7th Virginia Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 7th 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 7th Virginia was organized in May, 1861, at Manassas Junction, Virginia, with men from Giles, Madison, Rappahannock, Culpeper, Greene, and Albemarle counties.
It fought at First Manassas under General Early, then served with Ewell, A.P. Hill, Kemper, and W.R. Terry. In April, 1862, the regiment had 700 effectives and later was active in the various campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from Williamsburg to Gettysburg. It participated in Longstreet's Suffolk expedition, was prominent in the capture of Plymouth, then fought at Drewry's Bluff and Cold Harbor. The 7th continued the fight in the Petersburg trenches south of the James River and around Appomattox.
It sustained 47 casualties at First Manassas, 77 at Williamsburg, 111 at Frayser's Farm, 59 at Second Manassas, and 4 at Fredericksburg. Of the 335 engaged at Gettysburg about forty percent were disabled. It lost 39 men at Drewry's Bluff, and many were captured at Five Forks and Sayler's Creek. Only 20 officers and men were present at the surrender.
Its commanders were Colonels Charles C. Flowerree, James L. Kemper, and Waller T. Patton; Lieutenant Colonel L.B. Williams, Jr.; and Major Aylett A. Swindler.
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 7th Virginia was organized in May, 1861, at Manassas Junction, Virginia, with men from Giles, Madison, Rappahannock, Culpeper, Greene, and Albemarle counties.
It fought at First Manassas under General Early, then served with Ewell, A.P. Hill, Kemper, and W.R. Terry. In April, 1862, the regiment had 700 effectives and later was active in the various campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from Williamsburg to Gettysburg. It participated in Longstreet's Suffolk expedition, was prominent in the capture of Plymouth, then fought at Drewry's Bluff and Cold Harbor. The 7th continued the fight in the Petersburg trenches south of the James River and around Appomattox.
It sustained 47 casualties at First Manassas, 77 at Williamsburg, 111 at Frayser's Farm, 59 at Second Manassas, and 4 at Fredericksburg. Of the 335 engaged at Gettysburg about forty percent were disabled. It lost 39 men at Drewry's Bluff, and many were captured at Five Forks and Sayler's Creek. Only 20 officers and men were present at the surrender.
Its commanders were Colonels Charles C. Flowerree, James L. Kemper, and Waller T. Patton; Lieutenant Colonel L.B. Williams, Jr.; and Major Aylett A. Swindler.