Gen. John Hunt Morgan departed camp in Tennessee on a raid with 2,460 troopers, intending to divert the attention of the Union Army of the Ohio from Confederate forces occupying the state.

Edward H. Hobson and Henry M. Judah captured an estimated 800 – 1,200 of Morgan's force, while some 300 under Col. Adam "Stovepipe" Johnson crossed upriver.

His route took him through several terrified villages, including Moorefield, Harrisville, New Athens, Smithfield, New Alexandria, Wintersville, Two Ridge, Richmond, East Springfield, Bergholz, and Monroeville (Jefferson County).

Morgan fled northward with depleted horses and men while U.S. soldiers blocked attempts to reach the river.

U.S. General Shackelford continued in pursuit of Morgan, leading a mixed command of cavalry, artillery, and mounted infantry from Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Michigan and Ohio, as well as the Steubenville Militia.

However, at 2:00 p.m., they surrendered to U.S. Maj. George W. Rue of the 9th Kentucky Cavalry near West Point, Ohio approximately 8 miles northeast of Salineville.

[3] Major Rue later reported that Morgan, upon first seeing Rue and his troops approaching, attempted to surrender to one of his prisoners, an Ohio Militia captain named Burbridge, who then immediately tried to parole Morgan and his fellow officers, an act that would have allowed them to return home to Kentucky as noncombatants.