1st Regiment, West Virginia Light Artillery

Brief History
The 1st Regiment, West Virginia Light Artillery batteries were organized at various places and times between June 28, 1861 and May 26, 1863. The batteries mustered out at various places and times between June 22, 1864 and July 27, 1865. See below for more details.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2,452 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

The following comes from the Civl War Soldiers and Sailors System:

BATTERY "A" LIGHT ARTILLERY (also known as Daum's) Organized at Wheeling, Marshall County and Ohio County, West Virginia, and mustered in June 28, 1861. Mustered out July 27, 1865, at Parkersburg, Charlestown and in the Kanawha Valley at Parkersburg, Charlestown and in the Kanawha Valley.

BATTERY "B" LIGHT ARTILLERY (also known as Keeper's) Organized at Ceredo, Wayne County October 1, 1861. Consolidated with Battery "E," West Virginia Light Artillery, December 31, 1864

BATTERY "C" LIGHT ARTILLERY Organized at Wheeling, Marshall West, Virginia, January 25 to March 30, 1862. Mustered out June 28, 1865.

BATTERY "D" LIGHT ARTILLERY Organized at Wheeling, Marshall County, West Virginia, August 20, 1862 Mustered out June 27, 1865, at Wheeling.

BATTERY "E" LIGHT ARTILLERY Organized at Buckhannon, Upshur County, West Virginia, September 18, 1862 Mustered out June 28, 1865, at Camp Barry, Defences of Washington.

BATTERY "F" LIGHT ARTILLERY Organized as Company C, 6th West Virginia Infantry. Transferred to Battery "A," West Virginia Light Artillery, September 14, 1864.

BATTERY "G" LIGHT ARTILLERY Organized May 26, 1863, from Company "G," 2nd West Virginia Infantry.

BATTERY "H" LIGHT ARTILLERY. Organized at Maryland Heights, Prince George County, Maryland January 4, 1864. Mustered out July 11, 1865.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘West Virginia in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * West Virginia in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for West Virginia, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Fluharty, Linda Cunningham. Carlin's Wheeling Battery : a history of Battery "D" First West Virginia Light Artillery. (Baton Rouge, Louisiana : L.C. Fluharty, c2005),.


 * Graden, Nettie Weston. Index to the Fifth West Virginia Cavalry (formerly Second Virginia Infantry) and of Battery G, First West Va. Light Artillery, Civil War. ([S.l.] : N. W. Graden, [200-?]),.


 * Reader, F. S. (Francis Smith). History of the Fifth West Virginia Cavalry : formerly the Second Virginia Infantry, and of Battery G, First West Va. Light Artillery. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992),.


 * For futher organization and Unit service area records: Click Here