Awesome Unit Id'ed 1860 Colt Co. H 2nd West Virginia Cavalry

served in the Union Army during the Civil War.  It was organized in Parkersburg Virginia (now West Virginia) during September 1861. Most of the original members of this regiment were from southeastern Ohio, and planners thought that this regiment would become the 4th Ohio Cavalry. Their application was rejected by the governor of Ohio, so the unit became the 2nd Regiment of Loyal Virginia Volunteer Cavalry.  The "Loyal Virginia" part of the name was replaced with "West Virginia"  after the state of West Virginia was created in 1863. Today, the NPS lists them as 2nd Regiment, West Virginia Cavalry under a heading of Union West Virginia Volunteers.  

3rd Division, Cavalry Corps—which, along with another division, remained  under the command of General Sheridan. Sheridan's two cavalry divisions  continued to fight in the Shenandoah Valley, and were responsible for  eliminating Confederate General Jubal Early's Army of the Valley from the war. During March 1865, Sheridan moved his two divisions eastward toward Peterburg Virginia. The regiment, as part of Capehart's Fighting Brigade in Custer's division, was part of a crucial cavalry charge in the Union victory at the Battle of Sailor's Creek. The regiment was also present during the Appomattox Campaign and the surrender of Confederate General Robert E Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. After the war, the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry participated in the Grand Review of the Armies,  and was mustered out on June 30, 1865. Four men from the regiment  received the United States of America's highest military award, the Medal of Honor.  

Here is a fantastic grouping of items that belonged to Sgt W Floyd of the 2nd Georgia Cavalry. The tintype show him wearing a regulation Georgia Cavalry Uniform with him holding an 1841 Colt Root Revolver. The 2nd Ga Cav was part of Confederate General Joe Wheeler's Cavalry.

"Gifts from Will David Floyd Sponsor Wheeler Cavalry Corp and the shipping envelope from the ribbon maker Whithead & Hoag was sent by Miss Crawford to Col Prather in 1916. Why she sent them to him is a mystery that is lost to time. Very interesting group of rare Confederate items with a GREAT History

received a federal letter order for 58,000 .58 caliber Model 1861  Springfield rifled muskets. In February the order was reduced to 25,000.  In June of 1862, he signed a contract with Parkers’ Snow & Co. to  produce the guns. William H. Miller, with twenty years of gun  manufacturing experience, was hired to superintend gun production, and his younger brother, George W., with ten years gun manufacturing experience, was hired to produce the locks. Converting the Cherry Street  machine making and foundry operation into a gun works took time, and the first 5,502 rifles with “Parker Snow & Co.” and “1863” stamped on the locks were not completed until October 31, 1863. 

Charles Parker again renamed the Cherry Street operation. The new name was “Meriden Manufacturing Co.” and, on January 9, 1865, the operation was restructured as a joint stock company with all non-Parker interest being conveyed to Charles, John, and Edmund Parker. Charles retained controlling ownership interest. It was under this name, that Parker’s breech-loading conversion system for rifled muskets (the William H. and  George W. Miller patented system), the Triplett & Scott repeating rifles and carbines, and the first Parker shotguns were made in 1865. There were only 2000 of the Miller Conversions produced and they were all converted from the original 5000 that are marked 1863.