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Rich Mountain Battlefield First step into statehood The Rich Mountain Battlefield is the site of the July 11 1861 battle that gave the Union a foothold and control of western Virginia for the bulk of the Civil War. This was the first step in the separation of Virginia along Union and Confederate lines eventually leading to the creation of West Virginia as a Northern state in 1863. The Battle of Rich Mountain Rich Mountain Battlefield consists of over 440 acres including the following sites The Hart Farm Located at the top of Rich Mountain the homestead of the Hart family was where the bulk of the fighting occurred. The Hart Farm site includes historical markers and many interpretive signs that tell the story of the Battle.