17th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry - Confederate

Brief History
17th Cavalry Regiment was organized at Salem, Virginia, in January 1863, by consolidating the 33rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry with three new companies. It was assigned to Jenkins' and McCausland's Brigade, was active in the Gettysburg Campaign, then returned to western Virginia. The regiment fought at Cloyd's Mountain, was with Early in the Shenandoah Valley, and saw action around Appomattox. There were 241 engaged at Gettysburg and during February 1864, it contained 311 effectives. In April 1865, it disbanded at Lynchburg. The field officers were Colonel William H. French, Lieutenant Colonel William C. Tavenner, and Major Frederick F. Smith.

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
 * Company B
 * Company C
 * Company D
 * Company E
 * Company F
 * Company G
 * Company H
 * Company I
 * Company K

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.


 * Dawson, John Harper. Wildcat Cavalry : a synoptic history of the Seventeenth Virginia Cavalry Regiment of the Jenkins-McCausland Brigade in the war between the states. (Dayton, Ohio : Morningside House, c1982),