| 43rd Virginia Cavalry Battalion | |
|---|---|
.svg) The flag of Virginia during the American Civil War. | |
| Active | June 10, 1863 – April 21, 1865 |
| Country |  Confederate States |
| Allegiance |  Confederate Army |
| Type | Cavalry |
| Role | Partisans |
| Size | Nine companies |
| Nickname(s) |
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| Equipment | .44 Colt army revolvers, (briefly) one mountain howitzer |
| Engagements | American Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | John S. Mosby |
| Insignia | |
| Stars and Bars | .svg) |
The 43rd Virginia Cavalry Battalion, also known as 43rd Virginia Rangers, Mosby's Rangers, Mosby's Raiders, or Mosby's Men, was a battalion of partisan cavalry in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Noted for their lightning strike raids on Union targets and their ability to consistently elude pursuit, the Rangers disrupted Union communications and supply lines.
The 43rd Battalion was formed on June 10, 1863 at Rector's Cross Roads, near Rectortown, Virginia, when John S. Mosby formed Company A of the battalion. He was acting under the authority of General Robert E. Lee, who had granted him permission to raise a company in January 1863 under the Partisan Ranger Act of 1862 in which the Confederate Congress authorized the formation of such units. By the summer of 1864, Mosby's battalion had grown to six cavalry companies and one artillery company, comprising about 400 men. After February 1864, the Confederate Congress revoked the authority of all partisan units, except for two, one of which was the 43rd Battalion, the other being McNeill's Rangers. The battalion never formally surrendered, but was disbanded on April 21, 1865, after Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House to Ulysses S. Grant but not before it had attempted to negotiate surrender with Major General Winfield S. Hancock in Millwood, Virginia.