The history of the 35th Battalion Virginia Cavalry starts with the history of it's commanding officer, Lt. Col. Elijah Veirs White.

    He was born to an affluent family on August 29, 1832 in Poolesville, Md. Poolesville is located a short distance east of the Potomac River and slightly northeast of Leesburg, Va. At age 16 he was sent to Lima Seminary in Lima, N.Y. to be educated. He stayed there two years then was sent to Granville College in Ohio. This college was the forerunner of Dennison University.

    In 1855 he went to Kansas and joined a company of Missourians who were engaged in the terrible Missouri-Kansas border wars. He remained there only a short time before returning home in 1856. Why he went and why his stay was so short can only be speculated. The same year as his return home he purchased a farm along the south side of the Potomac River in Loudoun Co., Va. On Dec. 9, 1857 he married Sarah Elizabeth Gott.

    In 1858/59 he joined a company in the Loudoun Cavalry, commanded by Capt. Dan T. Shreve. By Oct., 1859 he had risen to the rank of corporal. He transfered to Capt. Frank Mason's Maryland Company of the 7th Virginia Cavalry, commanded by Brigadier General Turner Ashby.

    In 1861, at the urging of his superiors, he applied to Richmond for a commission as captain in the regular army, but was rejected. He was appointed, however, as captain in the Provisional Army, with permission to raise an independent company for border warfare. Thus in Dec., 1861 he opened a recruiting office in Leesburg. On Jan. 11, 1862 this company came into existance under the name "White's Rebels". During the War, they were formally known as the 35th Battalion Virginia Cavalry, C.S.A. They were also called Comanche's, White's Battalion and White's Men. "The Comanches" was a nickname given to the 35th by General Thomas Rosser when he witnessed them charging down upon a group of Yankee cavalry, "whooping and hollering in such a way as to frighten the bravest of souls".

    Throughout the War they fought as partisans, mainly in Loudoun Co., and as part of the regular army. When they were brigaded, they were part of the famous "Laurel Brigade" which included the 7th,11th, 12th Virginia Cavalries and Chew's Artillery. The Laurel Brigade was under the command, at various times, of Brig. Gen. William E. "Grumble" Jones, Brig. Gen. Thomas Rosser and Brig. Gen. James Dearing. The men of the 35th considered themselves to be independent, used primarily as raiders and it was a contant source of irritation to them when forced to be brigaded. This irritation, however, did not prevent them from performing their duties superbly.

    The 35th was known as White's Command not only throughout the War, but long after, which in itself was an unusual occurrence as White was the first and only commander of the 35th. He was a fearless leader, earning the respect of both his men and his superiors. He led by example, commanding his men to follow him as he led the charge. As a commander he could not be bothered by details of discipline, supply or record keeping and his riffs with Gen. J.E.B. Stuart kept him from receiveing higher rank higher.

    The last engagement of the Laurel Brigade came at Appomatox in early April, 1865. In this engagement at High Bridge Gen. Dearing was mortally wounded. On his recommendation, as he lay on his death bed, White assumed command of the Laurel Brigade. Preferring not to surrender, the remnants of the Brigade went to Lynchburg, Va. where White disbanded them.

    Lt. Col. White was paroled in May, 1865. He returned home and took up farming for a while. He was elected sherif for 4 years, had various business interests and helped found the People's Bank of Leesburg, of which he was president. He operated a ferry service on the Potomac River which still carries the name of White's Ferry. He was active in veteran affairs and was the first commander of the Clinton Hatcher Camp Confederate Veterans, a post he held until his death, which occurred suddenly on Jan. 11, 1907 in Leesburg. He was buried there in Union Cemetery.