64th Virginia Infantry

64th Virginia Mounted Infantry Regiment
Flag of Virginia, 1861
Active	December 1862 – April 1865
Disbanded	April 1865
Country	Confederacy
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Type	Militia, Mounted infantry
Role	Infantry Cavalry Dragoons
Nickname(s)	64th Virginia Cavalry
Engagements	American Civil War/War between the states
Commanders
Notable commanders	Colonel Campbell Slemp Colonel Auburn L. Pridemore

The 64th Virginia Mounted Infantry Regiment was formed from troops raised in Lee, Scott, Wise and Buchanan counties in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It served as an infantry regiment, a cavalry regiment, and a mounted infantry (dragoon) unit, and had a mixed reputation.

Its troops originally were recruited in 1861 as the 21st Virginia Infantry Battalion, or the "Pound Gap Batallion", with assurances that they would be fighting mostly near home in western Virginia, and eastern Tennessee and Kentucky. Many failed to re-enlist after their year of service ended in 1862. Morale was a problem, in part because of the poor clothing and provisions they were issued, as well as their initial duties of arresting and guarding Unionists in the tri-state region. Also, the 64th Virginia gained a reputation for lack of discipline.

The 64th Regiment Virginia Mounted Infantry was organized in December 1862 in Abingdon, by consolidating the 21st and 29th Virginia Infantry Battalions. The 21st had been raised by Confederate Brigadier General Felix K. Zollicoffer (former Tennessee congressman) and Major John B. Thompson after the 1861 harvest, with soldiers volunteering for a year's service. It was supposed to defend Southwest Virginia from Pike County, Kentucky and the watershed of the Tug River to the Saltville, Virginia saltworks, including the Cumberland Gap. Its commander, Brigadier General Humphrey Marshall (a former Kentucky congressman) wanted these troops sent to Nashville, Tennessee, but the 5th Kentucky was sent instead, and the 21st Virginia did not have much recruiting success in Harlan County, Kentucky in 1862. Also, opposing force led by Union Colonel (later General and President) James A. Garfield tried to win the hearts and minds of Kentuckians and southwest Virginians (which had no voters for Republican candidate Lincoln in the 1860 Presidential election, residents voting mostly for Breckinridge of Kentucky, whom Gen. Marshall had also supported, but a great percentage of whom enlisted once secession was declared and the harvest gathered).