The Civil War in the East

1st West Virginia Cavalry Regiment

 

The First West Virginia Cavalry Regiment lost 10 officers and 71 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 126 enlisted men to disease.

 

It is honored by a monument at Gettysburg (right).

Monument to the 1st West Virginia Cavalry Regiment at Gettysburg

1861

July 10 -
November 25

Organized under Colonel Henry Anisansel at Wheeling, Clarksburg and Morgantown and attached to Cheat Mountain District, W. Va.

September 10

Action at Carnifex Ferry, W. Va. (Detachment)

October 26

Romney, W. Va. (Co. A)

November 10

Guyandotte, W. Va. (Detachment)

November 19

Wirt Court House

November 29

Capture of Suttonville, Braxton Court House

December 23 -
January 30

In support of Garfield's operations in Eastern Kentucky against Humphrey Marshall (Detachment)

December 29-31

Skirmishes in Clay, Braxton and Webster Counties

1862

January 7

Jennies Creek, Ky. (Detachment)

January

Attached to Landers' Division, Army of the Potomac. Regiment engaged in scouting, picket and outpost duty and guarding Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in West Virginia

January 6-7

Expedition to Blue's Gap

January 7

Hanging Rock Pass, Romney

February 13

Bloomery Gap

February 15

Bloomen

March

Attached to Shields' 2nd Division, Banks' 5th Corps, and Dept. of the Shenandoah

March 5-12

Advance on Winchester, Va. (Cos. "C," "E" and "L")

March 20

Phillippi (4 Cos.)

March 23

Battle of Winchester

April 12

Monterey (Cos. C, E and L)

May 3

Buffalo Gap (Cos. "C, E and L)

May

Milroy's Cheat Mountain District, W. Va. (4 Cos.)

May 7

McDowell (Cos. C, E and L)

May 8-21

Scouts to Roane and Clay Counties

May 10

Giles Court House (Detachment)

June 1

Strasburg. Attached to Shields' Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock (8 Cos.)

June 8

Cross Keys

June 9

Port Republic

June 10

White Plains

June

Attched to Buford's Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Army Corps, Army of Virginia

July 12-17

Expedition to Madison Court House, Culpeper Court House and Orange Court House

July 12

Near Culpeper

August 9

Cedar Mountain (Cos. C, E and L)

August 13

Orange Court House

August 16-September 2

Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia

August 18

Rapidan

August 22

Freeman's Ford, Hazel River (Cos. C, E and L)

August 22

Kelly's Ford

August 23

Sulphur Springs

August 23-25

Waterloo Bridge

August 28

Buckland Bridge, near Gainesville (Cos. C, E and L)

August 29

Groveton (Cos. C, E and L)

August 30

Bull Run (Cos. C, E and L)

August 30

Lewis Ford

September 1

Chantilly

September

Attached to Milroy's Independent Brigade, 1st Army Corps, Army of Virginia (4 Cos.), then Defenses of Washington, D. C.

September 6

Nathaniel P. Richmond promoted to colonel

September 16-17

Antietam, Md. (2 Cos.)

September 22

Ashby's Gap

October 17-18

Expedition to Thoroughfare Gap

October 18

Gainesville

November 4

Near Warrenton

November 28-30

Reconnaissance to Snicker's Ferry and Berryville

November 30

Snicker's Ferry

December 3

Moorefield, W. Va. (1 Co.)

1863

January 5

Near Moorefield, W. Va.

January 22

Cockletown, Pocahontas County, W. Va.

February

Attached to Price's Cavalry Brigade, Defenses of Washington, D. C., and 22nd Army Corps

February 27-28

Scout from Centreville to Falmouth

March

Company A attached to Averill's 4th Separate Brigade, 8th Army Corps, Middle Department

April

Attached to 3rd Brigade, Stahel's Cavalry Division, 22nd Army Corps

April 24

Beverly (Co. A)

May 3

Warrenton Junction (Detachment)

June

Regiment attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac

Company A attached to Averill's 4th Separate Brigade, W. Va.

June 13-15

Winchester (Cos. C and K)

June 30

Hanover, Pa.

July 1-3

Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded at Gettysburg by Col. Nathaniel P. Richmond. It brought 436 men to the field in ten companies; companies A and I were not present. The 1st suffered four killed, four wounded and four missing.

 

Colonel Richmond took over the brigade after the death of Brigadier General Elon Farnsworth and his brother, Major Charles E. Capehart, took command of the regiment.

July 2

Hunterstown

July 4

Monterey Gap

Major Capehart was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the battle. His citation reads,

"For The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Major Charles E. Capehart, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 4 July 1863, while serving with 1st West Virginia Cavalry, in action at Monterey Mountain, Pennsylvania. While commanding the regiment, Major Capehart charged down the mountain side at midnight, in a heavy rain, upon the enemy's fleeing wagon train. Many wagons were captured and destroyed and many prisoners taken."

July 5

Smithburg

July 6

Hagerstown

July 8

Boonsboro

July 11-13

Hagerstown

July 14

Falling Water

July 13-15

Expedition from Fayetteville, W. Va., to Wytheville (2 Companies)

July 16

Shanghai (Company A)

July 18-19

Wytheville (Company A)

July 18-19

Near Hedgesville and Martinsburg (Company A)

July 23

Near Gaines' Cross Roads

July 30

McConnellsburg, Pa.

August 25-31

Averill's Raid through Hardy, Pendleton, Highland, Bath, Greenfield and Pocahontas Counties, W. Va. (Company A)

August 26-27

Rocky Gap, near White Sulphur Springs (Company A)

September 1-3

Expedition to Port Conway

September 13

Culpeper Court House

September 14-16

Raccoon Ford

September 16

Robertson's Station

September 17-18

Raccoon Ford

September 22-23

White's Ford

October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign

October 10

James City and Bethesda Church

October 11

Near Culpeper, Brandy Station and Griffinsburg

October 14

Gainesville

October 17-18

Groveton

October 19

Gainesville, New Baltimore, Buckland's Mill and Haymarket

November 7

Catlett's Station

November 26-December 2

Mine Run Campaign

November 26-27

Raccoon Ford

November 1-17

Averill's Raid from Lewisburg to Virginia & Tennessee Railroad (Company A)

November 6

Droop Mountain (Company A)

November 11

Colonel Richmond discharged on surgeon's certificate. Colonel Henry Capehart takes over command of the regiment

December

Regiment on duty at various points in Dept. of West Virginia

Company A attached to 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, W. Va.

December 8-25

Averill's Raid from New Creek to Salem (Company A)

1864

March

Regiment attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, W. Va.

April

Company A attached to Kelly's Command, Reserve Division, W. Va.

May

Regiment attached to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, W. Va.

May 5-19

Averill's Raid on Virginia & Tennessee Railroad

May 5

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, between Bloomfield and Piedmont

May 8

Abb's Valley, Jeffersonville

May 10

Grassy Lick, Cove Mountain, near Wytheville

May 12

Doublin Station

May 14

Rude's Hill and New Market

May 20

Lewisburg (Detachment)

May 26-July 1

Hunter's Raid on Lynchburg

June

Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, W. Va.

June 8

Staunton

June 10

White Sulphur Springs

June 11

Lexington

June 13-15

Scout around Lynchburg

June 13

Near Buchanan

June 16

New London

June 17

Diamond Hill

June 17-18

Lynchburg

June 18

Snicker's Ford

June 19

Liberty

June 20

Buford's Gap

June 21

Catawba Mountains and about Salem

July 17-18

Snicker's Ferry, Va.

July 20

Carter's Farm, near Stephenson's Depot

July 22

Newtown

July 24

Kernstown, Winchester

July 24

Falling Waters

July 25

Martinsburg

July 29

Hagerstown

July 31

Hancock

August 5

Williamsport and Hagerstown

August 7

Near Moorefield

August 26

Williamsport

August 31

Martinsburg

September 3-4

Bunker Hill

September 5

Stephenson's Depot

September 10

Darkesville

September 13

Bunker Hill

September 14

Berryville and near Brentsville

September 14

Centreville

September 17

Charlestown

September 19

Winchester

September 22

Fisher's Hill

September 23-24

Mt. Jackson

September 24

Forest Hill or Timberville

September 26

Brown's Gap

September 26-27

Weyer's Cave

October 19

Battle of Cedar Creek

October 23

Dry Run (Detachment)

October 25

Milford (Detachment)

November 12

Nineveh/ Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, Middle Military Division

November 22

Rude's Hill, near Mt. Jackson

December 19-28

Expedition to Gordonsville

December 23

Gordonsville

1865

February 25-
March 25

Sheridan's Raid from Winchester

February

Attached to 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac

February 28

Mt. Crawford

March 2

Waynesboro

March 3

Charlottesville

March 10

Augusta Court House

March 12

Haydensville

March 13

Colonel Henry Capehart promoted to brigadier general

March 15

Beaver Dam Station

March 26

White House

March 28-April 9

Appomattox Campaign

March 29-31

Dinwiddie Court House

April

Company A arttached to 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, W. Va.

April 1

Five Forks

April 2

Namozine Church and Scott's Corners

April 4

Jettersville

April 5

Amelia Court House

April 6

Sailor's Creek

April 7

Stony Point

April 8

Appomattox Station

April 9

Appomattox Court House. Surrender of Lee and his army.

April 23-29

Expedition to Danville

May

March to Washington, D.C.

May 23

Grand Review

July 8

Mustered out