This is a grouping of items from the 12th Virginia Cavalry Regiment, part of the Laurel Cavalry Brigade that fought with the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War. This regiment was formed in June, 1862, at Conrad's Store, Virginia. The 12th consisted of ten companies of the 7th Virginia Cavalry, known as Ashby's Cavalry, referring to their daring and courageous commander, Colonel Turner Ashby. The collection consists of: an identified Colt M1849 revolver with holster, an identified tactics manual for Light Dragoons and Mounted Rifleman, an identified ninth plate image of an A Company trooper, an identified sixth plate image of another A Company trooper, an identified 6th plate image of two B Company troopers, an identified image of a B Company Corporal and an identified CDV of a Confederate Cavalry Colonel. In addition to the identified items there are two hands full of excavated items: six Virginia buttons, all with very legible back marks, a couple of complete Henry cartridges, a hand full of dropped bullets, two bullets in wood, five dug assorted flower and flat buttons, and a horse shoe. The excavated items were recovered from Brigadier General Thomas Rosser's Laurel Cavalry Brigade camps used in late 1864, early 1865. There are four documents with the grouping, two are requisition forms for forage for horses. One form is for a three month period and one is for a twenty day period of time, both signed by different company commanders. Interestingly enough, one of the forms is an official Confederate requisition, the other a US form, with the U crossed out and a C penciled in above it! Another requisition form is for eight horses, two four horse wagons and a couple of other items, signed by an assistant quartermaster. The last document is a hand written copy of "The Vacant Chair", a very popular Civil War song written in 1861. Along with the artifacts are nine reference books pertaining to the 12th Virginia Cavalry and the Laurel Brigade. A three ring binder's worth of documentation, provenance and correspondence between the former owner and the dealer who excavated the items also comes with the grouping. Additional information is available upon request.

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