The 4th West 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 ...
that served in the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
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 ...
.
Service
The 4th West Virginia Cavalry Regiment was enlisted in
Parkersburg
Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-largest city and the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metro ...
and
Wheeling in
western Virginia
Western Virginia is a geographic region in Virginia comprising the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia. Generally, areas in Virginia located west of, or (in many cases) within, the piedmont region are considered part of western Virginia.
T ...
between July and August 1863 for one year's service.
* January 30, 1864,
Engagement at Moorefield
The regiment was mustered out on June 23, 1864.
Casualties
The 4th West Virginia Cavalry Regiment suffered 30 enlisted men dead from disease for a total of 30 death
Officers
Colonel
*
Joseph Snider (formerly of the 7th West Virginia Infantry)
Lieutenant-Colonel
*
Samuel W. Snider
Majors
*
Nathan Goff Jr. (formerly of the 6th West Virginia Cavalry). He was captured during the action at Moorefield, when pinned under his fallen horse, and sent to
Libby Prison
Libby Prison was a Confederate prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In 1862 it was designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army. It gained an infamous reputation for the overcrowded and harsh conditions. Prison ...
in
Richmond, Virginia
(Thus do we reach the stars)
, image_map =
, mapsize = 250 px
, map_caption = Location within Virginia
, pushpin_map = Virginia#USA
, pushpin_label = Richmond
, pushpin_m ...
where he was held in close confinement as a hostage for the captured Confederate
Major Thomas D. Armsey. He and Armsey were eventually exchanged and President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
sent for Goff, who described the conditions in Confederate prison camps, prompting Lincoln to arrange further exchanges.
*
Charles F. Howes
*
James A. Smith
QM Sergeants
*
Octavius C. Bray Company A 1863-65
First Sergeant
*
Montgomery Hager
Montgomery refers to:
People
For people with the name Montgomery, see Montgomery (name)
Places Belgium
* Montgomery Square, Brussels
* Montgomery metro station, Brussels
Pakistan
* Montgomery (town), British India, former name of Sahiwal, Punjab ...
Company K
See also
*
West Virginia Units in the Civil War
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
*
West Virginia in the Civil War
The U.S. state of West Virginia was formed out of western Virginia and added to the Union as a direct result of the American Civil War (see History of West Virginia), in which it became the only modern state to have declared its independence ...
References
The Civil War ArchiveWest Virginia in the Civil War Website
Units and formations of the Union Army from West Virginia
1863 establishments in West Virginia
Military units and formations established in 1863
Military units and formations disestablished in 1864
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