Army of the Potomac
Captain W H Payne, commanding the Black Horse Troop
Independent Companies Cavalry
COLONEL R C W RADFORD
Thirtietth Virginia Cavalry, commanding cavalry of the Army of the Potomac
- Black Horse Troop: CAPT. W H PAYNE
Assigned to the 4th Virginia Cavalry, Company H, in September 1861.
Assignment: Munford's Squadron Cavalry, First Brigade, Army of the Potomac, Lieutenant Colonel T T Munford commanding. - Chesterfield Light Dragoons, Company B: CAPT. W B BALL
Assigned to the 4th Virginia Cavalry, Company B, in September 1861.
Assignment: Munford's Squadron Cavalry, First Brigade, Army of the Potomac, Lieutenant Colonel T T Munford commanding. - Fairfax Cavalry: CAPT. E B POWELL
Assigned to the 6th Virginia Cavalry, Company F, in September 1861.
Assignment: Wickham's Squadron Cavalry, First Brigade, Army of the Potomac, Captain W C Wickham commanding. - Hanover Light Dragoons: CAPT. W C WICKHAM
Assigned to the 4th Virginia Cavalry, Company G, in September 1861.
Assignment: Wickham's Squadron Cavalry, First Brigade, Army of the Potomac, Captain W C Wickham commanding. - Little Fork Rangers: CAPT. R E UTTERBACK
Assigned to the 4th Virginia Cavalry, Company D, in September 1861.
Assignment: Lay's Squadron Cavalry, Army of the Potomac, Brigadier General P G T Beauregard's headquarters as guides and couriers, Captain J F Lay commanding. - Loudoun Cavalry: CAPT. W W MEAD
Captain D T Shreve resigned in June, 1861. Assigned to the 6th Virginia Cavalry, Company K,in September 1861.
Assignment: Fifth Brigade, Army of the Potomac, near Portici (Lewis House) Colonel P St. G Cocke commanding. - Madison Cavalry or Invincibles: CAPT. W THOMAS
Assigned to the 4th Virginia Cavalry, Company C, in September 1861.
Assignment: Fifth Brigade, Army of the Potomac, near Portici (Lewis House) Colonel P St. G Cocke commanding. - Powhatan Troop: CAPT. J F LAY
Assigned to the 4th Virginia Cavalry, Company E, in September 1861.
Assignment: Lay's Squadron Cavalry, Army of the Potomac, Brigadier General P G T Beauregard's headquarters as guides and couriers, Captain J F Lay commanding. - Prince William Cavalry: CAPT. W W THORNTON
Assigned to the 4th Virginia Cavalry, Company A, in September 1861.
Assignment: Scott's Squadron Cavalry, Sixth Brigade, Army of the Potomac, extreme right guarding Davis' Ford, Major J Scott commanding. - Wise Dragoons: CAPT. J A ADAMS
Assigned to the 6th Virginia Cavalry, Company H, in September 1861.
Assignment: Lay's Squadron Cavalry, Army of the Potomac, Brigadier General P G T Beauregard's headquarters as guides and couriers, Captain J F Lay commanding.
Indepedent Squad Texas Volunteers
- Indpenedent Squad Texas Rangers: A squad of 5 men, including Colonel F B Terry, Captain T S Lubbock and J T Goree arrived at Manassas Junction from Texas and were assigned as independent scouts and rangers for the command of Brigadier General P G T Beauregard.
Assignment: Fourth Brigade, Army of the Potomac, as scouts and volunteer aides to Brigadier General J Longstreet.
Sources
"This, however, was temporary; but a permanent squadron, consisting of the "Powhatan Troop," "the Little Fork Rangers," of Culpeper county, Captain Utterbuck commanding, and a "Fauquier troop," commanded by Captain Adams, was formed, to be attached and report directly to headquarters, and Captain Lay was assigned to command. This squadron, as such, passed through the battles of "Bull Run" on the 18th and Manassas on the 21st – on the field during the whole of each day – and received handsome official notice from Generals Johnston and Beauregard for efficient services rendered. Being on the field within sound of the voice of General Johnston, this squadron was the first ordered in pursuit when the rout commenced, were the first at Sudley church, and on the way to Washington, when ordered back by a courier, reaching campabout five A. M. – over twenty-two hours in the saddle."
Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 8: Reminiscenes of the Powhatan Troop of Cavalry in 1861, by Colonel J F Lay
"In support of the 5th Brigade were five companies of cavalry, the battery of Capt. H Gray Latham, and Capt. A L Rogers' Loudoun Artillery, in positions selected by David B Harris, now assigned to Beauregard's staff, while retaining his commission in the Virginia Corps of Engineers."
"Hunton's regiment was quickly ordered back to Leesburg, however, along with the three companies of cavalry that had accompanied it to Manassas. Departing on July 24, they took two full days to reach Camp Berkeley at Ball's Mill in southern Loudoun County."
Confederate engineer: training and campaigning with John Morris Wampler, by George G Kundahl
"The force was divided into different detachments. Colonel Radford, with six companies, was ordered to cross a short distance below the enemy's extreme right and intercept his column. Our company was in front, and I was riding in front of my platoon, when, after crossing the swamp, we came suddenly on a detachment of the enemy concealed in the bushes, with their pieces levelled."
The University memorial: biographical sketches of alumni of the University of Virginia who fell in the Confederate War, five Volumes in one, by Rev John Lipscomb Johnson, B A
"Texas squad has been received as independent Texas Rangers. We had at Richmond about 15 Texans, but only about 5 of that number have yet reached this place."
"We are acting as Rangers and as scouts for this division of the army, and we flatter ourselves that we will render very efficient service to the cause in that way."
Longstreet's aide: the Civil War letters of Major Thomas J Goree, by Thomas Jewett Goree
"Besides my own regiment I had in my command at Leesburg the Loudoun Cavalry, commanded first by Captain Shreve, and afterward by Captain Meade; and a Loudoun battery commanded by Captain Rogers."
"I was stationed near the Lewis House, where I at once lost my cavalry and arillery, which were placed in other portions of Beauregard's army."
Autobiography of Eppa Hunton
"It was my duty to watch the right of our line, and the two companies of cavalry on that flank, Eugene Davis' and W W Thornton's companies of Virginia cavalry, were placed under my command, and Captain John Scott was assigned to the immediate command of them."
"Captain W W Thornton's company of cavalry had been again attached to my command and subsequently, in the month of September, a battery of Virginia artillery under Captain Holman reported to me. In the latter part of August, General Longstreet, who had command of the advanced forces at Fairfax Court-House, threw forward a small force of infantry and cavalry and established strong pickets at Mason's and Munson's Hills, in close proximity to the enemy's main line on the south of the Potomac."
Lieutenant General Jubal Anderson Early C.S.A., Autobiographical Sketch and Narratve of the War Between the States, with notes by Jubal Anderson Early
"On Saturday, July 20th, I had occasion to ride over into Prince William, and met the 8th Virginia, commanded by Colonel Eppa Hunton, who had been ordered to the next day’s battlefield. We were then old friends, and are such still. He had the Loudoun Cavalry with him."
Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 32, Richmond, Va., January–December, 1904: General Eppa Hunton at the battle of Bull Run, 21 July, 1861
"At the battle of Bull Run the Black Horse won its first spurs. Sir William Russell, who represented the London Times as war correspondent, wrote such a graphic and amusing account of the terror which the black horses of the Virginians inspired, that he afterward became known in both armies by the sobriquet of Bull Run Russell."
Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 30: Black Horse Troop, from the Baltimore, Md., Herald, February, 1902
"On July 18, Major John Scott, commanding the post at Davis' House, received orders to have his command, Davis' and Adams' companies, "fed, saddled and extra rations issued by 8 o'clock." Private Minor wrote, "We left Occoquan Thursady evening (Imean by we, our troop and the Prince William), and were very nearly cut off by 400 of the enemy. One of the Wise dragoons informed us that they were on our road about a mile in front of us; we turned off, went around them and got here safely … The Prince William (troop) were left to guard Davis' Ford and we came on to Camp Wigfall."
The Virginia Regimental Histories Series, Second Virginia Cavalry, First Edition, No.990 of 1000, by R J Driver, Jr. & H E Howard
The Virginia Regimental Histories Series, Fourth Virginia Cavalry, Second Edition, by K L Stiles
The Virginia Regimental Histories Series, Sixth Virginia Cavalry, Second Edition, by M Musick
A Guide to Virginia Military Organisations, Revised Second Edition by I A Wallace, Jr.
Notes
Captain E Davis' company, the Albermarle Light Horse, under the command of Major J Scott, was temporarily attached to the command of Brigadier General T H Holmes at Camp Wigfall on 18 July, 1861, whilst Captain W W Thornton's company, the Prince William Cavalry, remained guarding Davis' Ford. Between 17 and 19 July, 1861, Colonel E Hunton arrived at Lewis' farm (Portici), with orders to report for duty with Colonel P St G Cocke's command, bringing with him the 8th Virginia Infantry (8 companies), the Loudoun Artillery, the Loudoun Cavalry, the Madison Invincibles and the Franklin Rangers.
T J Goree set out for Virginia from Galveston, Texas, in May 1861, in company with B F Terry, T S Lubbock, and J A Wharton, who was forced to drop out of the party due to illness and at Manassas Junction were assigned as independent scouts for the command of Brigadier General P G T Beauregard. On 18 July, 1861, T J Goree was assigned to the staff of Brigadier General J Lonstreet as a volunteer aide with the rank of captain. Colonel B F Terry and Captain T S Lubbock were also assigned to the staff of Brigadier General J Lonstreet as a volunteer aides with the rank of colonel. After the battle the 8th Texas Cavalry (Terry's Texas Rangers) was mustered into Confederate service at Houston on 9 September, 1861, under the command of Colonel B F Terry, Lieutenant Colonel T S Lubbock and Major T Harrison.
On 25 July 1861, the Army of the Potomac was reorganised and the independent companies of cavalry remained with the First Corps, Army of the Potomac.
Report
OFFICIAL REPORT NO.123: Series I, Volume 2 (S# 2), Chapter IX, pp. 572–573
Captain J F Lay, commanding Squadron of Cavalry
Orders of Battle
The above painting, 'The Fourth Alabama', is by Don Troiani, modern America's finest historial artist.