United States Regiments & Batteries  * West Virginia


The 1st 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 on the Gettysburg battlefield.

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 Eight companies attached to Hatch’s Cavalry Command, Banks’ 5th Corps. Four companies attached to Milroy’s Brigade, Cheat Mountain District.
March 5-12 Advance on Winchester, Va. (Cos. “C,” “E” and “L”)
March 20 Phillippi (4 Cos.)
March 23
Battle of Winchester
April 4 Hatch’s Cavalry Command transferred to Department of the Shenandoah.
April 12 Monterey (Cos. C, E and L)
May 3 Buffalo Gap (Cos. “C, E and L)
May Attached to Milroy’s Cheat Mountain District, W. Va. (4 Cos.)
May 7
Battle of 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.) and Milroy’s Independent Brigade, 1st Army Corps, Army of Virginia (4 Cos.)
June 8
Cross Keys
June 9
Port Republic
June 10 White Plains
June 26 Attached 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
Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)

(Cos. C, E and L)

August 30 Lewis Ford
September 1
Battle of Chantilly
September Attached to 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
Second Battle of Winchester

(Cos. C and K)

June 30
Hanover, Pennsylvania
July 1-3 Battle of 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 Battle of Opequan (Third Battle of Winchester)
September 22 Battle of 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 Battle of 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