6 2 , ▁the ▁Union ▁army ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁retre at ▁from ▁Western ▁Virginia ▁( the ▁K ana wh a ▁River ▁Valley ) ▁to ▁Ohio ▁by ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁army . ▁This ▁retre at ▁was ▁" emb arr ass ing ▁to ▁the ▁government ". ▁The ▁army ' s ▁commander , ▁Colonel ▁Joseph ▁Andrew ▁Jackson ▁Light burn , ▁ ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁General ▁Jacob ▁Dol son ▁C ox , ▁who ▁re organ ized ▁the ▁troops . ▁During ▁late ▁October , ▁C ox ▁and ▁the ▁troops ▁advanced ▁to ▁the ▁K ana wh a ▁River ▁Valley ▁against ▁no ▁resistance . ▁ ▁They ▁made ▁winter ▁qu arters ▁in ▁Char l eston , ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁easier ▁to ▁be ▁res upp lied ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁river . ▁ ▁Among ▁the ▁Union ▁troops ▁was ▁a ▁caval ry ▁regiment ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Regiment ▁of ▁Lo yal ▁Virginia ▁Vol unte er ▁Caval ry . ▁This ▁regiment ▁was ▁organized ▁a ▁year ▁earlier , ▁and ▁consisted ▁mostly ▁of ▁volunte ers ▁from ▁Ohio ▁count ies ▁near ▁the ▁Ohio ▁River . ▁Its ▁commander ▁was ▁Colonel ▁John ▁C . ▁Pa xt on . ▁The ▁regiment ' s ▁qu arters ▁for ▁the ▁winter ▁was ▁at ▁Camp ▁Pi att , ▁Virginia , ▁about ▁ ▁sout heast ▁of ▁Char l eston ▁on ▁the ▁K ana wh a ▁River . ▁The ▁camp ▁had ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁location ▁at ▁the ▁intersection ▁of ▁the ▁K ana wh a ▁River , ▁the ▁James ▁River , ▁and ▁the ▁K ana wh a ▁Turn pi ke . ▁The ▁K ana wh a