20th Virginia Cavalry


The 20th Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly in western Virginia.
Virginia's 20th Cavalry Regiment was organized in August, 1863, and was composed of "North Western Virginians." The unit served in W.L. Jackson's Brigade and confronted the Federals in western Virginia and in the Shenandoah Valley. It disbanded in mid-April, 1865. The field officers were Colonel W.W. Arnett, Lieutenant Colonels Dudley Evans and John B. Lady, and Major Elihu Hutton.

Companies and officers

CompanyNicknameRecruited atFirst Commanding Officer
ACompany AMarion County
Monongalia County
Dudley Evans
BCompany BMarion County
Monongalia County
William W. Arnett
many formerly from Company D of 19th Virginia Cavalry
CCompany CRandolph CountyElihu Hutton
DCompany DBarbour CountyEdward M. Corder
ECompany EHarrison CountyJohn W. Young
FCompany FHarrison CountyAsbury Lewis
many formerly from Companies A and C of 19th Virginia Cavalry
GWood County GraysWood County
Pleasants County
Paul Neal
John D. Neal
HCompany HWirt CountyJoseph Hayhurst
many formerly from Company A and C of 19th Virginia Cavalry
ICompany IRockbridge CountyHenry L. Heiskell
KCompany KRockbridge CountyOrtho Alexander

In popular culture

In the science fiction short story, Field Test by Keith Laumer, a newly designed and built artificially intelligent superheavy tank called a Bolo Mark XX Model B is assigned to "the 20th Virginia, a regiment ancient and honorable, with a history dating back to Terra Insula".