and grandson of John Fitzpatrick, a Revolutionary War veteran from Bath Co., Va., who established a farm here sometime before 1800. John Fitzpatrick is buried on Graveyard Point, which served as Garfield's command post during the battle. Henry's son Hiram H. Fitzpatrick, Floyd County Clerk, inherited the farm and passed it to his son Henry D. Fitzpatrick, Sr. and daughter Osa F. Ligon. Later owners were Henry D. Fitzpatrick, Jr., president of The Bank Josephine, and Osa's daughter Sally Ligon Clarke. The farm is now owned by Middle Creek National Battlefield Foundation, founded in 1992 by Franklin D. Fitzpatrick, son of H.D. Fitzpatrick, Jr.