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"When one totals the North Carolinians that died in World War I, World War II, Korea
and Vietnam, it is far less than North
Carolina's American Civil War death toll."
North Carolina provided at least 125,000 soldiers to the Confederacy, and the Tar Heel State recruited more soldiers than any Southern state. Over 620,000 died in the Civil War and 40,000 were North Carolinians. The Old North State provided 69 infantry regiments and 4 infantry battalions; 9 cavalry regiments and 9 cavalry battalions;
2 heavy artillery battalions, 4 artillery regiments, 3 light artillery battalions, and 4 light artillery
batteries. Several North Carolina infantry regiments mustered 1,500 soldiers, while
few regiments mustered as many as 1,800. North Carolina's sole legion, Thomas' Legion, mustered over 2,500 soldiers. The average Civil War regiment mustered 1,100 soldiers. The North Carolina
mountain counties also recruited several companies which served in the predominately “Piedmont” and “Coastal Plain” regiments. Furthermore, Western North Carolina recruited numerous “Home Guard, Junior and Senior Reserves, and State Militia companies.” Western
North Carolinians also served in East Tennessee, northern Georgia, southwest Virginia, and "Upstate" South Carolina regiments. Western North Carolina
in 1861, depending on which cartographic map you study, included 20 or 21 western counties. However, in 1861 there
were 21 mountain counties and 71%
of North Carolina's slave population resided in the Coastal Plain Region, with the Southern Appalachian Mountains considered the poorest of the three North Carolina Regions. The Mountaineers, a.k.a. Highlanders, fought and died in the bloodiest battles of the War and, in the below list of regiments,
Western North Carolina recruited at least one company for the listed regiment or the entire regiment hailed from the
North Carolina mountains. A Guide to Military Organizations and Installations of North Carolina 1861-1865, explains the numerical designations according to branch of service and the nature and character of each unit's
organization. The Western North Carolina American Civil War Regiments and Battalions offers more detailed
contributions for each Western North Carolina regiment. Also see: North Carolina American Civil War Battles and Battlefields, North Carolina and the American Civil War, American Civil War Generals Appointed by North Carolina, and North Carolina Regimental Losses.
CONFEDERATE:
WESTERN
NORTH CAROLINA REGIMENTAL HISTORIES
(AKA Mountain Troops; Mountaineers; Highlanders)
* Denotes entire regiment recruited
from the mountains
** Denotes at least 4 companies
recruited from the mountains
*** Denotes between 1 and 3
companies recruited from the mountains
*** 1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment (6
months, 1861)
1st Infantry Regiment was also known as the Bethel Regiment. In May 1861 it organized for six month's
service at Raleigh, North Carolina, and then relocated to Virginia. Its soldiers were from the counties of
Edgecombe, Mecklenburg, Orange, Buncombe, Cumberland, Burke, Guilford, and Lincoln. With approximately 800 men, the unit fought
at Big Bethel and then served in the Army of the Peninsula near Yorktown. Two companies from Bertie and Chowan Counties joined
the regiment which increased its strength to more than 1,200. On November 12, 1861, the unit disbanded and returned to North
Carolina. Many of the men transferred to the 11th North Carolina Regiment. The field officers were Colonels Daniel H. Hill
and Charles C. Lee, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph B. Starr, and Majors Robert F. Hoke and James H. Lane. This volunteer regiment should not be confused with the 1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment (NCST), which formed near Warrenton,
N.C. Also see: Brigadier General James H. Lane's Brigade (includes Lane's Papers) and First Confederate Soldier Killed in the American Civil War
** 1st North
Carolina Cavalry Regiment
(AKA 9th North Carolina Regiment Volunteers-1st Cavalry)
9th Regiment Volunteers-1st Cavalry, AKA 1st North Carolina Cavalry Regiment, was organized at Camp Beauregard, Ridgeway,
North Carolina, in August 1861. Its companies were from the counties of Ashe, Wayne, Macon,
Northampton, Mecklenburg, Watauga, Cabarrus, Buncombe,
Duplin, and Warren. Ordered to Virginia, the regiment was brigaded with
Generals Hampton, L. S. Baker, James B. Gordon, and Barringer. It fought in many campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia, including the battles at Frayser's Farm, Malvern Hill, Fairfax Court House, Sharpsburg, General J.E.B. Stuart's raid into Pennsylvania, Hampton's raid to Dumfries,
Brandy Station, Aldie, Upperville, Carlisle, Gettysburg (Order of Battle), Buckland Mills, Mine Run, Wilderness, Todd's Tavern, Reams Station, Hampton's Cattle Raid, and Five Forks. The 1st Cavalry had 407 effectives at Gettysburg and 8 at Appomattox. The field officers were Colonels Lawrence S. Baker, W. H. Cheek, James B. Gordon (later promoted to Brigadier General; mortally
wounded at the Battle of Meadow Bridge; and cousin to Major General John B. Gordon), Robert Ransom, Jr., and Thomas Ruffin;
Lieutenant Colonels Rufus Barringer and William H. H. Cowles; and Majors Thomas N. Crumpler, George S. Dewey, Marcus D. L.
McLeod, and John H. Whitaker.
*** 2nd North Carolina Infantry Battalion
2nd Infantry Battalion was formed at Garysburg, North Carolina, during the
fall of 1861. Five companies were from Madison, Stokes, Randolph, Surry, and Forsyth counties, one from Mecklenburg County,
Virginia, and two from Pike and Meriwether counties, Georgia. The Virginia company was transferred in September 1862 and the
Georgia commands in mid-1863. The battalion relocated to the coast and was captured in the Battle of Roanoke Island. After being exchanged, it was assigned to General Daniel's and Grimes'
Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It served from Gettysburg to Cold Harbor, fought in the Shenandoah Valley Campaigns under General Early, and was active around Appomattox. It lost 3 killed and 5 wounded at Roanoke Island and of the 240 engaged
at Gettysburg, sixty-four percent were disabled. The battalion surrendered with 3 officers and 49 men. The field officers
were Lieutenant Colonels Hezekiah L. Andrews, Wharton J. Green, and Charles E. Shober; and Majors Marcus Erwin, John M. Hancock,
and James J. Iredell.
*** 2nd North Carolina
Cavalry Regiment
(AKA 19th North Carolina
Regiment-State Troops)
19th Regiment Volunteers-2nd Cavalry was organized at Kittrell's Springs, North Carolina, in September 1861. The
men were from the counties of Gates, Iredell, Cherokee, Hertford, Cumberland,
Nash, Wilson, Franklin, Guilford,
Beaufort, Bertie, Moore, Northampton,
and Orange. The regiment was assigned to General W. H. F. Lee's, L. S. Baker's,
James B. Gordon's, and Barringer's Brigade. It fought in the conflicts at New Bern, Hanover Court House, Fredericksburg, Gen. Stuart's raid into Pennsylvania, Brandy Station, Upperville, Hanover, Gettysburg, Todd's Tavern, Haw's Tavern, Staunton River Bridge, Wilson's Farm, Hampton's Cattle Raid, and Five Forks. This unit had 145 effectives at Gettysburg
and the records reflect 7 at Appomattox. Its commanders were
Colonels Clinton M. Andrews, Matthew L. Davis, Jr., William P. Roberts, William G. Robinson, Samuel B. Spruill, and Solomon
Williams, and Majors John V. B. Rogers and John W. Woodfin.
* 6th North Carolina Cavalry Regiment
(AKA 65th North Carolina Regiment-6th Cavalry)
6th North Carolina Cavalry Regiment was officially organized by the consolidation of the 5th and 7th North Carolina Cavalry Battalions. The unit was also known as the 65th North Carolina
Regiment-6th Cavalry and the 65th North Carolina State Troops. The 5th Cavalry Battalion organized at Jacksboro, Tennessee, during the
fall of 1862. It contained five companies and skirmished the Federals in Tennessee and Kentucky.
In August 1863 the unit consolidated with the 65th North Carolina Regiment-6th Cavalry.
Lieutenant Colonel John B. Palmer and Major Alfred H. Baird were in command. The 7th Cavalry Battalion was organized during the summer of 1862 with six companies. The unit skirmished in Tennessee
and Kentucky until August 1863 when it reorganized with the 65th North Carolina Regiment-6th
Cavalry. Lieutenant Colonel George N. Folk and Major Thaddeus P. Siler were in command. This consolidation transpired on August 3,
1863, under terms of special order 183, paragraph 16, from the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General's Office. The unit also conducted operations in Georgia, the Cumberland Gap, and throughout North Carolina:
Ringgold, GA, September 11, 1863; Chickamauga, GA., September 19, 1863; Philadelphia, TN., October 20,
1863; Plymouth, N.C., October 31, 1864; Kinston, N.C., March 10, 1865. The
6th Cavalry suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Chickamauga. Also see Original Letters and Capture.
*** 11th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
(Bethel Regiment)
11th Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, North Carolina, in March 1862.
The nucleus of this unit was comprised of men with prior service in the 1st (Bethel) North Carolina Regiment. Its members
were from the counties of Mecklenburg, Burke, Bertie, Chowan, Orange, Lincoln, and Buncombe. Assigned to the Department of
North Carolina, it fought at White Hall and then relocated to Virginia. While in Virginia, the unit was assigned to General Pettigrew's, Kirkland's,
and MacRae's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It fought on many battlefields from Gettysburg to Cold Harbor, endured the hardships of the Petersburg trenches, and saw action around Appomattox. It lost over half of the 617 at Gettysburg, reported 15 casualties at Bristoe, and surrendered 8 officers and 74 men. The field officers were Colonels Collett Leventhorpe and William J. Martin, Lieutenant
Colonels Francis W. Bird and William A. Owens, and Major Egbert A. Ross.
* 14th North Carolina Cavalry Battalion
14th Cavalry Battalion, formerly Woodfin's Battalion, was organized at Asheville, North Carolina,
during the summer of 1862 with three companies; later increased to six. The men were from Buncombe, Haywood, Transylvania,
and Madison counties. It was assigned to North Carolina and southern Virginia. In the spring of 1865 four additional
companies from Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania counties joined the command and it was officially designated the 69th
North Carolina Regiment-7th Cavalry, Lt. Colonel James L. Henry, commanding. There are only two references to the Sixty-ninth North Carolina Regiment in the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies; both references are to Lt. Colonel Henry and the
cavalry regiment (O.R., i, 49, i, 1034 and O.R., i, 49, i, 1035). The other references to
Henry's Cavalry are the Sixty-ninth North Carolina and Sixty-ninth North Carolina State Troops. The
regiment fought at Salisbury on April 12 and disbanded near Morgantown on April 17. Lt. Colonel James L. Henry and Major Charles
M. Roberts were in command.
* 16th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
16th Infantry Regiment was formerly the 6th Volunteers. The unit completed its organization at Raleigh, North Carolina, in June 1861. Its soldiers
were from the counties of Jackson, Burke, Madison, Yancey, Rutherford, Buncombe, Macon, Henderson, and Polk. Sent to
Virginia with about 1,200 men, the regiment was assigned to General W. Hampton's, Pender's, and Scales' Brigade. The regiment
fought at Antietam and served in many battles of the Army of Northern Virginia, from Seven Pines to Cold Harbor. It was involved in the long Petersburg siege south of the James River and was active around Appomattox. It had a force of 721 men in April 1862, and at Frayser's Farm in the Seven Days Battles it lost 33 killed and 199 wounded. It had 8 killed and 44 wounded at Second Manassas, and suffered 6 killed and 48 wounded at Fredericksburg. The regiment reported 105 casualties at Chancellorsville, and of the 321 engaged at Gettysburg, thirty-seven percent were disabled. It also surrendered 12 officers and 83 men. The field
officers were Colonels Champion T. N. Davis, Stephen Lee, John S. McElroy, and William A. Stowe; Lieutenant Colonels Abel
J. Cloud and Robert G. A. Love; and Majors Benjamin F. Briggs and Herbert D. Lee. Robert Gustavus Adolphus Love, or R. G.
A. Love, initially served as a Captain in the 16th North Carolina Infantry Regiment in the Army of Northern Virginia. When
Captain Robert G. A. Love received a promotion to Colonel he transferred to the Sixty-second North Carolina Infantry Regiment.
*** 21st North Carolina Infantry Regiment
21st Infantry Regiment, formerly the 11th Volunteers, was a twelve company command organized at Danville,
Virginia, in June 1861. Men of this unit were recruited in Davidson, Surry, Forsyth, Stokes, Rockingham, and Guilford counties.
It was assigned to General Trimble's, Hoke's, Godwin's, and W. G. Lewis' Brigade. It fought at First Manassas, Second Manassas, and Jackson's Valley operations. The unit participated in many conflicts of the army from the Seven Days
Battles to Bristoe. It was also involved in the engagements at Plymouth, Drewry's Bluff, and Cold Harbor, marched with Early to the Shenandoah Valley, and saw action around Appomattox. The unit sustained 80 casualties at First Winchester, 13 at Cross Keys and Port Republic, 45 during the Seven Days Battles, 51 at Groveton, 18 at Sharpsburg, and 24 at Fredericksburg. It lost 78 at Chancellorsville, twenty-eight percent of the 436 at Gettysburg, and 52 at Plymouth. In April 1865 it surrendered with 6 officers and 117 men of which 40 were armed. The field officers
were Colonels Saunders Fulton, B. Y. Graves, James M. Leach, Rufus K. Pepper, William S. Rankin, and William L. Scott; and
Majors James F. Beall, Alex. Miller, W. J. Pfohl, and J. M. Richardson.
** 22nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment
22nd Infantry Regiment, formerly the 12th Volunteers, completed its organization near Raleigh, North
Carolina, in July 1861. The men were recruited in the counties of Caldwell,
McDowell, Surry, Ashe, Guilford, Alleghany, Caswell, Stokes, and Randolph.
With nearly 1,000 men, the unit was ordered to Virginia and assigned
to the Aquia District in the Department of Northern Virginia. Later it was brigaded under Generals Pettigrew, Pender, and
Scales. It fought with the army from Seven Pines to Cold Harbor, took its place in the Petersburg trenches south of the James River, and ended the war
at Appomattox. In April 1862 this regiment contained 752 men, reported 161 casualties
during the Seven Days Battles, had 6 killed and 57 wounded at Second Manassas, and 1 killed and 44 wounded at Fredericksburg. It lost 30 killed and 139 wounded at Chancellorsville, and of the 321 engaged at Gettysburg over fifty percent were disabled. On April 9, 1865, it surrendered with 13 officers and 97 men. The field officers were Colonels
James Conner, Thomas S. Galloway, Jr., Charles E. Lightfoot, and James J. Pettigrew; Lieutenant Colonels Christopher C. Cole,
R. H. Gray, John O. Long, and William L. Mitchell; and Majors Laban Odell and W. Lee Russell.
* 25th North Carolina Infantry
Regiment
25th Infantry Regiment, formerly the 15th Volunteers, was assembled at Camp Patton, Asheville, North Carolina, in August 1861. The following counties
furnished companies for the regiment: Henderson, Jackson, Haywood, Cherokee, Transylvania, Buncombe, Macon, and
Clay. It relocated to Grahamville, South Carolina, and remained there until March 1862. The unit returned to North
Carolina and then arrived in Virginia on June 24. The unit fought at Antietam and, serving in R. Ransom's and M. W. Ranson's Brigade, it fought at Malvern Hill (during the Seven Days Battles) to Fredericksburg, served in North Carolina, and then saw action at Plymouth and Drewry's Bluff. The 25th participated in the long Petersburg siege south of the James River and the Appomattox Campaign. It lost several soldiers in The Crater. It reported 128 casualties during the Seven Days Battles, 15 in the Maryland Campaign, 88 at Fredericksburg,
and 103 at Plymouth. Many were disabled at Sayler's Creek, and on April 9, 1865, only 8 officers and 69 soldiers were present.
The field officers were Colonels Thomas L. Clingman and Henry M. Rutledge; Lieutenant Colonels S. C. Bryson, St. Clair Dearing,
and Matthew N. Love; and Majors John W. Francis, William S. Grady, and William Y. Morgan. Colonel Thomas Lanier Clingman, promoted to Brigadier-General, commanded Clingman's Brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia. He was an ardent lawyer and one of the most outspoken politicians of his era and his
proslavery and states' rights positions climaxed with his quote to Congress: "Do
us justice and we stand with you; attempt to trample on us and we separate." Also see: Company G ("Highland Guards") Flag, 25th North Carolina
Infantry Regiment (Replica?) and 25th North Carolina Infantry Regiment.
** 26th North Carolina
Infantry Regiment
26th Infantry Regiment was organized in August 1861 at "Crab Tree," a plantation three miles from Raleigh,
North Carolina. Its members were recruited in the counties of Ashe, Chatham, Wilkes, Union, Wake, Caldwell, Moore, Alamance,
Randolph, and Anson. A female Soldier also enlisted in the 26th. The regiment served at Fort Macon, on Bogue Island,
North Carolina, then fought at New Bern. During the war, it was assigned to General R. Ransom's, Pettigrew's,
Kirkland's, and MacRae's Brigade. It participated in the Seven Days Battles and conflicts at Rawls' Mills and Goldsboro. The 26th continued the "fight" with the Army of Northern Virginia from Gettysburg to Cold Harbor, took its place in the entrenchments south of the James River, and was involved in the final campaign at Appomattox. It lost 87 killed or wounded at New Bern, had 6 killed and 40 wounded during the Seven Days Battles, and of the 843 engaged at Gettysburg, more than eighty percent were disabled. The unit reported 16 killed and 83 wounded at Bristoe and on April 9, 1865, surrendered 10 officers and 120 men.
Its commanders were Colonels Henry K. Burgwyn, Jr., John R. Lane, and Zebulon B. Vance. Colonel Zebulon Vance became North Carolina's Governor (1862-1865 and 1877-1879), and also served in the United
States Senate from 1879-1892; Lieutenant Colonels James T. Adams and John T. Jones; and Majors Abner B. Carmichael, James
S. Kendall, and N. P. Rankin. The greatest loss sustained by any regiment (North
or South) during the war was the Twenty-sixth North Carolina Infantry Regiment
at Gettysburg; it advanced more than 800 men into action and more than
eighty percent were disabled.
*** 28th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
28th Infantry Regiment was organized and mustered into Confederate service in September 1861 at High Point, North Carolina. Its members were from
the counties of Surry, Gaston, Catawba, Stanley, Montgomery, Yadkin, Orange, and Cleveland. The unit relocated to New
Bern and arrived just as the troops were withdrawing from that fight. Ordered to Virginia in May 1862, it was assigned to
General Branch's and Lane's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It fought at Hanover Court House and many conflicts of the army from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor. The 28th was involved in the long Petersburg siege south of the James River and the Appomattox operations. It arrived in Virginia with 1,199 men, lost thirty-three percent of the 480 engaged
during the Seven Days Battles, 3 killed and 26 wounded at Cedar Mountain, and 5 killed and 45 wounded at Second Manassas. The regiment reported 65 casualties at Fredericksburg and 89 at Chancellorsville. Of the 346 in action at Gettysburg more than forty percent were killed, wounded, or missing. It surrendered 17 officers and 213 men. Its
commanders were Colonels James H. Lane, Samuel D. Lowe, and William H. A. Speer; Lieutenant Colonels William D. Barringer
and Thomas L. Lowe; and Majors William J. Montgomery, Richard E. Reeves, and S. N. Stowe.
* 29th North Carolina Infantry
Regiment
29th Infantry Regiment organized at Camp Patton, Asheville, North Carolina, in September 1861 and contained men from Cherokee, Yancey, Buncombe,
Jackson, Madison, Haywood, and Mitchell counties. The unit was ordered to East Tennessee and was active in the Cumberland Gap operations. It was assigned to General Rains' and Ector's Brigade and participated in the campaigns of the Army of Tennessee
from Murfreesboro to Atlanta. It engaged in the defense of Vicksburg and marched with General Hood into Tennessee and ended the war at Mobile. It lost twenty-two percent of the 250 engaged at Murfreesboro. The regiment was
attached to General Ector's Brigade at Chickamauga and had 110 killed, wounded, or missing. During the Atlanta Campaign, May 18 to September 5,
it reported 6 killed, 58 wounded, and 87 missing. At Allatoona, thirty-nine percent of the 138 present were disabled. It surrendered in May 1865. The field officers were Colonels
William B. Creasman and Robert B. Vance (brother to Governor Zebulon Baird Vance); Lieutenant Colonels Thomas F. Gardner, James M. Lowry, Bacchus S. Profitt, and William S. Walker; and Major Ezekiel H.
Hampton.
*** 33rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment
33rd Infantry Regiment completed its organization at the old fair grounds at Raleigh, North Carolina, in September 1861. The men were recruited
in the counties of Iredell, Edgecombe, Cabarrus, Wilkes, Gates, Hyde, Cumberland, Forsyth, and Greene. After fighting at New Bern, the unit relocated to Virginia and engaged at Hanover Court House. The unit served with Generals Branch and Lane, and participated in the campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor. Later it participated in the Petersburg trenches and was involved in the Appomattox operations. This regiment sustained 75 casualties during the Seven Days Battles, 36 at Cedar Mountain, 8 at Second Manassas, and 41 at Fredericksburg. The unit lost forty-two percent of the 480 engaged at Chancellorsville and twenty percent of the 368 at Gettysburg. It reported 4 killed and 19 wounded at Spotsylvania, and 5 killed, 29 wounded, and 4 missing at Jericho Mills. On April 9, 1865, it surrendered 11 officers
and 108 men. The field officers were Colonels Clark M. Avery, Lawrence O. Branch, and Robert V. Cowan; Lieutenant Colonels
Robert F. Hoke and J. H. Saunders; and Majors William G. Lewis, Thomas W. Mayhew, and James A. Weston. (Also see Lane's Brigade)
** 34th North Carolina
Infantry Regiment
34th Infantry Regiment was assembled at High Point, North Carolina, in October
1861. Its members were recruited in the counties of Ashe, Rutherford, Rowan, Lincoln,
Cleveland, Mecklenburg, and Montgomery.
After serving in the Department of North Carolina, it relocated to Virginia and was assigned to General Pender's and
Scales' Brigade. The 34th was active in the many campaigns of the army, from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor, participated in the Petersburg siege south of the James River, and the operations around Appomattox.
It reported 53 killed and 158 wounded during the Seven Days Battles, 2 killed and 23 wounded at Second Manassas, 2 killed and 17 wounded at Fredericksburg, and 18 killed, 110 wounded and 20 missing at Chancellorsville. Of the 310 engaged at Gettysburg, twenty-one percent were disabled. It surrendered 21 officers and 145 men. The field officers were Colonels
Collet Leventhorpe, William Lee J. Lowrance, and Richard H. Riddick; Lieutenant Colonels George T. Gordon, Charles J. Hammerskold,
William A. Houck, John L. McDowell, and George M. Norment; and Majors George M. Clark, Joseph B. McGee, Eli H. Miller, William
A. Owens, Martin Shoffner, and Francis L. Twitty.
*** 35th North Carolina
Infantry Regiment
35th Infantry Regiment completed its organization in November 1861 at Camp Mangum,
near Raleigh, North Carolina. Its members were recruited
in the counties of Mecklenburg, Onslow, McDowell, Moore,
Chatham, Person, Union, Henderson,
Wayne, and Catawba. After fighting at New Bern,
the regiment was ordered to Virginia and assigned to General R. Ransom's and
M. W. Ransom's Brigade. It participated in the difficult campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days Battles
to Fredericksburg. It returned to North Carolina and fought at Boon's
Mill and Plymouth, and advanced to Virginia in May 1864. The 35th engaged
at Drewry's Bluff, endured the hardships of the Petersburg siege south of the James River, and ended the war at Appomattox. This unit sustained 127 casualties at Malvern Hill, 25 in the Maryland Campaign, 29 at Fredericksburg, and 103 at Plymouth. Many were disabled at Sailor's Creek (aka Saylor's Creek), and on April 9,
1865, it surrendered 5 officers and 111 men. The field officers were Colonels James T. Johnson, John G. Jones,
Matthew W. Ransom, and James Sinclair; Lieutenant Colonels M. D. Craton, Oliver C. Petway, and Simon B. Taylor; and Majors
John M. Kelly and Robert E. Petty.
** 37th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
37th Infantry Regiment was organized by Colonel C. C. Lee, and assembled at High Point, North Carolina, in November 1861.
The men were recruited in the counties of Buncombe, Watauga, Ashe, Mecklenburg, Wake, Alexander, and Gaston. The unit
fought at New Bern, and then relocated to Virginia in the spring of 1862. It was assigned to General
Branch's and Lane's Brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia, fought at Hanover Court House and Mechanicsville, and participated in many campaigns of the army from the Seven Days Battles
to Cold Harbor. It continued the fight in the Petersburg trenches and around Appomattox. This regiment reported 125 casualties during the Seven Days' Battles, 15 at Cedar Mountain, 81 at Second Manassas, 93 at Fredericksburg, and 235 at Chancellorsville. Of the 379 engaged at Gettysburg, more than thirty percent were disabled. It surrendered 10 officers and 98 men. The field officers were
Colonels William M. Barbour and Charles C. Lee; Lieutenant Colonel John B. Ashcraft, Charles N. Hickerson, and William G.
Morris; and Majors Jackson L. Bost, Owen N. Brown, John G. Bryan, Rufus M. Rankin, and William R. Rankin. Colonel Charles
C. Lee was killed at the Battle of Mechanicsville, Virginia. (Also see: Lane's Brigade, General Lane's Account of the Battle of Gettysburg, General James H. Lane Papers, 37th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, Battle of Hanover Courthouse (Raleigh Standard), and Soldier's Letter from the 37th Regiment).
*
39th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
39th Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Patton, Asheville, North Carolina, in July 1861 as a five company battalion. In November the unit relocated
to "Camp Hill" near Gooch Mountain where it was increased to eight companies. In February 1862 it was ordered to Knoxville,
Tennessee, where two more companies were added. Its soldiers were from the counties of Cherokee, Macon, Jackson, Buncombe,
and Clay. The 39th participated in the Cumberland Gap operations and engaged in the Battle of Perryville. Assigned to Walthall's, McNair's, and Reynold's Brigade, it served with the Army of Tennessee and fought from
Murfreesboro to Atlanta, and then endured General Hood's winter campaign in Tennessee. It engaged in the defense of Vicksburg and at the Battle of Stones River. In 1865 the Thirty-ninth shared in the defense of Mobile. This regiment lost 2 killed, 36 wounded, and 6 missing at Murfreesboro, and had 10 killed, 90 wounded, and 3 missing at Chickamauga. During the Atlanta Campaign, May 18 to September 5, it reported 16 killed, 57 wounded, and 10 missing. On May 4, 1865, it surrendered.
The field officers were Colonel David Coleman, Lieutenant Colonels Hugh H. Davidson and Francis A. Reynolds, and Major T.
W. Peirce.
*** 50th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
50th Infantry Regiment completed its organization in April 1862 at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, North
Carolina. Men of this unit were recruited in the counties of Person, Robeson, Johnston, Rutherford, Wayne, Moore, and
Harnett. Ordered to Virginia, it fought under General Daniel at Malvern Cliff and then returned to North Carolina. The
50th engaged at New Bern and Washington, transferred to General James Green Martin's Brigade, and for a time served at Wilmington. Subsequently, elements of the regiment
were stationed at Plymouth and Washington. In November 1864 it relocated south and shared in the defense of Savannah
and skirmished along the Rivers' Bridge. It returned to North Carolina and was placed in General Kirkland's Brigade. The unit continued
the fight at Averasborough and fought its last battle at Bentonville. It totaled about 900 effectives in November 1864 and mustered less than half that number in March 1865.
It surrendered a force of nearly 250 on April 26. The field officers were Colonels Marshall D. Craton, James A. Washington,
and George Wortham; Lieutenant Colonel John C. Van Hook; and Major Henry J. Ryals.
*** 52nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment
52nd Infantry Regiment completed its organization at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, North Carolina,
in April 1862. Its members were recruited in the counties of Cabarrus, Randolph, gates, Chowan, Stokes, Richmond, Wilkes,
Lincoln, Stanly, and Forsyth. The unit fought at Goldsboro and then relocated to Virginia where it was brigaded with Generals Pettigrew, Kirkland, and
MacRae. It served with General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia during Gettysburg, had 2 killed and 25 wounded in the fight at Bristoe, and surrendered with only 6 officers and 60 men. Its commanders were Colonels James K. Marshall and Marcus A. Parks, Lieutenant
Colonels Eric Erson and Benjamin F. Little, and Major John Q. Richardson.
*** 53rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment
53rd Infantry Regiment completed its organization in April 1862 at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, North Carolina. The men were recruited in the following
counties: Guilford, Mecklenburg, Chatham, Surry, Alamance, Stokes, Union, and Wilkes. It served in the Department of North
Carolina and then was assigned to General Daniel's and Grimes' Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. The 53rd fought in many conflicts from Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spotsylvania to Cold Harbor. It participated in all the battles in the Shenandoah Valley, and was active in the Appomattox Campaign. It lost thirty-six percent of the 322 engaged at Gettysburg, had 1 wounded at Bristoe and 2 killed at Mine Run. The unit surrendered 6 officers and 81 men. Its commanders were Colonels James T. Morehead and William
A. Owens, and Majors James J. Iredell and John W. Rierson.
*** 54th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
54th Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, North Carolina, in May 1862. The men were from the counties of Rowan, Burke,
Cumberland, Northampton, Iredell, Guilford, Polk, Wilkes, Yadkin, Columbus, and Granville. It was assigned to General Law's,
Hoke's, Godwin's, and W. G. Lewis' Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It engaged at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville and then guarded prisoners captured at Winchester during the Pennsylvania Campaign. The regiment
participated in the Bristoe and Mine Run campaigns, the conflicts at Plymouth and Drewry's Bluff, Early's Shenandoah Valley Campaigns, and the Appomattox Campaign. This regiment lost 6 killed and 40 wounded at Fredericksburg, 3 killed and 38 wounded at Chancellorsville, and 2 wounded and 306 missing at the Rappahannock River. It totaled about 700 men in July 1864, and surrendered with 4 officers and 53 men of which 23 were armed.
The field officers were Colonels James C. S. McDowell, Kenneth M. Murchison, and John Wimbish; Lieutenant Colonel Anderson
Ellis; and Major James A. Rogers.
*** 55th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
55th Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, North Carolina, in May 1862.
Its companies were recruited in the counties of Pitt, Wilson, Wilkes, Cleveland, Burke, Catawba, Johnston, Alexander, Onslow,
Franklin, and Granville. The unit served in the Department of North Carolina and then relocated to Virginia where it
was assigned to General J. R. Davis' and Cooke's Brigade. It served in the Army of Northern Virginia from Gettysburg to Cold Harbor, served in the Petersburg trenches south of the James River, and was active in the Appomattox operations. The regiment lost thirty-one percent of the 640 engaged at Gettysburg, and fifty-nine percent
of the 340 at the Wilderness. It surrendered with 4 officers and 77 men on April 9, 1865. The field officers were Colonel John K.
Connally; Lieutenant Colonels Alfred H. Belo, Abner S. Calloway, and Maurice T. Smith; and Major James S. Whitehead.
*** 56th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
56th Infantry Regiment completed its organization in July 1862 at Camp Magnum, near Raleigh, North
Carolina. Its members were recruited in the counties of Northampton, Cumberland, Pasquotank, Camden, Orange, Cleveland, Alexander,
Rutherford, and Mecklenburg. The regiment conducted reconnaissance between Goldsboro, Wilmington, and Tarboro, and then
served on the Blackwater. Attached to M. W. Ransom's Brigade, it fought at Gum Swamp, Plymouth, and Drewry's Bluff, endured the hardships of the Petersburg trenches south of the James River, and fought the enemy around Appomattox. The regiment had 149 men captured at Gum Swamp, lost 4 killed and 84 wounded at Plymouth, and reported 90 casualties at Ware Bottom Church. Many were disabled at Sayler's Creek, and only 9 officers and 62 men surrendered with the Army of Northern Virginia. The field officers were Colonel
Paul F. Faison, Lieutenant Colonel G. Gratiott Luke, and Majors John W. Graham and Henry F. Schenck.
* 58th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
58th Infantry Regiment was organized
in Mitchell County, North Carolina, in July 1862. Its twelve companies were recruited in the counties of Mitchell, Yancey,
Watauga, Caldwell, McDowell, and Ashe. In September it relocated to the
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