The following is a list of West Virginia Confederate Units which were composed mostly or notably by citizens of the 50 counties of western Virginia which eventually became West Virginia. These units, with the exception of the Kentucky units, are designated "Virginia", as were the Union regiments from western Virginia. After the admittance of West Virginia as a state in 1863, those Union units from western Virginia changed their designation to "West Virginia", while the Confederate units remained "Virginia". Following the names of the units are the names of the counties, in parentheses, which contributed to those units, and does not include neighboring counties of Kentucky or Virginia. The
list of West Virginia Civil War Union units is shown separately.
2nd VSL, Capt. William S. Chandler's Co., Co. K (Boone)
3rd VSL, Capt. Joseph R. Kessler's Cavalry Co., Co. D (Roane)
4th VSL, Capt. William Hensley's Co., Co. G (Cabell)
4th VSL, Capt. John E. Love's Co., Co. E (Kanawha)
5th VSL, Capt. Lorenzo D. Chambers' Co., Co. A (Logan)
5th VSL, Capt. Melvin B. Lawson's Co., Co. E, later part of Rebel Bill Smith's Battn. (Logan)
5th VSL, Capt. P.K. McComas Co., Co. I (Logan)
Guerrilla Units
These units were often called "Moccasin Rangers" in the North, but were designated "Partisan Rangers" or "Confederate States Rangers". They operated as such from 1861 to 1862, and were later recruited into the Virginia State Line in the latter half of 1862, and then into the regular Confederate Army in March 1863. The counties from which they were mainly originated are in parentheses at the end of each name.
Capt. John W. "Big John" Amick's Co., Amick's Rangers (Nicholas)
Black Striped Company (Logan)
Capt. P.M. Carpenter's Co. (Logan)
Capt. Perry Connolly's Co., formerly Capt. George W. Silcott's Co., 186th Regt. Va. Militia (Calhoun)
Capt. James S.A. Crawford's Co., The Night Hawks (Wood, Jackson & Wirt)
Capt. George Downs' Co., Co. No. 1 Va. State Rangers, formerly 186th Regt. Va. Militia (Calhoun)
Capt. Sampson Elza's Co., Dixie Boys (Randolph & Pendleton)
Capt. Richard B. Foley's Co., Flat Top Copperheads, also known as Foley's Independent Co. of Infantry, formerly Co. F, 151st Regt. Va. Militia (Mercer)
Capt. John Righter's Co., Co. No. 4, Va. State Rangers (Marion, Harrison, Taylor)
Capt. Peter Sauerbourne's Co., formerly 186th Regt. Va. Militia (Calhoun)
Capt. James E. Smith's Co., formerly 141st Regt. Va. Militia (Jackson)
Capt. James W. Smith's Co. (Jackson)
Capt. William "Rebel Bill" Smith's Co., elements of 167th Regt. Va. Militia, later became Co. D 2nd Battalion Kentucky Mounted Rifles, finally became Smith's Battalion (Wayne)
Capt. John L. Sprigg's Co., Braxton Co. Rangers, Co. No. 2 Va. State Rangers (Braxton)
Capt. Philip James Thurmond's Co., Thurmond's Rangers (Monroe, Greenbrier, Fayette, Raleigh, Kanawha)
Capt. William D. Thurmond's Co., Thurmond's Rangers (Fayette)
The following is a list of West Virginia Confederate Units which were composed mostly or notably by citizens of the 50 counties of western Virginia which eventually became West Virginia. These units, with the exception of the Kentucky units, are designated "Virginia", as were the Union regiments from western Virginia. After the admittance of West Virginia as a state in 1863, those Union units from western Virginia changed their designation to "West Virginia", while the Confederate units remained "Virginia". Following the names of the units are the names of the counties, in parentheses, which contributed to those units, and does not include neighboring counties of Kentucky or Virginia. The
list of West Virginia Civil War Union units is shown separately.
2nd VSL, Capt. William S. Chandler's Co., Co. K (Boone)
3rd VSL, Capt. Joseph R. Kessler's Cavalry Co., Co. D (Roane)
4th VSL, Capt. William Hensley's Co., Co. G (Cabell)
4th VSL, Capt. John E. Love's Co., Co. E (Kanawha)
5th VSL, Capt. Lorenzo D. Chambers' Co., Co. A (Logan)
5th VSL, Capt. Melvin B. Lawson's Co., Co. E, later part of Rebel Bill Smith's Battn. (Logan)
5th VSL, Capt. P.K. McComas Co., Co. I (Logan)
Guerrilla Units
These units were often called "Moccasin Rangers" in the North, but were designated "Partisan Rangers" or "Confederate States Rangers". They operated as such from 1861 to 1862, and were later recruited into the Virginia State Line in the latter half of 1862, and then into the regular Confederate Army in March 1863. The counties from which they were mainly originated are in parentheses at the end of each name.
Capt. John W. "Big John" Amick's Co., Amick's Rangers (Nicholas)
Black Striped Company (Logan)
Capt. P.M. Carpenter's Co. (Logan)
Capt. Perry Connolly's Co., formerly Capt. George W. Silcott's Co., 186th Regt. Va. Militia (Calhoun)
Capt. James S.A. Crawford's Co., The Night Hawks (Wood, Jackson & Wirt)
Capt. George Downs' Co., Co. No. 1 Va. State Rangers, formerly 186th Regt. Va. Militia (Calhoun)
Capt. Sampson Elza's Co., Dixie Boys (Randolph & Pendleton)
Capt. Richard B. Foley's Co., Flat Top Copperheads, also known as Foley's Independent Co. of Infantry, formerly Co. F, 151st Regt. Va. Militia (Mercer)
Capt. John Righter's Co., Co. No. 4, Va. State Rangers (Marion, Harrison, Taylor)
Capt. Peter Sauerbourne's Co., formerly 186th Regt. Va. Militia (Calhoun)
Capt. James E. Smith's Co., formerly 141st Regt. Va. Militia (Jackson)
Capt. James W. Smith's Co. (Jackson)
Capt. William "Rebel Bill" Smith's Co., elements of 167th Regt. Va. Militia, later became Co. D 2nd Battalion Kentucky Mounted Rifles, finally became Smith's Battalion (Wayne)
Capt. John L. Sprigg's Co., Braxton Co. Rangers, Co. No. 2 Va. State Rangers (Braxton)
Capt. Philip James Thurmond's Co., Thurmond's Rangers (Monroe, Greenbrier, Fayette, Raleigh, Kanawha)
Capt. William D. Thurmond's Co., Thurmond's Rangers (Fayette)