The 20th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry was organized in August 1863, and was composed of "North Western Virginians." The unit served in W. L. Jackson's Brigade along with the 17th and 19th Cavalry. Shortly after the Battle of Droop Mountain most of the 19th Va. Cav. was merged into the 20th Virginia Cavalry so essentially the two regiments are one and the same. They confronted the Federals in western Virginia and in the Shenandoah Valley and disbanded in mid April, 1865. A firsthand account entitled Personal Reminiscences of the Civil War by Captain David Poe is available. Check our website for availability.Company A Marion and Monongalia Counties, West Virginia Company B Marion and Monongalia Counties, West Virginia Company C Randolph County, West VirginiaCompany D Barbour County, West Virginia Company E Harrison County, West Virginia Company F Harrison County, West Virginia Company G Wood County and Pleasants Counties, West VirginiaCompany H Wirt County, West Virginia Company I Rockbridge County Company K Rockbridge County

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

Originally published in 1890 by the Civil War veterans of the regiment, this new modern version includes the entire original text, 58 images, and an index. The author, Frank S. Reader, a member of Company I, was a newspaper editor and proprietor. His wartime experience as a clerk to both generals Averell and Sigel, as well as his newspaper background, served him well when he was asked by his regimental comrades to write and publish the history of their unit. Chapters: Chapter I: Loyal Western Virginia Chapter II: Organization of the Regiment Chapter III: Company Histories and Rosters Chapter IV: The Quartermaster's Department Chapter V: The Chaplain and His Work Chapter VI: In Camp At Beverly, 1861 Chapter VII: Relief Of Cheat Mountain Chapter VIII: In Camp At Elkwater Chapter IX: Camp At Cheat Mountain Summit Chapter X: Mountain Department Chapter XI: The Army Of Virginia Chapter XII: Return To Western Virginia Chapter XIII: Fourth Separate Brigade Chapter XIV: Rocky Gap Expedition Chapter XV: Droop Mountain Chapter XVI: The Salem Raid Chapter XVII: Campaigns Of 1864 Chapter XVIII: Scouting Service Chapter XIX: Prison Life Chapter XX: Escape From Prison Index Excerpt: Droop Mountain, Pocahontas County, West Virginia November 6, 1863 On arriving at the foot of the hill where the Confederates were posted, the Second (later the 5th West Virginia Cavalry) passed the Eighth Virginia, leaving them on our left, moving on for the purpose of ascertaining the position of the Third Virginia. Col. Scott was then ordered to begin his advance up the hill toward the enemy's works, which he did through briers, tree tops and obstacles of various kinds... When our line was within ten or fifteen yards of the crest of the mountain, the enemy opened upon us, and a sheet of flame issued from the mountain top, as the Confederates poured a terrific fire of musketry into the faces of our brave boys. The whole line was then pushed forward with vigor, and never flinched or wavered, but advanced with the tread of veterans and returned the fire with telling effect. The fighting was fierce and terrible, a battle to the death, the musketry fire being very rapid. We had one advantage, that as we advanced up the steep mountain, the fire of the enemy passed over our heads, and thus saved our line from being mowed down. Steadily our men advanced, driving their foe from the breastworks of fence rails, logs and stones, that they had hastily thrown up... After about two hours of fighting the Second and Third Virginia, with yells and cheers, loud and strong, charged into the jaws of death and fire, and carried the position by storm, driving the enemy like chaff before the wind, who retreated precipitately toward Lewisburg.

Excerpt from History of the Second Regiment: West Virginia Cavalry Volunteers, During the War of the Rebellion If it is true that he is a benefactor who causes two blades of grass to grow where only one grew before, then it may be said that lie who causes two facts to stand out in bold relief where only one fact appeared before, is a friend to truth and a conservator of history; and if he brings a multitude of facts that otherwise would have been lost to sight, surely he is to be commended, and his motives not to be misconstrued. The author of this work needs not to apologize for bringing it forth. He has put upon record a multitude of facts that might have passed into oblivion, as far as the memory of man is concerned, had he not taken occasion to fix them on paper as he himself remembered them, and as hundreds of others will attest, for the perusal of the future historian. Already the general results of the war are well known to every student of history, for the late war has now passed into history; but the thousands of incidents that appeared then to be of no importance have yet proved to be the pivotal points upon which many an engagement turned, and they are set forth in the light in which they appeared to the observant soldier, whose duty was to go and to come at the bidding of his superior officer. It was not his privilege to say yea or nay, but simply to obey. By no means was the American volunteer soldier a machine. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.