26th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry - Confederate

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Brief History

 * The 26th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry was formed in December 1864, by consolidating the 46th and 47th Battalions Virginia Cavalry. The unit served in W. L. Jackson's Brigade and was active in various conflicts in the Shenandoah Valley.  Disbanded during the spring of 1865. Lieutenant Colonel Joseph K. Kesler and Major Henry D. Ruffner were in command.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
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.

Company A (Captain Edmund J. Jarvis) - many men from Ritchie and Pleasants County, West Virginia,

Company B (Captain George J. Davisson) - many men from Lewis County, West Virginia

Company C (Captain John M. Burns) - many men from Ritchie County, West Virginia

Company D (Captain James E. Smith) - many men from Jackson County, West Virginia

Company E (Captain James M. McGuffin) - many men from Bath, Highland and Rockbridge Counties

Company F (Captain John B. Lee) - many men from Wirt and Jackson County, West Virginia

The information above is from 26th Virginia Cavalry, by Richard L. Armstrong.


 * Roster

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier or sailor. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in 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.


 * Virginia in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for 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.


 * Armstrong, Richard L. 26th Virginia Cavalry. (Lynchburg, Virginia : H.E. Howard, c1994),