5th Regiment, West Virginia Cavalry

Brief History
The 5th Regiment, West Virginia Cavalry organized from the 2nd Regiment West Virginia Mounted Infantry January 26, 1864. On December 14, 1864, the men transferred to the 6th Regiment, West Virginia Cavalry.

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 5th Regiment Cavalry, (accessed 16 November 2012).

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 1,784 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.

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 '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.


 * 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),.