First West Virginia Infantry, Civil War

Rosters of the Three Month First Infantry

BAR

CONFLICTS

Appendix "A" in the book, The History Of The First Regiment Virginia Infantry, appears to reflect the West Virginia Adjutant General Records at the West Virginia State Archives.

The book, Loyal West Virginia, by Theodore Lang, is in conflict with the Archives list, regarding the Captains of the Companies of the 3 month organization.

Furthermore, while transcribing a National Archives pension file of a man who served in the 3 month 1st Infantry, it was noted that several men, listed in Appendix "A" as serving in Company "F", gave supporting affidavits stating they had served in Company "H". Additionally, the applicant stated he had served under Captain James F. Donnelly, who is listed as the Captain of Company "H" in the LANG book and Company "F" of the West Virginia Adjutant General Records at the West Virginia State Archives.

The pension application is independent of the two publications, so it would therefore seem that the men who said they were in Company "H" probably were.

But other questions arise and require investigation. For example, the LANG book lists George C. Trimble as the Captain of Company "F". His National Archives Service Record and Trimble's own diary states that he was in Company "E" of the 3 month First Infantry.

...Linda Fluharty

BAR

From Greg Carroll at the West Virginia State Archives

"We have checked here into as many places as we could and, just as I expected, it is all very confusing. It appears that James F. Donnelly was commissioned as Capt. of company "F" in the beginning weeks of the war but later was actually with company "H" . He then was discharged on Aug. 28th and decommissioned in company "D" for the three years regiment.

The same type scenario existed for Trimble and in reality many of these officers. I am only speculating, but I think that at the first of the war most people thought it would be over in a few months and joined any regiment they could get into often times not getting some of their preferred assignments but going along any way just to get into the action. But later, when they realized how long this was going to take, they began to fight over commission dates and rank listings so they could establish themselves in good positions to get the earliest possible standings when new commissions were in order..... Now I could be mistaken about this."