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2nd Virginia Cavalry

In the beginning

The following text has been extracted from the book 2nd Virginia Cavalry,
by Robert J. Driver, Jr. and H.E. Howard, copyright 1995 H.E. Howard, Inc.

Private George R. Minor of the "Albermarle Light Horse" wrote his sister from Manassas Junction on May 12, 1861.

"We left Culpeper last Friday at 10:00 P.M., marched all night; breakfasted at Fauquire [sic] Springs; arrived here Saturday night. This is the poorest place I ever was at; we have to ride nearly a mile to water our horses in a branch that the soldiers have been washing their feet in. We can scarcely find water to drink, much less wash our persons in. I have managed to get a little to wash my clothes in."

Because the company was so badly armed, orders sending them to Fairfax Court House had been canceled. Minor was one of ten men of the troop who went on a scout with General Bonham.

"We followed him nine or ten miles at a brisk gallop. I never had such a ride in all my life; the dust was so thick that we could scarcely see the man in front of us, and over a very rough road. We expected to meet the enemy at every turn, so you may imagine our feelings. I do not think any of our men felt fear, though some of them only had their sabre.... We will remain here until we get better armed, and then we will march to meet the enemy."


On May 21, Minor wrote again:

"We are very comfortably fixed now, about two miles from town in a house belonging to Mr. Freeman. It is a healthy, and in some respects a beautiful place. For the first four or five days we were quartered in the town, very much crowded, barracks very dirty and unhealthy; the move is very satisfactory. Here we have no barrooms to tempt our men. I think that was the main thing that induced our Captain to change our quarters. Our fare in town was also very mean, badly cooked, dirty and very little variety - only beef and bread. Now we have our rations and do our own cooking; four of our men cook for the whole troop.... Most of our men have received boxes from home. Mrs. Lewis and Campbell sent a very large box to our troop. Our men are all very generous and whatever they get share it with all. We have plenty to do. I thought I had been busy before, but now I see I was mistaken. We rise at 5, feed and curry our horses; drill on foot from 6 to 7; breakfast at 7 o'clock; drill from 9 to 11 on horseback; take sword exercise from 10 to 1 o'clock; feed and curry our horses at 12; then have a drill on horseback in the evening about two hours, feed and curry again at night. We have our water to bring nearly a quarter of a mile.... We were very hard at work on Saturday making stalls for our horses, there were no stables so we had to make our own stalls. There were two other troops quartered here, the Madison an Powhatan. We are far superior to the Madison troop and will very soon be as good as the Powhatan. Mr. [1st Sgt. Charles Henry] Ford, who drills with us, says in six weeks we will equal any troop in the world. We have all sworn allegiance to the State for twelve months. The whole troop voted yesterday for secession."

On May 27, Davis was ordered by General Philip St. George Cocke, commanding Camp Pickens, to detail two men to Captain William H. F. Payne of the "Black Horse Troop."

The orders for May 31 included the company moving in conjunction with Captain John A. Adams' "Wise Dragoons" to Bethel Church to establish a courier line between Dumfries and Manassas. The following day the orders were changed, and the Albermarle troop established a courier line between Fairfax Court House and Manassas. On June 9, Davis was directed to detail two men as couriers for Captain Duke at Union Mills and two to Colonel Joseph B. Kershaw of the 2nd South Corolina Infantry. Three days later the "Albermarle Light Horse" was ordered to "seize all flats, scows, boats, & barges on the Occoquan & elsewhere in creeks within the district and block navigation within." The same day Davis was directed to provide couriers to and from Fairfax Court House to report to General M. L. Bonham at Centreville. On June 14, the ration for horses and draft animals was established at 12 pounds of corn and/or oats daily. The next day Davis and his men were ordered to Payne?s Store, via Bacon Race Church, to relieve Captain Adams company on the courier line between Dumfries and Manassas. By June 26 this courier line had been changed to Aquia Creek from Dumfries.

Davis' company was the smallest in the regiment, numbering on four officers and seventy-three men. Several men had already obtained discharges from the troop. Davis? morning report for June 26 showed one lieutenant and fifteen men on duty; nineteen men who had been on picket the night before; three officers and twenty men present for duty; six men on detached duty; three detailed; two sick in camp; seven absent sick; and one man absent on leave.

Meanwhile, the rest of the regiment was busy on picket, scouting, and patrolling and courier duty. Company A was on duty at Camp Radford at Frying Pan Church. Forty men had dress uniforms. Drill and discipline were reported as good. The troop was armed with 73 sabres furnished by the state. The men had brought 45 double-barreled shot guns and 40 pistols from home.

Company B was camped near Centreville.

Company C was still serving with the headquarters of the advanced forces of the Confederates near Fairfax Court House. This troop was armed with 50 Colt revolvers, 55 sabres, and "nearly the whole Co. with double barreled shot guns and rifles." Private Mark D. Holland wrote from Fairfax Court House in June, while recovering from the measles, that the company had 42 men present for duty:

"Capt. Pitzer's Co. performed the most daring deed last Thursday that has been performed by any Co.'s yet. They went right into the midst of the enemy's lines and took 2 prisoners and killed one of Lincoln's lieutenants and a private. At one time they were nearly surrounded by the enemy..."

During this effort the troop had ridden within three miles of Alexandria.

"They could see the dome of the Capitol and the Washington Monument and Columbian College."

Lieutenant Edward P. Hayth, mounted on a swift horse, chased down and captured one of the Federals.

[Webmaster's note: Lt. E. P. Hayth is the great-great-grandfather of the webmaster.]













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