1st West Virginia Cavalry Regiment

1st West Virginia Cavalry Regiment
circular medal with grain, two people, an eagle, and dates
West Virginia honorable discharge medal
ActiveJuly 10, 1861, to July 8, 1865
CountryUnited States
AllegianceUnion (American Civil War) Union
West Virginia West Virginia
BranchCavalry
EngagementsBattle of Kernstown I (6 co.)
Battle of Hanover
Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Hagerstown
Battle of Boonsboro
Battle of Mine Run
Battle of Cove Mountain
Battle of Lynchburg
Battle of Rutherford's Farm
Battle of Kernstown II
Battle of Moorefield
Battle of Opequon
Battle of Fisher's Hill
Battle of Cedar Creek
Battle of Waynesboro, Virginia
Battle of Dinwiddie Court House
Battle of Five Forks
Battle of Sailor's Creek
Battle of Appomattox Station
Battle of Appomattox Court House
Commanders
ColonelHenry Anisansel 1861–62
ColonelNathaniel P. Richmond 1862–63
ColonelHenry Capehart 1863–64
Lt. ColonelCharles E. Capehart 1864
MajorHarvey Farabee 1864–65

The 1st West Virginia Cavalry Regiment served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although it started slowly, it became one of the most active and effective of the West Virginia Civil War regiments—and had 14 Medal of Honor recipients, the most for any West Virginia regiment during the war. It was originally called the 1st Virginia Cavalry, not to be confused with the Confederate 1st Virginia Cavalry. Some reports added "Union," "Loyal" or "West" when identifying this regiment. After the Unionist state of West Virginia was officially admitted to the Union in 1863, the regiment became the 1st West Virginia Cavalry Regiment. The National Park Service identifies it as the 1st Regiment, West Virginia Cavalry.

The regiment was organized in Wheeling, Morgantown and Clarksburg in 1861 and consisted of 13 companies, plus an additional company that was attached for most of the war. Members were predominately recruited from Ohio and Pennsylvania and the western Virginia counties of Marshall, Monongalia, Harrison and Ohio. The regiment was often split during the first two years of the war, with detachments spending time guarding the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and hunting bushwhackers. During July 1863, ten companies of the regiment fought at the Battle of Gettysburg as part of a division.

The regiment began fighting in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley during the second half of 1864. At the beginning of 1865, it became part of the 3rd Brigade in General George Armstrong Custer's Third Division, Cavalry Corps—which, along with another division was under the command of General Philip Sheridan. Sheridan's two cavalry divisions were responsible for eliminating Confederate General Jubal Early's Army of the Valley from the war, and also played an important part in the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. After the war, the 1st West Virginia Cavalry participated in the Grand Review of the Armies, and was mustered out on July 8, 1865.