ic ▁importance ▁to ▁the ▁Union ▁and ▁often ▁a ▁target ▁of ▁Confeder ate ▁ra iders ), ▁St ro ther ▁supported ▁the ▁Union , ▁as ▁did ▁his ▁father ▁and ▁his ▁ment or ▁G ou ven eur ▁K emble , ▁although ▁all ▁five ▁of ▁his ▁a un ts ' s ▁hus b ands ▁supported ▁the ▁Confeder acy . ▁Though ▁he ▁hoped ▁to ▁remain ▁neutral ▁as ▁a ▁war ▁correspond ent ▁and ▁his ▁native ▁Ber keley ▁County ▁lean ed ▁toward ▁the ▁Confeder acy ▁( s ending ▁no ▁deleg ates ▁to ▁the ▁W heel ing ▁Convention ▁and ▁raising ▁ 5 ▁companies ▁of ▁Confeder ate ▁volunte ers , ▁against ▁two ▁raised ▁by ▁Union ists ), ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁St ro ther ▁volunte ered ▁as ▁a ▁top ograph er ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁detailed ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁Sh en ando ah ▁Valley . ▁ ▁By ▁March ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁as ▁West ▁Virginia ▁continued ▁its ▁drive ▁toward ▁state hood , ▁St ro ther ▁received ▁a ▁commission ▁as ▁captain ▁in ▁the ▁Union ▁Army ▁and ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁assist ▁General ▁Nathan iel ▁B anks ▁in ▁the ▁Valley ▁Camp aign . ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁he ▁accepted ▁a ▁commission ▁as ▁L t . ▁Col . ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁West ▁Virginia ▁Caval ry , ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁top ograph er ▁on ▁General ▁Pope ' s ▁staff ▁during ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁C ed ar ▁Mountain ▁and ▁the ▁Second ▁Battle ▁of ▁Man ass as . ▁During ▁the ▁Anti et am ▁Camp aign , ▁St ro ther ▁served