1st Regiment, Virginia Reserves: Colonel Benjamin Lyons Farinholt's Reserves

by Robert Lee Snow, Jo Clark

Benjamin Lyons Farinholt enlisted in the 53rd Virginia Infantry in 1861, and rose from 2nd Lieutenant to Captain of Company E. As part of Lewis A. Armistead's Brigade, he was in Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg. Wounded and captured, he was part of a two day, forced march to Westminster, Maryland, enduring constant rain and exposure. The men were then put on trains to Baltimore, Maryland. Captain Farinholt survived three prison camps, ending up on Johnson's Island, Ohio.
After a daring escape, and a harrowing journey home to Virginia, Captain Farinholt was given command of a Battalion of reserves that would become known as the Staunton River Battalion. Farinholt was part of the brain trust behind the brilliant and crucial victory at the Battle of Staunton River Bridge on June 25, 1864. His battalion was supplemented in the battle by 642 volunteers of mostly “Old Men and Boys.”
After the battle, and a merge of battalions, Farinholt was promoted to Colonel of the 1st Regiment, Virginia Reserves. He was charged with defending the Richmond-Danville Railroad, the Staunton River Bridge, and High Bridge. Who were the "Old Men and Boys" behind him? A question for historians and genealogists alike, and the quest for answers begins here.

356 pages, Paperback

Published September 4, 2021