1st Cavalry: R.F. McCormick
State Guard: J.P. Smith *
* denotes a soldier who was not researched for this project and does not have a corresponding biography page
| Robert F. McCormick | 1st West Virginia Cavalry |
Robert F. McCormick was born August 1, 1836. His father, John Wesley McCormick (Sept 6, 1811 - Aug 13, 1875) and mother, Jane Mendenhall (Dec 20, 1813 - Aug 15, 1881) were married on April 24, 1836. John, Robert’s father, was a farmer and evangelist and so the family was very religious and moral. Robert had three brothers, Rev. William McCormick, Charles McCormick, and Benjamin McCormick. Along with three brothers he had five sisters, Catherine McCormick, Harriet McCormick, Margaret Ann McCormick, Martha McCormick, and Mary McCormick although he was the oldest. The family’s homestead was in Lawrence county but Robert loved to travel and since he was never married or engaged nothing kept him from doing so. Robert stood five feet eleven inches with black hair and eyes and a dark complexion. While in Ohio he attended school at Otterbein Academy and taught school for two years. When the war broke out in 1861 Robert was staying in New Orleans. He made it back home and volunteered to fight in July at the age of twenty-give. He was enrolled as a private of the 1st West Virginia Cavalry, Company G of the Union forces. Over the three years of service he was promoted to the position of Sergeant. He was involved in many crucial battles under the command of Captain Krepps. He thought of himself as liberal hearted and used to hard work and being a religious man he prayed to God to give him courage to fight bravely. He despised cowards and all the immoral action of the campsite such as drinking, gambling and fist fighting. In September of 1864 at the Battle of Winchester, Virginia he was badly wounded. For a month he remained under the care of nurses until his death on October 19, 1864. At Appomattox, Longstreet sent a letter of surrender to his regiment, the volunteers of West Virginia, and it was made final in the McLean house.