United States Regiments & Batteries * West Virginia > 1st West Virginia Infantry
The 1st West Virginia Infantry Regiment lost 3 officers and 51 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 136 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.
“First Loyal Virginia Infantry Regiment”
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1861
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Three Months Service |
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| April | Organizaed are Wheeling Virginia from companies from Brooke, Hancock, Ohio, and Marshall Counties, many of whom were of men from Ohio and Pennsylvania. It was commanded by Colonel Benjamin Franklin Kelly, Lieutenant Colonel Henry B. Hubbard, and Major Isaac H. Duval. Dr. Joseph Thoburn was appointed surgeon for the regiment. |
| May 10-23 |
The regiment was mustered into Federal service by Company over a two week period. Organization of the Regiment
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| May 27 |
Moved by rail to near Mannington to take a Baltimore & Ohio Railroad bridge which had been wrecked by Confederates. At First the railroad refused to carry the regiment, as it had decided to remain neutral and refuse to carry men or munitions for either side. Colonel Kelley replied, “This is war. Railroad companies cannot be their own masters. They are to serve the government that guarantees to them possession and protection for their property. You have a train of cars in the depot to-morrow morning at four o’clock or I will place you in prison and take possession of your railroad by military authority.” There was no further problem with the railroad. |
| May 29-30 | Moved along the railroad to Grafton, which was captured from Confedrate militia. |
| June 3 |
Battle of PhilippiThe first organized land battle of the Civil War. Colonel Benjamin Kelley led the main column of the two-pronged attack into town. The Confederates were made up of badly outnumbered independent miltitia companies and were defeated, but Colonel Kelly was badly wounded. |
| June – July | The regiment was on duty at Rowlesburg, Grafton, and Philippi. |
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The 1st West Virginia separated into three sections.
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| August 5 | Colonel Benjamin Kelley was promoted to Brigadier General, backdated to May. |
| August 19 | The regiment returned to Wheeling. |
| August 27 | The 1st West Virginia Infantry mustered out at the end of their three months Federal service. |
Three Years Service |
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| August 30 |
Dr. Joseph Thoburn was appointed Colonel and began reorganizing the regiment for three years service. About 40% of the men were from West Virginia, 23% from Ohio, 18% from Pennsylvania, and 19% from other states or were foreign immigrants. Henry B. Hubbard was elected Lieutenant Colonel and Isaac Duval Major. Organization of the Regiment
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| October 13 | While the regiment was still organizing Companies A, B, D & E were moved from Wheeling to Little Kanawha, Wirt County to deal with a band of Confederate marauders known as the Moccasin Rangers. Captain William Milhouse of Company C was discharged for disability. |
| October 30 | The 1st Virginia Infantry Regiment mustered in at Wheeling, Virginia for three years Federal service. |
| November 1 | First Lieutenant William H. Orr was promoted to Captain of Company C. |
| November 2 | Companies A, B, D & E moved to Romney. |
| November 9 | The remaining 6 companies of the regiment left Wheeling for Romney, W. Va. Attached to Railroad District, West Virginia. |
| December | First Lieutenant Charles A. Freeman was captured. |
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1862
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| January 6-7 | Expedition to Blue’s Gap. Attached to 3rd Brigade, Landers’ Division, Army of the Potomac |
| January 7 |
Hanging Rock Pass, Blue’s Gap |
| January 10 | Moved to Patterson Creek |
| January 27 | Captain James Donnelly of Company C died of typhoid dever at Cumberland, Maryland. |
| February 5-13 | Moved to Paw Paw Tunnel |
| February 7 | First Lieutenant John S. McDonald was promoted to Captain of Company D. |
| March 1-15 | Advance on Winchester. Attached to 3rd Brigade, Shields’ Division, Banks’ 5th Corps |
| March 18-21 | Reconnaissance to Strasburg |
| March 22-23 |
First Battle of Winchester |
| March 24-April 4 | Pursuit of Jackson |
| March 27 | Edenburg |
| April 1 | Occupation of Mt. Jackson |
| April 4 | Attached to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, Department of the Shenandoah |
| April 17 | New Market |
| May | Attached to 4th Brigade, Shields’ Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock |
| May 5 | Columbia Bridge |
| May 12-21 | March to Falmouth, Va. |
| May 25-June 7 | To Port Republic |
| May 31 | Gaines’ Cross Roads, near Front Royal |
| June 1 | White Plains |
| June 3 | Front Royal |
| June 9 |
Battle of Port Republic |
| June 10-27 | March to Cloud’s Mills, near Alexandria. Attached to 4th Brigade, 2nd Division, 3rd Corps, Pope’s Army of Virginia |
| July | Camp at Cloud’s Mills, near Alexandria |
| July 28 | Move to the Rappahannock. Captain James M. Bowers of Company H resigned. First Lieutenant Thomas Reed was promoted to Captain of Company H. |
| August 9 |
Battle of Cedar Mountain |
| August 16-September 2 |
Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia |
| August 16 | Captain William Morgan of Company E resigned. |
| August 20-23 |
Rappahannock Station |
| August 26 | Sulphur Springs |
| August 28 |
Thoroughfare Gap |
| August 29 |
Groveton |
| August 30 |
Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas)after the battle the regiment had no commissioned officer on duty, the regiment being commanded by Sergeant Major Johnson. |
| September-October 11 | In the Defenses of Washington. Attached to 2nd Brigade, Whipple’s Division, Military District of Washington, D. C. |
| September 9 | Major Isaac H. Duval was transferred to the 9th Virginia Infanntry and promoted to Colonel. |
| October 3 | Lieutenant Colonel Henry B. Hubbard was wounded. |
| October 11-13 | Moved to Wheeling, Virginia to recruit. |
| November 1 |
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| November 27-28 | Moved to Cumberland, Md. |
| December 4 |
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| December 8 | To Romney, then to North Mountain, and duty there attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 8th Corps, Middle Department |
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1863
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| January 1 | First Lieutenant James E. Morrow was promoted to Captain of Company F. |
| January 6 | Captain James C. White of Company B resigned. |
| March 6 | At Mechanicsville Gap attached to 4th Brigade 1st Division, 8th Corps |
| June 20 | West Virginia was admitted to the Union and the regiment was redesignated the 1st West Virginia Infantry Regiment. |
| June 14-20 | Moved to New Creek Station, thence to Cumberland, Md. Attached to Campbell’s Brigade, Scammon’s Division, Army of West Virginia |
| July 13 | Moved to Hancock, thence to Williamsport |
| July 28 | At Back Creek |
| August 3 | To Winchester |
| August 15 | To Romney and to Petersburg |
| August-January | Operating against guerrillas and Imboden’s and McNeil’s forces |
| September 5 |
MoorefieldA detachment consisting of Companies B, D, E, F & H at Moorefield were attacked by Imboden’s cavalry, with little loss. |
| September 11 |
MoorefieldCompanies B, D, E, F & H were captured by McNeil’s cavalry in a pre-dawn attack on the camp, including:
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| December | Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, West Virginia |
| December 10-23 | Guard train from Petersburg to McDowell |
| December 16 | Descent on Salem |
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1864
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| January 10-12 |
Retreat from Petersburg to New Creek.Captain William J. Robb of Company A was captured. |
| January 16 | First Lieutenant George M. White was promoted to Captain of Company B. |
| January 27-February 7 | Operations in Hampshire and Hardy Counties against Rosser |
| January 30 | Retreated to New Creek before a superior force under General Early. |
| 25 February | Veterans on furlough to Wheeling. |
| April 1 | Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, West Virginia at Webster, West Virginia, |
| April 18 | Moved to Grafton |
| April 19-22 | To Martinsburg |
| April 30-May 16 |
Sigel’s Expedition to New Market |
| May 14 | Mt. Jackson |
| May 15 |
Battle of New Market |
| May 16-June 1 | At Cedar Creek |
| June 1-6 | Advance to Staunton |
| June 5 |
Piedmont, Mt. Crawford |
| June 6 | Occupation of Staunton |
| June 10-July 1 |
Hunter’s Raid on Lynchburg |
| June 11 | Lexington |
| June 17-18 |
LynchburgCaptain John Daugherty of Company I was wounded and captured. He would be paroled and released in November but died of dairhea before he could return home. |
| June 18-29 | Retreat to Gauley Bridge |
| July 5-17 | Moved to the Shenandoah Valley |
| July 17-18 |
Snicker’s FerrySecond Lieutenant J. W. Plattenberg of Company K was wounded. |
| July 23-24 |
Second Battle of Kernstown |
| August to November |
Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign |
| August 12 | Cedar Creek |
| August 22-24 | Charlestown |
| August 26 | Halltown |
| September 3-4 | Berryville |
| September 19 |
Battle of Opequan, Third Battle of Winchester |
| September 22 |
Fisher’s Hill |
| October 19 |
Battle of Cedar CreekColonel Joseph Thoburn was mortally wounded rallying the men. |
| October 29 | Ordered to Cumberland, Md. Non-Veterans continued to Wheeling to muster out of service, while Veterans consolidated into a battalion of four companies under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Weddle. |
| December 10 | Veterans consolidated with the 4th West Virginia Infantry to form the 2nd West Virginia Veteran Infantry |