36th Battalion Virginia Cavalry

The 36th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry was a cavalry battalion raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly in western Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley, and also with the Army of Northern Virginia.

36th Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Cavalry
Flag of Virginia, 1861
ActiveFebruary 1863 – April 1865
DisbandedApril 1865
CountryConfederacy
Allegiance Confederate States of America
RoleCavalry
EngagementsValley Campaigns of 1864
Appomattox Campaign
Battle of Five Forks

Virginia's 36th Cavalry Battalion was organized in February, 1863, with four companies, later increased to five. The men were recruited from the counties of Cabell, Braxton, Putnam, Kanawha, Boone and Greenbrier, now in West Virginia[1] The unit was assigned to A.G. Jenkins', W.E. Jones', B.T. Johnson's, and Payne's Brigade.

It had a force of 125 men at Gettysburg, and was involved in the Battle of Sporting Hill. A.G. Jenkins Brigade was within miles of the state capital at Sporting Hill, which, according to local legend, was named for its good hunting and abundant rabbits, ducks and waterfowl. An advance detachment of the 16th Virginia Cavalry Regiment, was at the McCormick Barn, of which remnants still stand today. Then, when the New York State Militia approached, the 36th, along with a portion of the 16th, crossed the road at Gleim's Farm, where a Denny's is now. This was an attempt to flanks the Federals, but failed when Co. A & C of the 22nd NYSM charged into the woods, and broke its advance. The rest of the battle played out without much more action for the 36th, save receiving artillery fire. C.H. Earlier in the Campaign, at the Battle of Opequon Creek, near Winchester on June 13, 1863, Major James W. Sweeny was wounded, Capt. Cornelious Thomas of Co. A taking command. "C.H." It then moved to Western Virginia, then took part in operations in East Tennessee. The 36th was with McCausland at Chambersburg, served with Early in the Shenandoah Valley, and was active around Appomattox. After cutting through the lines at Appomattox, it disbanded. Major James W. Sweeney was in command.

See also

References
  1. Mountaineers of the Blue and Gray, The Civil War and West Virginia, George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War, Shepherd Univ., 2008, CD-Rom
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