34th Battalion Virginia Cavalry

1st Battalion, Virginia Mounted Rifles 34th Battalion Virginia Volunteer Cavalry
Flag of Virginia, 1861
Active	December 1862 – April 1865
Country	Confederacy
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Role	Cavalry
Nickname(s)	Witcher's Battalion
Engagements	American Civil War: Battle of Gettysburg-Battle of Piedmont-Valley Campaigns of 1864
Disbanded	April 1865

The 34th Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Cavalry was a cavalry battalion raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought in western Virginia, East Tennessee, with the Army of Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.

Virginia's 34th Cavalry Battalion, formerly the 1st Battalion Virginia Mounted Rifles, was organized in December, 1862. The unit served in A.G. Jenkins', W.E. Jones', V.A. Witcher's, and B.T. Johnson's Brigade and first engaged the Federals in western Virginia. It had a force of 172 men at Gettysburg, returned to western Virginia, then was involved in operations in East Tennessee. During April, 1864, it contained 222 effectives, saw action at Piedmont, and served with Early in the Shenandoah Valley. The 34th disbanded at Lynchburg in April, 1865. Lieutenant Colonel Vinson A. Witcher, and Majors John A. McFarlane and William Straton were in command.

References

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document "Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, National Park Service".