4th Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry and Infantry)
HISTORICAL NOTES:
The companies of the 4th Regiment, Virginia State Line were organized at various times and places between September and December 1862. It was raised mostly by Nathaniel McClure Menifee as an independent unit to fight in Eastern Kentucky. Menifee later attached his unit to the Virginia State Line.
FIELD OFFICERS:
Nathaniel McClure Menifee, Colonel
William A. Jackson, Lieutenant Colonel
William Winston, Lieutenant Colonel
David Stuart Hounshell, Lieutenant Colonel - Colonel
John Taylor Radford, Major
R. A. Thompson, AQM
Philip Spencer Hancock, Surgeon
Frederick H. Harris, 1st Lieutenant and drill master for the regiment.
BATTLES:
ROSTERS:
The rosters of this unit contains the names of 81 men.
Company A - An infantry company - Captain Peter M. Carpenter's Company.
This unit was primarily from Logan County, West Virginia and surrounding counties, although Carpenter was from Putnam County.
Officers were commissioned on August 10, 1862.
Carpenter served in the 36th Battalion Virginia Cavalry for a short time after the Virginia State Line disbanded, but was shown as a deserter from that unit by September 1863. He organized an independent company in February 1864, also known as Carpenter's Battalion Virginia Cavalry, which was assigned to Thomas B. Swann's Battalion Virginia Cavalry in November 1864. It was probably composed of former 4th State Line men.
Officers for this company were: Captain Peter M. Carpenter, 1st Lieutenant John Love, 2nd Lieutenant D. T. Angel, and 2nd Lieutenant Isaac Tinsley.
Company B - An infantry company - Captain William Jefferson Pasley's Company.
This company was raised in Grayson County, Virginia, and in Ashe County, North Carolina and Alleghany County, North Carolina.
Commissions were issued on September 25, 1862.
Many men later served as Company I, 21st Virginia Cavalry.
Leadership for this unit was provided by: Captain William Jefferson Pasley, 1st Lieutenant Martin Van Buren Norman, and 2nd Lieutenant Henry Hanks.
Company C - A cavalry company - Captain John P. Chase's Company.
Some, if not most, of his men came from Wise County, Virginia and surrounding counties.
After State Line disbandment, this unit served in the short-lived 65th Virginia Infantry and then became Company B, 7th Confederate Cavalry Battalion under the infamous Colonel Clarence J. Prentice of Louisville, Kentucky.
Officers of this company were: Captain John P. Chase, 1st Lieutenant J. M. Hillman, and 2nd Lieutenant N. McLaughlin.
Company D - An infantry company - Captain Ezekiel Young's Company.
Young and his lieutenants were commissioned on September 26, 1862.
This company was organized primarily in Grayson County, Virginia and Carroll County, Virginia and later served as Company I, 37th Battalion Virginia Cavalry (Dunn's Battalion).
Leaders of this unit were: Captain Ezekiel Young, 1st Lieutenant R. J. Lemons, and 2nd Lieutenant J. A. Pratt.
Company E - A cavalry company - Captain John E. Love's Company.
Some members of this company were from Kanawha County, West Virginia.
Officers were commissioned on September 15, 1862. Officers for this company were: Captain John E. Love, 1st Lieutenant Addison Griffith, and 2nd Lieutenant H. Hagan.
- A cavalry company - Captain Steven Peters Halsey's Company.
This unit formed the core of Company A, 21st Virginia Cavalry.
Some members reportedly were Irishmen and former members of the Louisiana Tigers. Others were from western Virginia and North Carolina.
Officers were commissioned on September 15, 1862.
Officers for this company were: Captain Steven Peters Halsey, 1st Lieutenant George R. Appleby, 2nd Lieutenant W. D. McGune, and 3rd Lieutenant Jasper M. Shipp.
William A. Jackson, Lieutenant Colonel
William Winston, Lieutenant Colonel
David Stuart Hounshell, Lieutenant Colonel - Colonel
John Taylor Radford, Major
R. A. Thompson, AQM
Philip Spencer Hancock, Surgeon
Frederick H. Harris, 1st Lieutenant and drill master for the regiment.
Company A - An infantry company - Captain Peter M. Carpenter's Company. This unit was primarily from Logan County, West Virginia and surrounding counties, although Carpenter was from Putnam County. Officers were commissioned on August 10, 1862. Carpenter served in the 36th Battalion Virginia Cavalry for a short time after the Virginia State Line disbanded, but was shown as a deserter from that unit by September 1863. He organized an independent company in February 1864, also known as Carpenter's Battalion Virginia Cavalry, which was assigned to Thomas B. Swann's Battalion Virginia Cavalry in November 1864. It was probably composed of former 4th State Line men. Officers for this company were: Captain Peter M. Carpenter, 1st Lieutenant John Love, 2nd Lieutenant D. T. Angel, and 2nd Lieutenant Isaac Tinsley.
Company B - An infantry company - Captain William Jefferson Pasley's Company. This company was raised in Grayson County, Virginia, and in Ashe County, North Carolina and Alleghany County, North Carolina. Commissions were issued on September 25, 1862. Many men later served as Company I, 21st Virginia Cavalry. Leadership for this unit was provided by: Captain William Jefferson Pasley, 1st Lieutenant Martin Van Buren Norman, and 2nd Lieutenant Henry Hanks.
Company C - A cavalry company - Captain John P. Chase's Company. Some, if not most, of his men came from Wise County, Virginia and surrounding counties. After State Line disbandment, this unit served in the short-lived 65th Virginia Infantry and then became Company B, 7th Confederate Cavalry Battalion under the infamous Colonel Clarence J. Prentice of Louisville, Kentucky. Officers of this company were: Captain John P. Chase, 1st Lieutenant J. M. Hillman, and 2nd Lieutenant N. McLaughlin.
Company D - An infantry company - Captain Ezekiel Young's Company. Young and his lieutenants were commissioned on September 26, 1862. This company was organized primarily in Grayson County, Virginia and Carroll County, Virginia and later served as Company I, 37th Battalion Virginia Cavalry (Dunn's Battalion). Leaders of this unit were: Captain Ezekiel Young, 1st Lieutenant R. J. Lemons, and 2nd Lieutenant J. A. Pratt.
Company E - A cavalry company - Captain John E. Love's Company. Some members of this company were from Kanawha County, West Virginia. Officers were commissioned on September 15, 1862. Officers for this company were: Captain John E. Love, 1st Lieutenant Addison Griffith, and 2nd Lieutenant H. Hagan.
- A cavalry company - Captain William P. Hensley's Company. Members of this company were from Wayne County, West Virginia and Cabell County, West Virginia. Some members later served in the 45th Battalion Virginia Infantry. Leadership for this company was provided by Captain William P. Hensley, 1st Lieutenant William Adkins, and 2nd Lieutenant R. Blackwood.
- An infantry company - Captain James M. Barnes's Company. Most of this company were from Stokes County, North Carolina, or Patrick County, Virginia. Several previously had served in the 2nd Battalion North Carolina Infantry and been captured at Roanoke Island in early 1862. Upon exchange, they served under Menifee. Commissions were issued on October 1, 1862. When the State Line was disbanded, this company became Company H, 23rd Battalion Virginia Infantry, and was mustered into Confederate service on April 1, 1863 at Wytheville. Company officers were: Captain James M. Barnes, 1st Lieutenant James F. Harrison, and 2nd Lieutenant William M. Barnes.
(1st) - Captain David Edmundson's Company.
(2nd) - A cavalry company - Captain Francis "Frank" S. Findlay's Company. Findlay was from Washington County, Virginia as were most of his men. He was commissioned on July 25, 1862. This was the second company raised for the Virginia State Line. Officers for this unit were: Captain Francis S. Findley, 1st Lieutenant G. C. Greenway, and 2nd Lieutenant J. P. Kendrick.
Company K - An infantry company - Captain George E. Starnes' Company. The home territory for this company has not been discovered, but was probably Scott County, Virginia, where Starnes lived. Officers were commissioned on September 10, 1862. Officers for this unit were: Captain George E. Starnes, 1st Lieutenant Leroy Lyon, and 2nd Lieutenant Thompson Greear.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
REFERENCES: