On June 13, 1861, Col. Lew Wallace of the 11th Indiana Infantry led a raid against Southern forces occupying Romney. Wallace passed through Mechanicsburg Gap and took South Branch Bridge. The Rebel retreat from Romney forced Gen. Johnston to abandon his position at Harpers Ferry, allowing Federal troops to regain control of the B&O. Wallace later wrote the novel Ben-Hur.

Photo: Devry Becker Jones

Romney, West Virginia · USA