Virginia 14th Cavalry Regiment

Historical Notes:
The Virginia 14th Cavalry Regiment was organized in September, 1862, with nine companies, some of which had previously served in Jackson's Squadron Virginia Cavalry. The tenth company was made up of surplus men of the other companies. The unit was attached to Jenkins', Echols', and McCausland's Brigade. It skirmished in western Virginia, then saw action at Droop Mountain and Lewisburg. During January 1864, it had 29 officers and 424 men present for duty. The 14th continued the fight in Western Virginia, took part in the operations in the Shenandoah Valley, and disbanded in April 1865. Officers:
Colonels:
James Cochran
Charles E. Thorburn

Lieutenant Colonels:
Robert A. Bailey
John A. Gibson

Majors:
B. Frank Eakle
George Jackson.

Adjutant - Lt Breckinridge C Bouldin
Quartermaster - Captain Richard T. Crouch
Commissary of Subsistence - Captian Theodore B. Fitzhugh
Assignments:
Feb '63 - May '63 - Cavalry - Dept of Western Virginia
May '63 - Aug '63 - Jenkins' - Cavalry - - Army of Northern Virginia
Aug '63 - Sep '63 - Jenkins'- Dept of Western Virginia
Sep '63 - Oct '63 - Jenkins' - - - Dept of Western Virginia and East Tennessee
Oct '63 - Dec '63 - Jenkins' - Ransom's - - Dept of Western Virginia and East Tennessee
Dec '63 - Jan '64 - Jenkins' - - - Dept of Western Virginia and East Tennessee
Jan '64 - Jun '64 - Jenkins' - Dept of Western Virginia
Jun '64 - Jul '64 - McCausland's - Cavalry - Valley District - Dept of Northern Virginia
Sep '64 - Jan '65 - McCausland's - Cavalry - Valley District - Dept of Northern Virginia
Mar '65 - Apr '65 - McCausland's - Lomax's - Valley District - Dept of Northern Virginia
Battles:
1862
November 25, 26 1862, - Lewis Mill, Greenbrier Co. Federal Cavalry routed Companies C, H, I, M, N.
1863
April 30 – Joined Army of North Virginia
June 2, 3 – Skirmished with Federal pickets between Woodstock and Winchester
June 11 – Engagement at Middletown
June 13 – Engagement at Winchester
June 14 - Engagement at White Post, Bunker Hill , and Martinsburg
June 16 – Took Chambersburg with little difficulty
June 28 – Skirmished with Union Cavalry before entering Mechanicsburg
July1 – Ordered to Gettysburg
July 2 – Ordered to extreme right of Confederate line. Col. Jensen wounded by canon shell. Colonel Cochran took over command
July 3 – Ordered to Rummel’s barn, dismounted and issued 10 rounds per man!
July 6 – Covering Confederate retreat reached Hagerstown
July 7 – Engaged near Sharpsburg , routing the Union Cavalry there Col. Feamster wrote “This was a Cavalry fight with some 6 to 8 thousand on a side.”
July 10 – Engaged two miles outside of Boonsboro
July 17 – Engaged near Shepherdstown
Nov 6 – Battle of Droop Mountain, engaged Union forces of General Averall,


1864
May 9 – Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain, 14th not engaged but lost Gen Jenkins who died of wounds
May 18 – Brigadier General John McCausland promoted to brigade commander
June 2 – Engaged Gen Crook’s Union forces outside of Covington , after heavy skirmishing were forced back.
June 10 – Running engagement with Gen Averill’s Cavalry
June 11-13 – Constant picket duty and skirmishing, no rest for the 14th…
June 18 – Engagement near Lynchburg
June 20 – Flanked Union position near Hanging Rock and captured 12 pieces of artillery numerous wagons and 35 prisoners
July 4 – Captured North Mountain Depot
July 7 – Engagement at Hagerstown
July 9 – Battle of Monocacy
July 13 – Skirmish at Rockville
July 14 – Skirmish at Edward’s Ferry
July 18 – Skirmish with union cavalry at Ashby’s Gap
July 19 – Skirmish at Berry ’s Ferry
July 20 – Battle at Winchester
July 24 – Gen Early attached a larger Federal army at Kernstown, routed it, the 14th chased the Federal troops to the Potomac , capturing many prisoners, wagons and horses
July 30 – Captured the town of Chambersburg , demanded ransom of $100,000 in gold or $500,000 in Federal greenbacks. Town refused and the town was torched.
August 4 – Attacked Union forces at New Creek, but withdrew
August 7 – 3 miles north of Moorfield, while brigade is camped they were surprised by Averell’s Cavalry, the brigade lost many Troopers
August 13 – Skirmishing while protecting the right flank of Early’s army
August 15 – Engaged near Fisher’s Hill, pushing back Federal troops as they burned barns, hay stacks and mills
August 19, 20 – 2 days of skirmishing around Stephenson’s Depot
August 25 – Skirmishes at Kearneyville
August 26 – Skirmishes at Leetown
August 28 – Skirmishes at Smithtown
August 29 – Skirmishes at Opequon
August 30 – Skirmishes at Brucetown
September 1 – Skirmishes at Opequon, again
September 5 – Skirmish at Stephen’s Depot
September 10 – 2 skirmishes, Big Spring and Darkesville
September 12 – Skirmish at Darkesville again
September 19 – North of Winchester, faces Sheridan ’s army, 2 brigades of cavalry Averell’s and Merritt’s, eventually pushed back
September 21 – Engaged at Front Royal
September 22 – Engaged at Milford
September 24 – Engaged at Luray
September 26 – Engaged at Port Republic
September 29 – Engaged at Waynesboro
October 9 – Engaged at Tom’s Brook
October 10 – Engaged at Woodstock
October 11 – Cedar Creek
October 25, 26 – Repulsed Union cavalry at Milford

Oct 28 – Part of the 14th was sent to Rappahannock County to escort a wagon train to Earl’s army.
Nov 10 – Returned to rejoin the brigade at Front Royal
Nov 12 – Engaged at Cedarville, twice repulsed Union forces, then charged in a counterattack driving the Union forces back 2 miles, but were then attacked and overrun.
Nov 22 – Skirmish near Fort Royal
Nov 24 – Went into Winter quarters near Little Washington but had to move a lot due to low forage for the horses and themselves
1865

March 31 – Were engaged by Union forces and helped repel the Union advance

April 1 – Engaged by heavy Union forces, infantry and cavalry at Five Forks
April 3 – Stopped at Namozine Church to cook and feed horses, but Union forces kept pushing them on, skirmishes lasted for several days
April 6 – Engagements at Amelia Springs, Jetersville, Deatonville, High Bridge
April 7 – Farmville
April 8 – Passed through village of Appomattox Courthouse
April 9 – Captain Bouldin ordered to take two cannons on a rise supported by infantry.

Rosters:
The roster of this unit contains the names of 2500 men.

Company A - "White's Mounted Riflemen" commanded by Captain Mooreman B. White and were primarily from Greenbrier County.

Company B - "Charlotte Cavalry", commanded by Captain Edwin E. Bouldin, from Charlotte

Company C - "Valley Cavalry or Rangers", commanded by Captain William A. Lackey, from Augusta and Highland counties.

Company D - "Jenkins Guards", not officially mustered into service till Oct 1, 1862. Captain Robert B. Moorman, from Greenbrier County.

Company E - Captain Absalom Knott's company, from Calhoun County.

Company F (1st) - Captain James B Morgan's Company, from Boone County. Transferred to the 36 Battalion Virginia Cavalry May-June 1863.

Company F (2nd) - Captain William T Smith's Company from Montgomery and Roanoke Counties. Formed May 11,1863 to replace the original Company F.

Company G - "Border Rangers", Captain Waller R Preston, from Montgomery and Roanoke Counties.

Company H - "Second Rockbridge Dragoons", Captain John A. Gibson, from Rockbridge County.

Company I - "Churchville Cavalry", Captain James A. Cochran, from Augusta County.

Company K - "Greenbrier Swifts or Greenbrier Cavalry #2", Captain Benjamin F. Eakle, from Greenbrier County.

Company L - Captain John T. Bland, from Braxton and Nicholas Counties. Transferred to the 17th Virginia Cavalry as Company I on January 28,1863.

Bibliography for Research: