First Battle of Saltville

First Battle of Saltville
	Part of the American Civil War
	; View of part of the Saltville battlefield
Date	October 2, 1864
Location	Smyth County, Virginia
Result	Confederate victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Stephen G. Burbridge	Alfred E. Jackson
Units involved
5th United States Colored Cavalry	Confederate Home Guard
Strength
5,000–5,200	2,000–2,800
Casualties and losses
	450

The First Battle of Saltville (October 2, 1864) was fought near the town of Saltville, Virginia, during the American Civil War. The battle over significant Confederate saltworks in town was fought by both regular and Home Guard Confederate units against regular U.S. Army troops, which included two of the few black cavalry units of the United States Colored Troops. U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Stephen G. Burbridge, then commander of U.S. forces in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, led the U.S. Army troops.

Confederates murdered both black and white wounded soldiers after the battle, in what has been called the Saltville Massacre.