Continued Skirimishing at Tate's Store - Day 1 - 5:20 p.m.

Captain John Robinson's Co. "A," 1st Ohio Volunteer Cavalry is one of two companies attached from that regiment for service with Lander's Division. In the January campaign, Robinson's company did not see much action and was engaged primarily in screening actions around Hanging Rocks. The company briefly appeared at Romney, was shelled by the enemy, and lost a total of four men during the campaign.

In the current campaign, the company broke camp at Paw Paw Tunnel on the morning of February 1st (Day One). Robinson had a total of 71 trained men, armed with smith carbines and they were heading south along the Hampshire and Morgan Turnpike when they ran into the Pittsylvania Cavalry at Tate's Store in the morning.

The Pittsylvania Cavalry is under the command of Lieutenant Chiswell Dabney. The company was not present in the prior campaign and have been further south in activities under taken by Brigadier General Edward Johnson's Brigade. When Brigadier General William W. Loring re-joined his Army of the Northwest, he brought the Pittsylvania Cavalry with him, a total of 60 trained men, armed with Merrill Carbines.

Dabney's men started the morning of Day one at Forks of Cacapon and started marching north on the turnpike until running into the Ohioans. There was some brief engagement around Tate's Store and the junction of the turnpike and the Sidling Hill in the morning, but Dabney had his command fall back and hold a position in the woods south of the junction and Robinson broke off the engagement.

At 5:00 p.m., Robinson moved to re-engage, as Dabney's me were re-positioning slightly further south in the woods, but closer to the east side of the turnpike. They opposing horsemen, all taking cover in the woods, started firing at 5:05 p.m. and have been firing for 15 minutes without either side giving way.  The skirmish at Tate's Store continues, with the question being whether one side or the other will control the junction (and passage between Paw Paw, Spring Gap and Forks of Cacapon) by nightfall, or will they bivouac within sight of the enemy campfires?