7th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Ashby's) (Confederate)

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Brief History
7th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Ashby's) was organized during the late spring of 1861. Ten companies formed the 12th Regiment Virginia Cavalry, seven became the 17th Battalion Virginia Cavalry, one transferred to the 14th Regiment Virginia Cavalry, and one became J.W. Carter's Battery. Later the regiment was involved in Early's Shenandoah Valley operations and disbanded in mid-April, 1865. None of its members were at Appomattox on April 9. The field officers were Colonels Turner Ashby, Richard H. Dulany, William E. Jones, and A.W. McDonald; Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Marshall; and Majors O.R. Funsten, Daniel C. Harcher, and Samuel B. Myers.

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 (Fauquier Mountain Rangers)

Company B (1st)(Howard Dragoons) - many men from Howard County, Maryland

Company B (2nd) (Letcher Brock's Gap Rifles) - many men from Rockingham County

Company C (Shenandoah Rangers) - many men from Shenandoah County

Company D (Captain Macon Jordan) - many men from Page County

Company E (Bowen's Mounted Rangers) (also called The Front Royal Company)

Company F (Hampshire Riflemen) (also known as New Creek Riflemen) - many men from Hampshire County, Hardy County and Maryland

Company G ( Mason Rangers) - many men from Maryland

Company H (1st) (Brock's Gap Sharpshooters) - many men from Rockingham County

Company H (2nd) (Captain John C. Shoup) - many men from Rockingham County

Company I  (Captain E. A. Shands) - many men from Rockingham County

Company K ( Captain William Miller) - many men from Shenandoah County

The information above is from 7th Virginia Cavalry, by Richard L. Armstrong.

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. 7th Virginia Cavalry. Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1992..


 * Avirett, James B. The Memoirs of General Turner Ashby and His Compeers. Baltimore, Md.: Selby &amp; Dulany, 1867..


 * Bushong, Millard Kessler and Timothy T. Pohmer. General Turner Ashby and Stonewall's Valley Campaign. Waynesboro, Va.: McClung Companies, 1992, c1980..


 * Humphreys, David. Heroes and Spies of the Civil War. New York: Neale Pub. Co., 1903..


 * McDonald, William Naylor. A History of the Laurel Brigade: Originally the Ashby Cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia and Chew's Battery. n.p.: K.S. McDonald, 1907. Digital version at Internet Archive; and Gaithersburg, Maryland : Olde Soldier Books, 1987),.


 * Murray, J. Ogden. The Immortal Six Hundred: A Story of Cruelty to Confederate Prisoners of War. 2nd ed. Roanoke, Va.: Stone Print. and Manufacturing Co., 1911. Digital version at Internet Archive;.