4th Virginia Cavalry Regiment

Confederate Regiments & Batteries > Virginia

1861
September Completed organization at Sangster’s Cross Roads in Prince William County under the command of Colonel Beverly Robertson and Lieutenant Colonel Williams C. Wickham.
1862
April The regiment reported 450 effectives.
May 4
Battle of Williamsburg

Lieutenant Colonel Wickham was badly wounded by a saber wound in a cavalry charge.
August While recuperating at home from his Williamsburg wound Lieutenant Colonel Wickham was taken prisoner. He was paroled and quickly exchanged for Lieutenant Colonel Thomas L. Kane of the Pennsylvania “Bucktails,” who was related to his wife.
August Lieutenant Colonel Wickham was promoted to colonel and returned to the field.
July 28 The Cavalry Division of the Army of Northern Virginia was created under the command of Major General James E.B. Stuart. The 4th Virginia Cavalry was assigned to the brigade of Brigadier General Fitzhugh Lee, along with the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 9th Virginia Cavalry and Breathed’s Battery of Horse Artillery.

Colonel Robertson was ordered to North Carolina to recruit and train new cavalry regiments, and Lieutenant Colonel Wickham was promoted to colonel, Robert Randolph to lieutenant colonel and William Payne to Major.
September Company H was detached as Headquarters Escort for Major General Jackson.
September 17
Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Williams C. Wickham.

From the War Department marker for F. Lee’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield:

The 3rd, 4th and 9th Virginia Cavalry of Lee’s Brigade reached the field late in the afternoon of the 15th and took position on the extreme left of the Confederate Army… On the night of the 16th the Brigade was massed near the river in support of the Horse Artillery. The 1st Cavalry, detached on the 10th, rejoined on the morning of the 17th and the Brigade took position on the left of Jackson’s Command, which it assisted in resisting the Union advance. On September 18th and 19th the Brigade covered the withdrawal of the Army of Northern Virginia to the south bank of the Potomac.
 December 13
Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
April 30-May 6
Chancellorsville Campaign
May Colonel Wickham was elected to Congress as representative from the Richmond district but stayed with his command until 1864, leaving his seat vacant.
June 9
Battle of Brandy Station
July 3
Battle of Gettysburg

From the monument to F. Lee’s Brigade on the Gettysburg battlefield:

July 3. The Battalion being on duty with Ewell’s Corps the Brigade brought only five regiments to this field where it arrived soon after midday and took position on the left of Hampton’s Brigade on the edge of the neighboring woods. It participated actively in the conflict which ensued.
September 9 Stuart’s Cavalry Division was enlarged to a corps. Brigadier General Fitzhugh Lee was promoted to major general and given command of a division. Colonel Williams Wickham was promoted to brigadier general and given command of the brigade, which was assigned to Fitz Lee’s division. Lieutenant Colonel William H.F. Payne took command of the regiment.
November 26-December 2
Mine Run Campaign
1864
May 5-7
Battle of The Wilderness
May 7
Battle of Todd’s Tavern

Captain Graves was wounded.
May 8 Alsop’s Farm, Spotsylvania
May 9-24 Sheridan’s Expedition to the James
May 9-10 Beaver Dam Station
May 11
Yellow Tavern

Colonel William Cheek was severely wounded.
May 11 Ground Squirrel Church
June 11
Battle of Trevilian’s Station 
mid-August The regiment, with Fitzhugh Lee’s Division, was transferred to the Shenandoah Valley and assigned to Lieutenant General Jubal Early’s Army of the Valley.
August 16 Front Royal
August 18 Opequon Creek
August 19-21 Berryville
October 9
Battle of Tom’s Brook
1865
January The brigade’s men were disbanded to their homes to forage their mounts through the winter.
mid-March The regiment re-formed and moved to the Richmond area
April 1
Battle of Five Forks
April 9
Appomattox Court House

The cavalry cut its way through Federal lines and escaped. Only two men from the 4th Virginia Cavalry were left to surrender with the army.
April 11 The regiment disbanded at Lynchburg.