49th Virginia Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 49th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry
regiment
raised in Virginia
for service in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia
.
The 49th Virginia completed its organization in July 1861. Its members were from the counties of Prince William, Warren, Fauquier, Rappahannock, Amherst, and Shenandoah. Three companies fought at First Manassas and these companies formed the nucleus of the regiment. It was assigned to General Featherston's, Early's, W.Smith's, Pegram's, and J.A. Walker's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. The unit participated in many battles from Williamsburg to Cold Harbor, was active in Early's Shenandoah Valley operations, and took part in the final campaign at Appomattox.
It reported 40 casualties at First Manassas and in April, 1862, contained 539 effectives. The regiment lost fifty-three percent of the 424 at Seven Pines, had 2 killed and 36 wounded during the Seven Days' Battles, and suffered 5 killed and 73 wounded in the Maryland Campaign. At Fredericksburg 6 were killed and 46 wounded, at Gettysburg thirty-five percent of the 281 were disabled, and at The Wilderness and Spotsylvania 87 were lost. On April 9, 1865, it surrendered with 9 officers and 46 men.
The field officers were Colonels William "Extra Billy" Smith and Jonathan (John) Catlett Gibson, Lieutenant Colonels Edward Murray and Charles B. Christian, and Major Caleb Smith.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
raised in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
for service in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
.
The 49th Virginia completed its organization in July 1861. Its members were from the counties of Prince William, Warren, Fauquier, Rappahannock, Amherst, and Shenandoah. Three companies fought at First Manassas and these companies formed the nucleus of the regiment. It was assigned to General Featherston's, Early's, W.Smith's, Pegram's, and J.A. Walker's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. The unit participated in many battles from Williamsburg to Cold Harbor, was active in Early's Shenandoah Valley operations, and took part in the final campaign at Appomattox.
It reported 40 casualties at First Manassas and in April, 1862, contained 539 effectives. The regiment lost fifty-three percent of the 424 at Seven Pines, had 2 killed and 36 wounded during the Seven Days' Battles, and suffered 5 killed and 73 wounded in the Maryland Campaign. At Fredericksburg 6 were killed and 46 wounded, at Gettysburg thirty-five percent of the 281 were disabled, and at The Wilderness and Spotsylvania 87 were lost. On April 9, 1865, it surrendered with 9 officers and 46 men.
The field officers were Colonels William "Extra Billy" Smith and Jonathan (John) Catlett Gibson, Lieutenant Colonels Edward Murray and Charles B. Christian, and Major Caleb Smith.