List of West Virginia Civil War Confederate units facts for kids

The American Civil War (1861-1865) was a very important time in American history. It was a big conflict between the Northern states (the Union) and the Southern states (the Confederacy). Back then, the area we now call West Virginia was part of Virginia. However, many people in the western counties of Virginia supported the Union. This difference in opinion eventually led to West Virginia becoming its own state in 1863.

Even after West Virginia became a Union state, many people from its counties chose to fight for the Confederacy. These soldiers formed special groups called units. This article lists the Confederate units that were mostly made up of people from the 50 counties that would later become West Virginia. These units were called "Virginia" units, just like the Union units from western Virginia. After 1863, Union units from this area changed their name to "West Virginia," but the Confederate units kept the "Virginia" name. You can find a separate list of the list of West Virginia Civil War Union units.

Foot Soldiers (Infantry)

Infantry units were made up of soldiers who fought on foot. They were the main fighting force in battles. Many men from what is now West Virginia joined these units to fight for the Confederacy. The counties where these soldiers came from are listed in parentheses.

• 2nd Virginia Infantry (Berkeley, Jefferson)
• 7th Virginia Infantry Co. D (Mercer, Monroe)
• 13th Virginia Infantry (Hampshire)
• 22nd Virginia Infantry (Boone, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Jackson, Kanawha, Monroe, Nicholas, Putnam, Wyoming)
• 23rd Virginia Infantry Battalion (Mercer, Raleigh, Wyoming) This unit was also known as Derrick's Battalion.
• 24th Virginia Infantry (Mercer)
• 25th Virginia Infantry (Braxton, Hardy, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Ritchie, Taylor, Upshur, Webster)
• 26th Virginia Infantry Battalion (Greenbrier, Kanawha, Mercer, Monroe) This unit was also known as Edgar's Battalion.
• 27th Virginia Infantry (Brooke, Greenbrier, Monroe, Ohio, Wetzel)
• 29th Virginia Infantry (McDowell)
• 30th Virginia Infantry Battalion (Jackson, Mercer, Monroe, Raleigh, Roane, Wirt) This unit was also known as Clarke's Sharpshooters.
• 31st Virginia Infantry (Barbour, Braxton, Gilmer, Harrison, Kanawha, Lewis, Monongalia, Pocahontas, Randolph, Taylor)
• 33rd Virginia Infantry (Hampshire, Hardy)
• 36th Virginia Infantry (Boone, Clay, Jackson, Logan, Nicholas, Putnam, Raleigh, Roane, Wayne, Wood)
• 45th Virginia Infantry Battalion (Boone, Cabell, Logan, McDowell, Wayne, Wyoming)
• 59th Virginia Infantry (Greenbrier, Mercer)
• 60th Virginia Infantry (Braxton, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Jackson, Mercer, Monroe, Roane)
• 62nd Virginia Mounted Infantry (Barbour, Braxton, Hampshire, Hardy, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Tucker, Upshur, Webster)

Horseback Fighters (Cavalry)

Cavalry units rode horses into battle. They were often used for scouting, quick attacks, and chasing down enemies. Many cavalry units had members from the future West Virginia counties.

• 1st Virginia Cavalry (Jefferson, Berkeley)
• 2nd Battalion Kentucky Mounted Rifles (Wayne, Logan)
• 7th Virginia Cavalry (Berkeley, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson)
• 8th Virginia Cavalry (Boone, Cabell, Calhoun, Doddridge, Kanawha, Lewis, Mason, Putnam, Wayne, Wood)
• 10th Virginia Cavalry (Jackson, Kanawha, Raleigh, Roane)
• 11th Virginia Cavalry (Berkeley, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Morgan, Pocahontas)
• 12th Virginia Cavalry (Berkeley, Jefferson)
• 14th Virginia Cavalry (Boone, Calhoun, Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Roane)
• 14th Kentucky Cavalry (McDowell)
• 16th Virginia Cavalry (Cabell, McDowell, Kanawha, Putnam, Wayne)
• 17th Virginia Cavalry (Braxton, Clay, Harrison, Jackson, Kanawha, Lewis, Mercer, Nicholas, Roane, Wirt, Wood)
• 18th Virginia Cavalry (Hampshire, Hardy, Lewis, Pendleton, Randolph, Tucker)
• 19th Virginia Cavalry (Braxton, Calhoun, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Harrison, Jackson, Kanawha, Lewis, Marion, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Taylor, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt)
• 20th Virginia Cavalry (Barbour, Calhoun, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Monongalia, Ohio, Pleasants, Preston, Ritchie, Taylor, Wetzel, Wood)
• 21st Virginia Cavalry (Monroe)
• 23rd Virginia Cavalry (Hampshire, Hardy, Mercer)
• 26th Virginia Cavalry (Calhoun, Doddridge, Jackson, Lewis, Monroe, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Roane, Ritchie, Taylor, Tyler, Upshur, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt)
• 34th Virginia Cavalry (Cabell, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Raleigh, Wayne, Wyoming)
• 36th Virginia Cavalry (Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Clay, Greenbrier, Jackson, Kanawha, Logan, Monroe, Nicholas, Ohio, Putnam, Roane, Wayne, Wood)
• 37th Virginia Cavalry (Jackson)
• 43rd Virginia Cavalry, Mosby's Partisan Rangers (Jefferson)
• 44th Battalion Virginia Partisan Rangers, formerly Amick's Rangers (Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Monroe, Nicholas, Raleigh, Wyoming)
• Swann's Battalion of Virginia Cavalry (Boone, Cabell, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Putnam, Wayne, Wyoming)
• McNeill's Rangers (McNeill's Company, Virginia Partisan Rangers)) (Hampshire, Hardy, Pendleton)
• Thurmond's Rangers (Fayette, Greenbrier)
• Ashby Horse Artillery (Jefferson)

Artillery (Cannons)

Artillery units used large cannons to fire shells and support the infantry and cavalry. These powerful weapons could cause a lot of damage from a distance.

• Bryan's Battery, Monroe Artillery (Monroe, Greenbrier)
• Chapman's Artillery, (Monroe-Dixie Artillery, Virginia Light Artillery) (Monroe)
• Chew's Battery, Virginia Horse Artillery (Jefferson, Berkeley)
• French's Battery, Virginia Light Artillery (Mercer)
• Gauley Artillery, Capt. Stephen Adam's Battery (Raleigh)
• Capt. Thomas E. Jackson's Co., Virginia Horse Artillery (Kanawha, Mason, Wayne)
• Kanawha Artillery (Kanawha, Mason, Wayne)
• Lowry's Artillery, Virginia Light Artillery (Monroe)
• Lurty's Company, Virginia Horse Artillery (Calhoun, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Upshur, Webster)
• McClanahan's Battery (Randolph)
• Penick's Company, Virginia Light Artillery (Greenbrier)
• Taylor's Company, Virginia Light Artillery (Berkeley)
• Western Artillery (Monroe)
• Wise Artillery (Berkeley, Jefferson)

Virginia State Line & Other Units

Besides the regular army units, there were also groups like the Virginia State Line and local militia units. These groups often protected specific areas or helped with local defense.

• 67th Regiment Virginia Militia (Berkeley)
• 89th Regiment Virginia Militia (Morgan)
• 151st Regiment Virginia Militia (Mercer)
• 167th Regiment Virginia Militia (Wayne. This unit changed to support the Union in 1862.)
• 190th Regiment Virginia Militia (Wyoming)
• 1st VSL, Capt. Daniel Elkins Co, Co. B (Boone)
• 1st VSL. Capt. Greene W. Taylor's Co., Co. A (Logan)
• 1st VSL, Capt. Wm. Dempsey's Co., Co. E (Logan)
• 1st VSL, Capt. Benj. Justice's Co., Co. H (Logan)
• 1st VSL, Capt. John Buchanan's Co., Co. I (Logan)
• 1st VSL, Capt. Robert Lawson's Co., Co. K (Logan)
• 1st VSL, Capt. Geo. Hackworth's Co., Co. F (Cabell)
• 2nd VSL, Capt. Mathias Harrison's Co., Co. H (Cabell, Logan, Wayne)
• 2nd VSL, Capt. William S. Chandler's Co., Co. K (Boone)
• 3rd VSL, Capt. Joseph R. Kessler's Cavalry Co., Co. D (Roane)
• 4th VSL, Capt. William Hensley's Co., Co. G (Cabell)
• 4th VSL, Capt. John E. Love's Co., Co. E (Kanawha)
• 5th VSL, Capt. Lorenzo D. Chambers' Co., Co. A (Logan)
• 5th VSL, Capt. Melvin B. Lawson's Co., Co. E, later part of Rebel Bill Smith's Battn. (Logan)
• 5th VSL, Capt. P.K. McComas Co., Co. I (Logan)

Guerrilla Fighters

These units were sometimes called "Moccasin Rangers" by the North. However, they were known as "Partisan Rangers" or "Confederate States Rangers" by the South. They operated from 1861 to 1862. Later, many of them joined the Virginia State Line in late 1862. By March 1863, some joined the regular Confederate Army. The counties where these fighters mostly came from are in parentheses.

• Capt. John W. "Big John" Amick's Co., Amick's Rangers (Nicholas)
• Black Striped Company (Logan)
• Capt. P.M. Carpenter's Co. (Logan)
• Capt. Perry Connolly's Co., formerly Capt. George W. Silcott's Co., 186th Regt. Va. Militia (Calhoun)
• Capt. James S.A. Crawford's Co., The Night Hawks (Wood, Jackson & Wirt)
• Capt. George Downs' Co., Co. No. 1 Va. State Rangers, formerly 186th Regt. Va. Militia (Calhoun)
• Capt. Daniel Dusky's Co., formerly Co. C, 186th Regt. Va. Militia (Calhoun, Roane, Wirt, & Jackson)
• Capt. Sampson Elza's Co., Dixie Boys (Randolph & Pendleton)
• Capt. Richard B. Foley's Co., Flat Top Copperheads, also known as Foley's Independent Co. of Infantry, formerly Co. F, 151st Regt. Va. Militia (Mercer)
• Capt. Ezekiel "Zeke" Harper's Co. (Tucker & Randolph)
• Capt. William Harris' Co., Co. No. 7, Va. State Rangers (Wood)
• Capt. W.A. "Devil Anse" Hatfield's Co., formed from the 129th Regt. Va Militia (Logan)
• Capt. Benjamin W. Haymond's Co., Co. No. 8 Va. State Rangers (Braxton)
• Capt. Jonathan Haymond's Co., Co. No. 10 Va. State Rangers (Marion)
• Capt. John E. Hays' Co., Co. No. 6 Va. State Rangers (Gilmer)
• Capt. Absolom Knotts' Co., Knott's Rangers, formerly 186th Regt. Va. Militia (Calhoun)
• Capt. James McCray's Co., Mountain Rangers, Co. No. 5, Va. State Rangers, formed from the 199th Regt. Va. Militia (Webster)
• Capt. Duncan McLaughlin's Co., Webster Dare Devils, formed from the 199th Regt. Va. Militia (Webster)
• Capt. William T. Meador's Co., Co. No. 9 Va. State Rangers (Mercer, Summers, Wyoming)
• Capt. (Rev.) John Elam Mitchell's Co., formerly 165th Regt. Va. Militia (Gilmer)
• Capt. William Franklin Pierson's Co. (Braxton)
• Capt. John Righter's Co., Co. No. 4, Va. State Rangers (Marion, Harrison, Taylor)
• Capt. Peter Sauerbourne's Co., formerly 186th Regt. Va. Militia (Calhoun)
• Capt. James E. Smith's Co., formerly 141st Regt. Va. Militia (Jackson)
• Capt. James W. Smith's Co. (Jackson)
• Capt. William "Rebel Bill" Smith's Co., elements of 167th Regt. Va. Militia, later became Co. D 2nd Battalion Kentucky Mounted Rifles, finally became Smith's Battalion (Wayne)
• Capt. John L. Sprigg's Co., Braxton Co. Rangers, Co. No. 2 Va. State Rangers (Braxton)
• Capt. Philip James Thurmond's Co., Thurmond's Rangers (Monroe, Greenbrier, Fayette, Raleigh, Kanawha)
• Capt. William D. Thurmond's Co., Thurmond's Rangers (Fayette)
• Capt. Marshall Triplett's Co., Co. No. 3 Va. State Rangers (Clay, Nicholas, Webster)
• Capt. Jack Tuning's Co. (Braxton, Webster)

Important Generals

The following generals were important leaders for the Confederacy or the Virginia Militia. They were either born, grew up, or lived in western Virginia when the war began.

• Alfred Beckley (Brigadier General of Virginia Militia)
• James Boggs (Brigadier General of Virginia Militia)
• Augustus A. Chapman (Brigadier General of Virginia Militia)
• Raleigh E. Colston
• John Echols
• Birkett D. Fry
• Walter Gwynn
• Stonewall Jackson
• William Lowther Jackson
• Albert G. Jenkins
• Alexander C. Jones
• Edwin Gray Lee
• John McCausland
• Alexander W. Reynolds
• M. Jeff Thompson
• Reuben Lindsay Walker