On April 20, 1863, Confederate Gens. William E. "Grumble" Jones and John D. Imboden began a raid from Virginia through present-day West Virginia on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Taking separate routes, they later reported that they marched 1,100 miles, fought several engagements, captured 700 Federals, seized about 1,200 horses and 4,000 cattle, and burned 4 turnpike bridges, more than 20 railroad bridges, 2 trains, and 150,000 barrels of oil. Most bridges were soon repaired, Confederate losses were slight, and by May 26 both commands had returned to Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. During the Civil War, the railroad bridge at Rowlesburg and the Tray Run Viaduct one mile beyond were critical to both sides because destroying them would cut the rail line at a point where there was no alternative route west. On Sunday, April 26, 1863, Confederate Gen. William E. Jones sent a hundred dismounted troopers from the Northwestern Turnpike covered bridge, four miles upstream, over Palmer's Knob to capture the eastern end of the railroad bridge and fire it. Local resident John Wheeler saw the detachment forming on Palmer's Knob, ran over the railroad bridge, burst into the meetinghouse, and warned that the Confederates were coming. The congregation rushed out to help Union Maj. John Showalter's small garrison defend the bridge. Jones's men formed a line about halfway down the mountain on a bench, moved forward, and, according to a witness, came bounding and bellowing down the mountain yelling like fiends just up from the pit. Protected by the railroad embankment and armed with Enfield rifled muskets, the Federals and townspeople opened fire, while other sharpshooters, townspeople, and guns on Cannon Hill also fired. After half an hour the Confederates retreated, leaving the bridge untouched, and Jones moved on to Morgantown and then Fairmont.