View source for 1st Virginia Cavalry Regiment

{{short description|Cavalry regiment in the Confederate States Army}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2012}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = 1st Virginia Cavalry Regiment
| image                         = Flag of Virginia (1861–1865).svg
| caption                       = Flag of Virginia, 1861
| dates                         = July 1861 &ndash; April 1865
| country                       = [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]]
| allegiance                    = {{flagicon|CSA}} [[Confederate States of America]]
| branch                        = {{army|CSA}}
| type                          = 
| role                          = [[Cavalry]]
| nickname                      = 
| battles                       = [[American Civil War]]
* [[First Battle of Bull Run]]
* [[Peninsula Campaign]]
* [[Seven Days' Battles]]
* [[Battle of Chancellorsville]]
* [[Battle of Brandy Station]]
* [[Battle of Gettysburg]]
* [[Bristoe Campaign]]
* [[Overland Campaign]]
* [[Siege of Petersburg]]
* [[Valley Campaigns of 1864]]
* [[Appomattox Campaign]]
| disbanded                     = April 1865
<!-- Commanders -->| notable_commanders            = Colonel [[J.E.B. Stuart]]<br /> Colonel [[William E. Jones (general)|William "Grumble" Jones]]<br />Colonel [[Fitzhugh Lee]]
}}

The '''1st Virginia Cavalry Regiment''' was a [[cavalry]] [[regiment]] raised in [[Virginia]] for service in the [[Confederate States Army]] during the [[American Civil War]]. It fought mostly with the [[Army of Northern Virginia]].

==Organization==
The 1st Virginia Cavalry completed its organization at [[Winchester, Virginia]], in July 1861, under the command of Colonel [[J.E.B. Stuart|James Ewell Brown (J.E.B.) Stuart]] at the command of General [[Stonewall Jackson|Thomas Jackson]]. Unlike most regiments, the First contained twelve [[Company (military unit)|companies]]. The men were from the counties of [[Amelia County, Virginia|Amelia]], [[Augusta County, Virginia|Augusta]], [[Berkeley County, West Virginia|Berkeley]], [[Clarke County, Virginia|Clarke]], [[Frederick County, Virginia|Frederick]], [[Gloucester County, Virginia|Gloucester]], [[Jefferson County, West Virginia|Jefferson]], [[Loudoun County, Virginia|Loudoun]], [[Rockbridge County, Virginia|Rockbridge]], [[Rockingham County, Virginia|Rockingham]], and [[Washington County, Virginia|Washington]].

==History==

[[File:Captain George Riggs Gaither of K Company, 1st Virginia Cavalry LCCN2011645397.jpg|thumb|right|Captain George Riggs Gaither of K Company, 1st Virginia Cavalry]]

[[File:Private David M. Thatcher of Company B, Berkeley Troop, 1st Virginia Cavalry Regiment, in uniform and Virginia sword belt plate with Adams revolver and cavalry sword LOC 6987415131.jpg|thumb|right|Private David M. Thatcher of Company B, Berkeley Troop, 1st Virginia Cavalry Regiment]]

[[File:Unidentified soldier in 1st Virginia cavalry great coat LCCN2012646167.jpg|thumb|right|Unidentified soldier in 1st Virginia Cavalry great coat]]

The First Virginia Cavalry participated in more than 200 engagements of various types throughout the American Civil War, during which it was reorganized several times. Its significant casualties at the [[First Battle of Bull Run]] led to reorganization and placement under the command of Brigadier General J.E.B. Stuart. However, members were allowed to elect their lower officers, and they failed to re-elect career U.S. army officer and future Confederate general [[William E. Jones (general)|William E. Jones]], who was then transferred to lead the [[7th Virginia Cavalry]]. Thus, Gen. Stuart relayed his orders to Lt. Col. (and future Virginia governor)[[Fitzhugh Lee]]. In 1863, further Confederate Army reorganization placed the First Virginia Cavalry under the command of General [[Williams Carter Wickham]] (formerly of the [[4th Virginia Cavalry]]). Although decimated by casualties and surrenders under General [[Jubal Early]] as it defended the Shenandoah Valley at the war's end, the First Virginia Cavalry technically ended the war under the command of Gen. [[Thomas T. Munford]] (formerly of the [[2nd Virginia Cavalry]]).

During 1862, the First Virginia Cavalry participated in the [[Seven Days Battles]] and Stuart's ride around [[George B. McClellan|McClellan]]. The regiment then participated in cavalry clashes at [[Battle of Gainesville|Gainesville]], [[Second Battle of Bull Run|Second Bull Run]], [[Battle of Antietam|Antietam]], [[Battle of Fredericksburg|Fredericksburg]], [[Battle of Kelly's Ford|Kelly's Ford]], [[Battle of Chancellorsville|Chancellorsville]], [[Battle of Brandy Station|Brandy Station]], [[Battle of Gettysburg|Gettysburg]], [[Battle of Bristoe Station|Bristoe Station]], [[Battle of the Wilderness|the Wilderness]], [[Battle of Todd's Tavern|Todd's Tavern]], [[Battle of Spotsylvania Court House|Spotsylvania]], [[Battle of Totopotomoy Creek|Bethesda Church]], and [[Battle of Cold Harbor|Cold Harbor]].

In 1864, the First Virginia was involved in [[Jubal Early]]'s [[Valley Campaigns of 1864#Early's Washington Raid and operations against the B&O Railroad (June–August 1864)|operations in the Shenandoah Valley]]. Although many of the remaining soldiers either became casualties or were allowed to return to their homes by early 1865, members did participate in the [[Siege of Petersburg|defense of Petersburg]], and the [[Appomattox Campaign]]. The remains of the cavalry unit cut through the [[Union Army|Federal]] lines at Appomattox, shortly before it was formally disbanded. Only one man from this unit was present at the surrender.
In April 1862, the First Virginia Cavalry totaled 437 men. It lost eight percent of the 310 engaged at Gettysburg in July 1863, and had 318 fit for duty in September 1864. Other field officers (alphabetically) included Colonels R. Welby Carter (of Company H; son of [[John A. Carter (Virginia politician)|Sen.John A. Carter]]), James H. Drake, and [[William Augusting Morgan|William A. Morgan]]; Lieutenant Colonels L. Tiernan Brien and Charles R. Irving; and Major Robert Swan.

Future [[United States Solicitor General|U.S. Solicitor General]] [[Holmes Conrad]] enlisted in Company A at the beginning of the war. He was commissioned a lieutenant and eventually transferred to [[Division (military)|division]] headquarters.

Company F boasted a namesake to Abraham Lincoln, a Private from Jefferson County. However, in 1864, he deserted.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Davis|first1=Burke|title=The civil war: strange & fascinating facts|date=1982|publisher=Fairfax Press|location=New York, NY|isbn=0517371510|page=[https://archive.org/details/civilwarstrangef00davi/page/142 142]|edition=1st|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/civilwarstrangef00davi/page/142}}</ref>

[[File:The 1st Virginia Cavalry at a halt LCCN2004660497.jpg|thumb|center|600px|The 1st Virginia Cavalry at a halt by [[Alfred Waud|Alfred R. Waud]].]]

==Temporary Attachments==
Captain Martin's Independent Company Mississippi Cavalry and Captain Stone's Independent Company Alabama Cavalry were temporarily attached to this regiment as Company N and O.<ref name="NA" />

==See also==
*[[List of Virginia Civil War units]]
*[[List of West Virginia Civil War Confederate units]]
{{portal|American Civil War}}

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="NA">{{cite web|title=Compiled service records of Confederate Soldiers who served in organizations from the State of Virginia|url=https://catalog.archives.gov/id/67355113|publisher=National Archives|accessdate=1 February 2018}}</ref>
}}

==Sources==
* {{USGovernment|url=http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/regiments.cfm|title=Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System|agency=National Park Service}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1st Virginia Cavalry Regiment}}
[[Category:Berkeley County, West Virginia, in the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Virginia]]
[[Category:1861 establishments in Virginia]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1861]]
[[Category:1865 disestablishments in Virginia]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1865]]