The First Regiment (West) Virginia Infantry Volunteers was organized at Wheeling, Virginia in mid to late May, 1861, from volunteer companies from Brooke, Hancock, Marshall and Ohio counties of Virginia and Jefferson county in Ohio, which had been formed in April and May 1861 to resist aggressions from that portion of Virginia which had seceded from the Union; and under the call of President Abraham Lincoln for 75,000 men, it was mustered into the service of the United States for the period of three months, under the command of Col. Benjamin F. Kelley. On the 26th day of May, 1861, they left Camp Carlile, at Wheeling, and proceeded to several bridge near Mannington, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which had been destroyed by the rebels. After remaining there for two days to repair the bridges, they marched to Grafton, Va., where a body of State militia had been collected, under command of the rebel Col. George A. Porterfield. Upon the approach of the Union force, Col. Porterfield retired to Phillippi, where, on the morning of the 3d of June, he was attacked and completely routed by Col. Kelley's command which including six companies of the First. During the action Col. Kelley was seriously wounded in the breast.

During the remainder of their three months service the regiment was separated. A detachment of five (5) companies served with Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan in the Rich Mountain campaign--another detachment served with Col. Erastus B. Tyler in the campaign against rebel Brig. Gen. Henry A. Wise, who at that time had attempted an invasion of the northwestern portion of the State. The remainder of the regiment was stationed on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

The three month organization was mustered out of service on the 28th day of August, 1861, and the regiment was reorganized under the command of Col. Joseph Thoburn, who was the Surgeon of the three month regiment.

This organization was perfected on the 14th day of November, 1861. During the period of recruiting and reorganizing of the regiment, four (4) companies were sent to Burning Springs, Va., and then to Romney, Va., where they were joined by the remainder of the regiment on the 9th of November, 1861.

The regiment participated in the action at Blues Gap, Va., January 7th, 1862, and was with the command of Brig. Gen. Frederick Landers at the evacuation of Romney, January 10th, and continued under his command until his death at Paw-Paw Tunnel, Va., on the 2d of March. It then formed a part of Brig. Gen. James Shields division, and with it bore an active part in the battle of Winchester, Va., March 23d; served with Shields Division during the campaign in the Valley of Virginia in the months of April, May and June, during which time it creditably performed hard and laborious service. It was engaged at the battle of Port Republic, Va., June 9th, and lost heavily.

In July, 1862, the regiment was assigned to the Brig. Gen. James Rickett's Division, of Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell's Corps, of the Army of Virginia. During the month of August, while in this command, it participated in the actions at Cedar Mountain, Va., August 9th, Rappahannock Station, August 20th, Thoroughfare Gap, August 28th, and in the second battle of Bull Run, August 30th, 1862.

In October, 1862, the 1st Virginia was sent to Wheeling to recruit, and on the 24th of November, was ordered to report to Brig. Gen. Benjamin F. Kelley, and was sent to North Mountain, Va., where it remained until March, 1863. They were then assigned to the Eighth Army Corps, at Romney, Va., and remained there until June, then they joined General Kelley's command in the Gettysburg campaign of July, 1863. Col. James Mulligan's Division, of which the 1st Virginia formed a part, was sent to Petersburg, W. Va., on the 16th of August, when a detachment of five (5) companies of the regiment, under the command of Maj. Edward W. Stephens, Jr., were sent to Moorefield, W. Va.--This detachment was attacked on the 5th of September by Brig. Gen. John Imboden's Brigade, which was repulsed with small loss. Before daylight on the morning of the 11th of September, it was again attacked by surprise by a detachment of Imboden's Brigade, under the command of Capt. John H. McNeill, in which the camp and a large portion of the command was captured. On the 30th of January, 1864, the regiment, with the remainder of the forces at Petersburg, under command of Col. Thoburn, retreated to New Creek, W. Va., before a superior force of the enemy under the command of Lt. Gen. Jubel Early invaded the area.

On the 25th of February, 1864, the regiment was sent to Wheeling on veteran furlough. On the 14th of April, the regiment, now renamed the First West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, joined Brig. Gen. Jeremiah Sullivan's command at Webster, W. Va., where it was attached to the 2d Brigade, commanded by Col. Thoburn.

During the months of April and May, 1864, they were in Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel's campaign in the Shenandoah Valley, and participated in the battle of New Market, May 14th and 15th. They then continued in the same organization during the campaign of Maj. Gen. David Hunter, being meritoriously engaged in the battles of Piedmont, June 5th, and at Lynchburg, June 17th and 18th, and was with General Hunter's army in its retreat from Lynchburg to the Kanawha River.

In July and August they participated in the campaign of Maj. Gen. George Crook against Early in the Shenandoah Valley and were engaged in the battles of Snicker's Ferry, July 18th, and at Winchester on the 24th day of July. In the months of August, September and October, they formed part of the Army of West Virginia, in Maj. Gen. Phillip Sheridan's army, and was actively engaged at Cedar Creek, August 12th, at Charles Town, August 21st, at Halltown, August 26th and at Berryville, September 3d. At the battles of Opequan on September 19th, Fisher's Hill on September 23d, and Cedar Creek on October 19th, 1864, the regiment was held in reserve. At the battle of Cedar Creek on the 19th of October, Col. Thoburn of the 1st West Virginia Infantry, commanding the 1st Infantry Division, Army of West Virginia, was mortally wounded. He was an accomplished and talented gentleman, a brave and chivalrous soldier, a skillful and efficient officer. He possessed those qualities in a high degree, they fitted him for an exalted station. In his death West Virginia suffered an irreparable loss.

On the 29th of October the regiment was sent to Cumberland, Md., where the non-reenlisted veterans were sent to Wheeling and on the 26th of November, 1864, mustered out of service. The remainder of the regiment was then consolidated into a Battalion of four (4) companies, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Weddle.

By order of the Secretary of War, dated December 10th, 1864, the battalion was consolidated with the 4th Regiment West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, forming the Second Regiment West Virginia Veteran Volunteer Infantry under the command of Lt. Col. Jacob Weddle, and was stationed at Cumberland, Maryland and served until mustered out of the service at Wheeling, West Virginia on the 16th day of July, 1865.

During its career, the 1st (West) Virginia Infantry sustained the loss of three officers and fifty-one enlisted men killed or mortally wounded. An additional two officers and one hundred and thirty-six enlisted men died from disease or other non battlefield causes.

In 1996, the State of West Virginia published in its "West Virginia History, Volume 55, pp. 41-94" the 3-Year Regiment Company Rosters of the First (West) Virginia Infantry. This roster is taken from the Muster Rolls and lists the company officers and men. It is a very good source of information.