John C Rigdon

Historical Sketch and Roster of the Virginia 2nd Cavalry Regiment John C Rigdon

In 1861, a Battle Cry of Freedom rang out across the hills and valleys of western Virginia. For the mountaineers of Virginia, there were definitely shades of gray, with some being strongly Confederate and others having family ties to the Union. While the men fought and died all across the battlefields of Virginia, Maryland and at Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, the Confederate Women remained unvanquished. Several firsthand accounts and collections of letters survive. We have included one of these, the reminiscences of R. H. Peck of Company C. One other regimental history for the Virginia 2nd Cavalry Regiment was written by Robert J. Driver and published in 1995 by the H. E. Howard Company. As it has been out of print for many years and is almost impossible to find, this volume serves as an alternative for those who are researching this unit and the men who fought. It includes more than a dozen maps. The Virginia 2nd Cavalry Regiment completed its organization at Lynchburg, Virginia, in May, 1861. Its companies were recruited in the counties of Bedford, Campbell, Botetourt, Amherst, Franklin, Appomattox, and Albemarle. Until the end of October the unit was called the 30th Regiment Virginia Volunteers. During the war it fought alongside Mosby's Rangers and was brigaded under Generals B. H. Robertson, F. Lee, Wickham, and Munford. The 2nd Cavalry saw action at First Manassas, in Jackson's Valley Campaign, and at Groveton Heights, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Kelly's Ford, Chancellorsville, Brandy Station, Aldie, Upperville, Gettysburg, and Shepherdstown. After the Bristoe and Mine Run campaigns, it was involved at The Wilderness, Todd's Tavern, Spotsylvania, Hawe's Shop, and Cold Harbor. It fought in the Shenandoah Valley with Early and later in numerous conflicts around Petersburg and Appomattox. The regiment contained 676 men in July, 1861, lost twenty-eight percent of the 163 engaged at Groveton Heights, and of the 385 at Gettysburg about four percent were disabled. At Appomattox it cut through the Federal lines and disbanded at Lynchburg on April 10, 1865. However, 19 men were included in the surrender. Companies Company A (Clay Dragoons) - Bedford County Company B (Wise Troop) - Lynchburg County Company C (Botetourt Dragoons) - Lynchburg Company D (Franklin Rangers) - Franklin Company E (Amherst Mounted Rangers) - Amherst Company F (Bedford Southside Dragoons) - Davis Mills, Bedford County Company G (Radford Rangers) - Forest Depot, Bedford County Company H (Appomattox Rangers) - Appomattox Company I (Campbell Rangers) Company K (Albemarle Light Horse) - Charlottesville