Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 2.djvu/330

112 third of them going into the Bath cavalry, Captain Dangerfield, with which they had distinguished service throughout the war. In the spring of 1862 Capt. William L. McNeel organized a large company of cavalry in Pocahontas, which went into the Nineteenth cavalry regiment, Col. W. P. Thompson. For the same regiment Capt. J. W. Marshall organized a company at Mingo, about half the men being from Pocahontas and half from Randolph. Colonel Imboden raised a company, chiefly in this county, for the Sixty-second Virginia. Captain McNeel and Marshall had many skirmishes in that part of the State, and should have credit for gallant and devoted service. It is estimated that Pocahontas county contributed 60 men to the Sixty-second regiment, 25 to the Eighteenth cavalry, 125 to the Nineteenth cavalry, 10 to the Twentieth cavalry, 20 to the Fourteenth cavalry, 125 to the Thirty-first infantry, 100 to the Twenty-fifth infantry, and 50 to other commands, including Edgar's battalion and Miller's battery. The Twenty-fifth regiment Virginia infantry was organized of West Virginia companies collected on the Laurel Hill line under General Garnett, mainly from Pendleton, Braxter, Webster, Upshur and Pocahontas counties. George A. Porterfield was the first colonel, succeeded by George H. Smith, of Pendleton, and John C. Higginbotham, of Upshur. The latter was killed at Spottsylvania Court House, May 10, 1864, while gallantly leading a brigade in battle.

The Thirty-first infantry was organized at the same time, with the following companies: A, of Marion county, Capt. W. W. Arnett, afterward lieutenant-colonel Twentieth cavalry, succeeded by Capt. W. P. Thompson, promoted to colonel Nineteenth cavalry; B, of Highland county; C, of Harrison county, Capt. U. M. Turner, Lieuts. W. P. Cooper, Norval Lewis; D, of Gilmer county, Capt. J. S. K. McCutcheon, afterward lieutenant-colonel and wounded at Cedar Mountain, and Lieut. John