16th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate)

Brief History
16th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry was formed at Camp Zirkle, near Salem, Virginia, in January 1863, by consolidating six companies of Ferguson's Battalion with four companies of Caldwell's Battalion. It disbanded in April 1865. Field officers: Colonel Milton J. Ferguson, Lieutenant Colonel William L. Graham, and Major James H. Hounnan.

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 (Ferguson's Battalion, formerly Stevenson's Company) - many men from Russell County

Company B (Caldwell's Battalion, formerly Gent's Company) - many men from Russell County

Company C (Caldwell's Battalion, formerly Hankin'sCompany) - many men from Tazewell County

Company D (Ferguson's Battalion, formerly Morris' Company) - many men from at least six different counties of Virginia and present-day West Virginia including Cabell and Putnam

Company E (Ferguson's Battalion, Formerly Spurlock's Company) - many men from Wayne County, West Virginia

Company F (Caldwell's Battalion, formerly Taylor's Company) - many men from Tazewell County

Company G (Ferguson's Battalion, formerly Parks' Company) - many men from Wayne County

Company H (Milton J. Ferguson's original company in Ferguson's Battalion) - many men from Wayne County

Company I (Caldwell's Battalion, formerly Graham's Company) - many men from Tazewell County

Company K (Ferguson's Battalion, formerly Nounnan's Company) - many men from at least eight or ten different counties

The above information is from16th Virginia Cavalry, by Jack L. Dickinson.


 * 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.


 * Dickinson, Jack L. Confederate Soldiers of Western Virginia. Barboursville, W. Va.: J.L. Dickinson, 1986. and 16th Virginia Cavalry. Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1989..


 * Harris, N.E. The Civil War, Its Results and Lessons: An Address Delivered at Louisville, Kentucky to the Confederate Veterans in Reunion June 15, 1905. Macon, Ga.: J.W. Burke Co., 1906..