Id’d Confederate Holster – Captain George Henry Geiger, Jr. Co. K 2^nd Va. Cavalry and Aide to General Kemper – Mortally Wounded at Gettysburg during Pickett’s Charge on July 3, 1863 – This well-constructed, and historically significant, Confederate holster obviously held (from the visible impression contours) a medium size revolver, perhaps a Colt M1849 Pocket Revolver. The leather is the typical, Confederate, russet brown leather, unlike the Federal holsters which were predominantly made of black lacquered, bridle leather. The holster retains a smooth, almost “polished” finish to the exterior. The flap closure tab is sewn to the flap in a typical Confederate mode or shape and slips into a modest loop, sewn to the front of the holster. There are no belt loops, but the belt would have slipped through two slits cut into the back of the holster. There is a field repair, from the period of use, where the revolver’s hammer created a small tear in the flap; the tear was partially closed or repaired with some period twine. Overall, the holster remains in very good condition.

Inked in the upper side of the flap’s interior is the following inscription:

“G.H. Geiger 

2^nd Va Cav”

George Henry Geiger, from a well-to-do family in Albemarle County, Virginia; he had been a student, in the mid-1840s, at the University of Virginia; his occupation in the antebellum period, just prior to the onset of the war, is listed as planter. Geiger enlisted, as a 3^rd Lt., on May 11, 1861, in Co. K of the 2^nd Virginia Cavalry. He would later be elected to the rank of 2^nd Lt. and promoted to 1^st Lt. in April, 1862; in November, 1862, Geiger was promoted to the rank of Captain and became the Aide-de-Camp to Confederate General James L. Kemper. Captain Geiger would serve with the 2^nd Va. Cavalry throughout his service. At Gettysburg, the 2^nd Virginia Cavalry, as an element of Kemper’s command, would be highly engaged participants, on July 3, 1863, in Pickett’s Charge. Geiger, during the assault on Federal troops, after crossing the Emmitsburg Road, was severely wounded and taken prisoner; he was carried to a Union hospital where he lingered for several days, finally succumbing to his wounds on July 17, 1863. Ultimately, he would be buried at Grace Episcopal Church in Albemarle County, Virginia.

The holster measures about 10.5” in length.

George Henry Geiger

Gen. Kemper’s brigade was one of the central assault units in Pickett’s Charge, advancing on the right flank of Pickett’s line. After crossing Emmitsburg Road, the brigade was hit by flanking fire from two Vermont regiments, driving it to the left and disrupting the cohesion of the assault. The monument to Kemper’s Brigade of the Army of Northern Virginia is southwest of Gettysburg on the west side of West Confederate Avenue.

Kemper’s Brigade was the right flank brigade of Pickett’s Charge and suffered heavy casualties not only from Union defenders in their front but also from the Vermont Brigade which swung out from the Union line and attacked their flank after they crossed Emmitsburg Road.

From the Gettysburg  monument:

Army of Northern Virginia
Longstreet’s CorpsPickett’s Division
Kemper’s Brigade
1st 3rd 7th 11th 24th Virginia Infantry

July 2. Arrived about sunset and bivouacked on the western border of Spangler’s Woods.

July 3. In the forenoon formed line in the field east of the woods with right flank near Spangler’s Barn. At the close of the cannonade advanced and took part in Longstreet’s assault upon the Union position in the vicinity of the Angle. Exposed to a severe fire of artillery and vigorously assailed beyond the Emmitsburg Road by infantry on the right flank with ranks thinned and much disorganized by its losses especially of officers it pressed on against the Union line at the stone wall where after a fierce encounter the struggle ended. Gen. J. L. Kemper fell wounded in front of the stone wall.

July 4. Spent the day in reorganization and during the night began the march to Hagerstown.

Present 1575 Killed 56 Wounded 356 Missing 317 Total 731

George Henry Geiger Jr

1826–1863

Birth 28 MAY 1826 • Staunton, Virginia, USA

Death 17 JUL 1863 • Gettysburg, Adams, Pennsylvania, USA

George is the biological son of George H. Geiger Sr. and Susannah Tapp. His mother died a few days after his birth and he was raised by his uncle, Henry J. Tapp (1795–1830), and his wife, Frances Gambill (who was the niece of Susannah). Henry died in 1830 and Fannie married Peter M. Meriwether in 1836 and they supposedly adopted George.

He died of wounds suffered during the fighting at Gettysburg. He died of wounds suffered during the fighting at Gettysburg.

2nd VA Cavalry

2nd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry

Overview:

2nd Cavalry Regiment completed its organization at Lynchburg, Virginia, in May, 1861. Its companies were recruited in the counties of Bedford, Campbell, Botetourt, Amherst, Franklin, Appomattox, and Albemarle. Until the end of October the unit was called the 30th Regiment Virginia Volunteers. During the war it was brigaded under Generals B.H. Robertson, F. Lee, Wickham, and Munford. The 2nd Cavalry saw action at First Manassas, in Jackson’s Valley Campaign, and at Groveton Heights, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Kelly’s Ford, Chancellorsville, Brandy Station, Aldie, Upperville, Gettysburg, and Shepherdstown. After the Bristoe and Mine Run campaigns, it was involved at The Wilderness, Todd’s Tavern, Spotsylvania, Haw’s Shop, and Cold Harbor. It fought in the Shenandoah Valley with Early and later in numerous conflicts around Petersburg and Appomattox. The regiment contained 676 men in July, 1861, lost twenty-eight percent of the 163 engaged at Groveton Heights, and of the 385 at Gettysburg about four percent were disabled. At Appomattox it cut through the Federal lines and disbanded at Lynchburg on April 10, 1865. However, 19 men were included in the surrender. The field officers were Colonels Thomas T. Munford and Richard C.W. Radford, Lieutenant Colonels Cary Breckinridge and James W. Watts, and Major William F. Graves.

2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment

Private Peter H. Bird of Co. D, 2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment

The 2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia.

The unit was organized by Colonel Jubal Early in Lynchburg, Virginia, in May, 1861 as the 30th Virginia Volunteer Regiment under Col. Richard C.W. Radford (whence “Radford’s Rangers”—not to be confused with Troop G’s similar nickname). Its troops (the cavalry equivalent of infantry companies) were recruited across several counties of Central Virginia:

At the end of October, 1861 the unit was re-designated the 2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment.

During the war it was brigaded under Generals B.H. Robertson, Fitzhugh Lee, W.C. Wickham, and Thomas Munford. The 2nd Cavalry saw action at First Bull Run, in Jackson’s Valley Campaign, and at Second Bull Run, Mile Hill, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Kelly’s Ford, Chancellorsville, Brandy Station, Aldie, Upperville, Gettysburg, and Shepherdstown. After the Bristoe and Mine Run campaigns, it was involved at The Wilderness, Todd’s Tavern, Spotsylvania, Haw’s Shop, and Cold Harbor. It fought in the Shenandoah Valley with Jubal Early and later in numerous conflicts around Petersburg and Appomattox.

The regiment contained 676 men in July, 1861, lost twenty-eight percent of the 163 engaged at Groveton Heights, and of the 385 at Gettysburg about four percent were disabled. At Appomattox it cut through the Federal lines and disbanded at Lynchburg on April 10, 1865. However, 19 men were included in the surrender.

The field officers were Colonels Richard C.W. Radford and Thomas T. Munford, Lieutenant Colonels Cary Breckinridge and James W. Watts, and Major William F. Graves.^[3]

Future Commonwealth’s Attorney and Virginia Bar Association President Micajah Woods enlisted in the 2nd Virginia Cavalry. Woods was the prosecuting attorney in the trial of Charlottesville mayor J. Samuel McCue, the last man to be hanged in Virginia.

Thomas Whitehead, the future one-term Representative of Virginia’s 6th Congressional District to the House of Representatives, was the captain of Company E.

The flag of the Botetourt Dragoons was conserved by the United Daughters of the Confederacy Chapter 797 when it was listed as one of the top 12 flags needing conservation at the Museum of the Confederacy. The flag was constructed in 1861 when the Fincastle, Virginia unit rode off to war. The silk flag was used by the unit for two years, and the flag bearer, Rufus H. Peck, presented the flag to the Museum of the Confederacy in 1907

2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment

Of the original 700 members of the 30th Virginia Volunteer Regiment 50 officers and 502 enlisted men were killed or wounded, 89 died of accidents or disease and 75 were captured. Including later recruits 1,500 men served in the 2nd Virginia Cavalry in the Civil War.