Company B “Braxton County Volunteers”, 19th Virginia Cavalry

The Braxton County Volunteers, led by Captain John S. Sprigg and First Sergeant Andrew Chewning, were a fiercely independent unit with roots as Partisan Rangers in Company B, 3rd Virginia State Line. Both Sprigg and Chewning recruited their own men, and although they officially served under the same command, they often operated independently. Many of Chewning’s men continued to refer to him as “Captain,” reflecting his authority and their strong personal loyalty.

Since the summer of 1861, this company had been active in the rugged terrain of western Virginia, conducting raids and skirmishes as irregular forces. In May 1862, their service came under scrutiny when John S. Sprigg and Marshall Triplet, a captain in the 22nd Virginia Infantry, were captured by a Federal raiding party. Both men faced charges of being bushwhackers, accused of operating outside the formal Confederate military structure. Union authorities threatened to hang them as common criminals, sparking a political firestorm.

Virginia Governor John Letcher intervened, asserting that both men were commissioned officers in the Virginia Volunteer forces. Confederate leaders responded with a chilling warning: two Union prisoners in Richmond were selected for execution if Sprigg and Triplet were hanged. The crisis escalated, with George McClellan and Robert E. Lee exchanging hostile correspondence, drawing the personal attention of Abraham Lincoln. Ultimately, neither man was executed, but both endured six months in Federal military prisons before being exchanged in December 1862.

By March 7, 1863, the Braxton County Volunteers officially enlisted in the 19th Virginia Cavalry. However, their independent nature persisted. From July to early September 1863, the company was officially listed as being on a “scouting mission.” Unofficially, this was a furlough, allowing the men to return home, visit their families, and refit for the upcoming fall campaign.

On October 1, 1863, the company received a resupply of government-issued provisions, preparing them for their next operations. Although reports of the company having horses first appear on April 30, 1864, this does not preclude them from having mounts during the Bulltown Campaign of October 1863.

For the purposes of the On Our Own Soil – The Fall of '63 event, Company B, 19th Virginia Cavalry, will be wearing a majority government issued uniforms.

Hailing from Braxton County, Virginia, there is little doubt that the Braxton County Volunteers were directly involved in the Bulltown Campaign, embodying the resilience, independence, and resourcefulness that defined Confederate forces in the region.