John C Rigdon

Historical Sketch and Roster of the Virginia 3rd Cavalry Regiment John C Rigdon

In 1861, a Battle Cry of Freedom rang out across the hills and valleys of western Virginia. For the men 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 and have been published. We have included several of these in this book. One other regimental history for the Virginia 2nd Cavalry Regiment was written by Thomas P. Nanzig and published in 1998 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 3rd Cavalry was organized with independent companies and entered Confederate service on July 1, 1861. The regiment was formed with eleven companies, later reduced to ten. It was also called 2nd Regiment until October. Its members were raised in the counties of Mecklenburg, Elizabeth City, New Kent, Halifax, Nottoway, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, and Prince Edward. For a time six companies served in the Department of the Peninsula and four in the Valley District. Later the unit was assigned to General F. Lee's, Wickham's, and Munford's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It fought alongside such heroes as Mosby's Rangers in many conflicts from Williamsburg to Fredericksburg, then was involved in the engagements at Kelly's Ford, Chancellorsville, Brandy Station, Upperville, Gettysburg, Bristoe, Mine Run, The Wilderness, Todd's Tavern, Spotsylvania, Haw's Shop, and Cold Harbor. The 3rd went on to participate in Early's operations in the Shenandoah Valley and the Appomattox Campaign. It took 210 effectives to Gettysburg, but few remained when the unit disbanded at Lynchburg after fighting their way through the Union lines at Appomattox. Its commanders were Colonels Thomas F. Goode, Robert Johnston, and Thomas H. Owen; Lieutenant Colonels William R. Carter, William M. Field, and John T. Thornton; and Majors Henry Carrington and Jefferson C. Phillips. During his time with the regiment Carter kept a field diary, parts of which were published in 1998 under the title Sabres, Saddles, and Spurs.