Organized in southwestern West Virginia, the majority of men were recruited from southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky, with many others from Wayne County, West Virginia.
[1] Lawrence County, Ohio, alone provided 419 men to the regiment.
[2] Served Unattached, District of the Kanawha, West Virginia, to March, 1862.
Milroy's Independent Brigade, Mountain Department, to June, 1862.
Under Milroy, the 5th Virginia (later to be designated the 5th West Virginia) fought at the Battle of McDowell, May 8, 1862 and the Battle of Cross Keys on June 8, 1862, with the regiment under the command of Col John L. Ziegler.
Unattached, District of the Kanawha, West Virginia, to March, 1863.
1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 8th Army Corps, Middle Department, to June, 1863.
1st Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, West Virginia, to November, 1864.
During the Second Battle of Bull Run on August 30, the regiment was sent by Gen. Milroy to link up with an Ohio infantry regiment to try to provide support for other units attempting to hold Gen. Stonewall Jackson's line at the unfinished railroad tracks just down from Henry Hill.
The units became lost and ended up right in the middle of Jackson's line.
After a short skirmish, the 5th West Virginia pulled back to regroup.
Eventually they were directed to try to support the Union troops trying to hold Henry Hill, with Gen. Milroy waving his saber in a desperate attempt to stop the tide of soldiers escaping the tremendous onslaught reigning down on them from the Confederates.
Scouting Little Kanawha and east side of Big Sandy Rivers.
At Charlestown, Barboursville, Hurricane Bridge and other points in the Kanawha Valley until April, 1864.
Veterans of the regiment were consolidated with 9th West Virginia Infantry November 9, 1864, to form the 1st West Virginia Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
[3] The 5th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment suffered 4 officers and 57 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded in battle and 2 officers and 88 enlisted men dead from disease for a total of 151 fatalities.