Confederate Regiments & Batteries > Virginia
1861
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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
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April | The regiment reported 450 effectives. |
May 4 |
Battle of WilliamsburgLieutenant 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
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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 GettysburgFrom 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
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May 5-7 |
Battle of The Wilderness |
May 7 |
Battle of Todd’s TavernCaptain 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 TavernColonel 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
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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 HouseThe 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. |