19th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate)

Brief History

 * Formed in April 1863, using the 3rd Regiment Virginia State Line as its nucleus.
 * It served in Jenkin's and W. L. Jackson's Brigade and confronted the Federals in western Virginia.
 * Later the unit took part in the operations in the Shenandoah Valley and disbanded during April, 1865.
 * Commanders were Colonel William L. Jackson, Lieutenant Colonel William P. Thompson, and Majors George Downs and Joseph K. Kesler.

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 (The Moccasin Rangers) - many men from Calhoun County

Company B (Braxton County Volunteers) - many men from Braxton County, West Virginia

Company C (Captain Joseph R. Kessler) - many men from Jackson and Roane County, West Virginia

Company D (Captain John Righter) - many men from Marion County, West Virginia

Company E ( Captain James W. Ball) - many men from Gilmer County, West Virginia

Company F (Pocahontas Cavalry) - many men from Pocahontas County, West Virginia

Company G (Dixie Boys) - many men from Kanawha County, West Virginia

Company H (Captain William P. O'Brien) - many men from Gilmer County, West Virginia

Company I  (Captain Jacob W. Marshall) - many men from Randolph and Pocahontas Counties, West Virginia

Company K ( Captain Edward Norris) - many men from Gilmer County, West Virginia

The information above is from 19th and 20th Virginia Cavalry, by Richard L. Armstrong.


 * Field and Staff
 * 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.


 * Armstrong, Richard L. 19th and 20th Virginia Cavalry. Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1994..


 * Dewees, Daniel S. and Aristotle Smith. Recollections of a Life Time. Eden, W. Va.: n.p., 1904. and (Elyria, Ohio : N. K. Shaffer, 1974),.