The 13th Virginia Cavalry Regiment was a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

raised in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

for service in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. It fought mostly with the

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...

. Virginia’s 13th Cavalry Regiment was formed in July 1862, using the 16th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry as its nucleus (itself formed from seven companies from the 12-month unit 5th Cavalry, Provisional Confederate Army). The men were from Petersburg and the counties of Southampton, Sussex, Prince George, Surry, and Nansemond. It was the second cavalry unit to bear the designation 13th Regiment, the first having ended its 12-month term of service in the spring of 1862. It was assigned to W.H.F. Lee's, Chambliss', and Beale' Brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia. The unit was active in the conflicts at Fredericksburg, Brandy Station, Upperville, Hanover, Gettysburg, Bristoe, Kelly's Ford, and Mine Run. Later it participated in The Wilderness Campaign, the defense of Petersburg and Richmond, and the Appomattox operations. This regiment had 298 men in action in Gettysburg and surrendered on April 9, 1865, with 10 officers and 78 men. The field officers were Colonels John R. Chambliss Jr. and Jefferson C. Phillips; Lieutenant Colonels Alexander Savage and Thomas H. Upshaw; and Majors Benjamin W. Belsches, Joseph E. Gillette, and Benjamin F. Winfield.

References

*{{USGovernment, url=http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/regiments.cfm, title=Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, agency=National Park Service Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Virginia 1862 establishments in Virginia Military units and formations established in 1862 1865 disestablishments in Virginia Military units and formations disestablished in 1865

See also

References