The White Sulphur Rifles was formed in Alvon, Va. (WV) not far from the town of White Sulphur Spgs. in June 1861. The local postmaster, Zachariah F. Morris was elected captain. The men marched to Lewisburg for organization and on June 17, they enlisted for one year into the Provisional Army, Confederate States. The company would eventually become Company B 59th Regiment of Virginia Volunteers of the Wise Legion. They would spend much time in the Sewell Mt., Hawk’s Nest area for the next few months.

On January 8, the Wise Legion was sent to Roanoke Island, N.C. They were forced to barrack at Nag’s Head a short distance across the Albemarle Sound. The confederate forces there including the 59th Va. were defeated there by a superior union force under the command of General Ambrose Burnside. The White Sulphur Rifles, although suffering no casualties in the battle, were all captured and paroled at Elizabeth City N.C. While awaiting exchange, the Rifles applied to the War Dept. to be transferred to the Dept. of Lewisburg for assignment to the Army of the New River. Two other companies also applied one of those was Capt. George Edgar’s company, the Red Sulphur Yankee Hunters.

During the Spring of 1862 much reorganization would take place in the remote mountain town of Lewisburg. Capt. George Edgar was raising a battalion and the Rifles would be reassigned to that battalion under the letter designation of Company G. On May 20, 1862 six companies were officially organized into what was known as simply Edgar’s Battalion. Three days later as part of General Heth’s Army of the New River, they would see their first battle as part of the new battalion, in the battle of Lewisburg. In this battle Edgar was wounded and captured and the battalion would not see him again until July during the Kanawha Valley Campaign when he would return to the battalion and would be elected Lt. Colonel. The battalion would be mustered into Confederate service as the 26th Battalion Virginia Infantry.

In May 1863 Col. Edgar and the battalion would save the town of Lewisburg from a union cavalry attack. The commander had orders to sack the town. The Rifles were commended for their volley from behind the barricade that broke the union attack. For his saving the town, the ladies of Lewisburg presented Col. Edgar with a sword for their appreciation.

In August the Rifles would participate in the battle of Dry Creek where Capt Morris would be shot through the head but not killed. Then in November of that same year would fight again at Droop Mt. They would winter 1863-64 in Monroe Draft near Caldwell and would be ready to answer General Lee’s call in the Spring.

In early May 1864 the Army of the Southwest, under the command of General John Echols, which included Edgar’s Battalion, was ordered to Staunton which was a marshalling area for troops to defend the Shenandoah Valley and General Lee’s flank in the Wilderness. This battle would be known as the Battle of New Market. Union troops under the command of General Franz Sigel would be soundly defeated and driven down the valley. From there the Rifles would join General Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia on the end of the Wilderness Campaign. They would arrive in Hanover Court House around the 23rd of May and would be under constant skirmishing. They would fight at Taylor’s Farm and Gardner’s Farm and Old Church all along Totopotomoy Creek. On June 3rd they would fight the 2nd battle of Cold Harbor and would be overrun.

Although a confederate victory the position of the battalion was overrun and Col. Edgar was wounded and three of the rifles were captured and the battalion color bearer, Chap Woodrum was killed. From the Rifle’s sister company, company E, 9 were captured one being William Boggs, great grandfather of Capt. Tim Boggs of the White Sulphur Rifles re-enactment group. Many of these men would suffer again as prisoners in Point Lookout, Md. and Elmira, N.Y. While on their way to Elmira many would be involved in the great train wreck in Shohola, Pa. where 49 prisoners and 17 union guards would be killed.

From Cold Harbor the Rifles would be among the first units to arrive in Lynchburg for the defense of that city and would then travel with General Early on his Valley Campaign in which they fought at Monocacy, Md. and would be in sight of Washington by July 12, 1864. From there they fought at Castleman’s Ferry and Shepardstown. On Sept. 19, 1864 the final battle of Winchester would begin with the confederates greatly outnumbered.

During early Sept. Capt. Morris would return to the Rifles for limited duty having been shot through the head at the battle of Dry Creek. The confederates were driven from the city but not without inflicting heavy losses on the union. Col. George S. Patton of the 22nd Va. was mortally wounded and the 26th battalion would suffer also. Col. Edgar was captured for the second time during the war. Two of the Rifles were captured and three wounded. From Winchester they fell back to Fishers Hill and here the Rifles lost 3 more as prisoners. They would fight at Cedar Creek in October and although no losses occurred, the battalion which boasted 425 strong at New Market, on October 29, they mustered 87 starving, barefoot veterans.

From June 15, 1861 to April 10, 1865, 111 men served in the Rifles. They had no battle deaths but had 8 wounded, 2 mortally, 18 taken prisoner, 7 lost to disease, and late in the war 21 desertions. When surrender came the Rifles were at Christiansburg preparing to join Lee. They were told to go home - the war was over. On that day they mustered 16 men.