During the war it served in the cavalry brigades of Albert G. Jenkins, William E. Jones and Bradley T. Johnson.

All the 34th Virginia cavalry's commanding officers survived the war; and both Witcher and Straton became involved in politics.

On November 10, 1861 it raided the town of Guyandotte, where Col. (and future Congressman) Kellian Whaley was recruiting for the Union army.

[3] Although most of its activities involved raiding (and execution via a bent sapling was nicknamed "Witcher's parole"), the battalion fielded 172 men at the Battle of Gettysburg.

During April, 1864, after new recruits in the new state of West Virginia added Company K, it contained 222 effectives.