page_title: 2nd West Virginia Cavalry Regiment
section_title: Crook, Heth, and Lewisburg
hierarchical_section_title: 2nd West Virginia Cavalry Regiment / Kanawha Valley / Crook, Heth, and Lewisburg
caption_attribution_description: George Crook. Library of Congress description: "Gen. George Crook, U.S.A."
context_page_description: The 2nd West Virginia Cavalry Regiment served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized in Parkersburg, Virginia during September 1861. Most of the original members of this regiment were from southeastern Ohio, and planners thought that this regiment would become the 4th Ohio Cavalry. Their application was rejected by the governor of Ohio, so the unit became the 2nd Regiment of Loyal Virginia Volunteer Cavalry. The "Loyal Virginia" part of the name was replaced with "West Virginia" after the state of West Virginia was officially admitted to the Union in 1863. Today, the National Park Service lists them as 2nd Regiment, West Virginia Cavalry under a heading of Union West Virginia Volunteers.
  The regiment's first full–fledged war experience happened in early January 1862 in northeastern Kentucky, where they assisted the command of Colonel James A. Garfield. For the next two years, most of the regiment's fighting was in the mountainous backwoods of what later became the southern portion of West Virginia, especially the Kanawha River Valley.
context_section_description: On May 27, 1862, Colonel Crook's 3rd Brigade routed rebel infantry in a conflict where the shooting lasted for only 27 minutes. Rebel casualties were 72 men killed, over 100 wounded, and 157 men taken prisoner. They also lost four cannon, 300 small weapons, and 25 horses. Crook's brigade lost 13 killed, 50 wounded (including Crook, who was shot in the foot), and 6 missing. The feat was accomplished by taking advantage of aggressive rebel soldiers and a hostile town. Crook had learned that a large rebel infantry under the command of General Henry Heth was moving toward Lewisburg. Crook positioned his brigade at the far end of the town, and sent a small group of pickets to the opposite end where the rebels would approach. Heth's rebels raced into town after the pickets, urged on by the pro-rebel local population. The rebels were quickly ambushed in a short action that ended after a charge by Union infantry and cavalry. The 2nd Loyal Virginia Cavalry battalion had been held out of the fighting, but was used to chase the fleeing rebels. The rebels escaped by burning the Greenbrier Bridge.
  On June 23, Crook's brigade searched for Heth's infantry again, but Heth withdrew to the mountains. On the same day, Colonel William M. Bolles resigned from the 2nd Loyal Virginia Cavalry. In the following months, three officers were promoted. Lieutenant Colonel Paxton was promoted to colonel during July. During August, Major Rollin L. Curtis was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and Captain William H. Powell was promoted to major. Additional promotions occurred within the companies.
caption: George Crook
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