13TH BATTALION
BLACK HORSE BRIGADE
VIRGINIA DEFENSE FORCE
History of the 13th
The History of the 13th Virginia Infantry Regiments starts officially on May 9th 1861, when the Regiment was organized into Virginia state service at Harpers Ferry. At the time the state of Virginia included what is now known as the state of West Virginia, which later was to have some effect on the Regiment in 1863, when the western part of Virginia was accepted into the Union as West Virginia.
On July 1st 1861 the Regiment was accepted into Confederate service. The Regiment was composed of companies from neighboring counties, as were all Virginia Regiments when possible. The companies of the 13th came from the north central and northwestern regions of Virginia.
Orange County provided companies A, C, and F. From adjoining Culpeper County, came companies B and E. Neighboring Winchester County, furnished company H and Louisa County came with company D. Hampshire County provided two companies I and K. Company G was raised by Southern sympathizers in Maryland.
Its commanders were Colonels George A. Goodman, Ambrose P. Hill, James B. Terrill, and James A. Walker; and Majors Charles T. Crittenden and John B. Sherrard.
After fighting at First Manassas and in Jackson's Valley Campaign, it served in General Early's, W.Smith's, Pegram's, and J.A. Walker's Brigade. The 13th was prominent in the campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor, then it moved with Early to the Shenandoah Valley and later was involved in the Appomattox operations.
