Peninsula campaign order of battle: Confederate explained
The following Confederate Army units and commanders were the initial structure on April 30, 1862 of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the Peninsula campaign of the American Civil War. It contains units throughout Virginia that influenced the campaign.[1] The Union order of battle is listed separately.
Abbreviations used
Military rank
Army of Northern Virginia
See main article: Army of Northern Virginia. The following organization of the Army of Northern Virginia on the Peninsula was established on April 30. Prior to this organization, Confederate forces were organized ad hoc, as they arrived in theater. The divisions were grouped by their place in the Warwick Line.
Gen Joseph E. Johnston, Commanding
Maj Thomas G. Rhett, Adjutant and Chief of Staff
Staff:
Right of Position (Army of the Peninsula)
Even after its absorption into the Army of Northern Virginia, Magruder continued to style his command the "Army of the Peninsula." It was assigned responsibility for the section of the line from the James River to Dam No. 1.
MG John B. Magruder, Commanding
Cpt Henry Bryan, Adjutant
| width=25% | Division | width=25% | Brigade | Regiments and others |
|---|
| McLaws' Division
BG Lafayette McLaws
| McLaws' Brigade
BG Lafayette McLaws | - 5th Louisiana: Col Henry Forno
- 10th Louisiana: Col Mandeville DeMarigny
- 15th Virginia: Col Thomas P. August
- Noland's Virginia Battalion: Ltc Callender St. George Noland
- Williamsburg Artillery: Cpt William R. Garrett
- Halifax Artillery: Cpt Edward R. Young
|
Griffith's Brigade
BG Richard Griffith | - 1st Louisiana Zouave Battalion: Ltc Georges A. De Coppens
- 13th Mississippi: Col William Barksdale
- 18th Mississippi: Col Thomas M. Griffin
- 21st Mississippi: Col Benjamin G. Humphreys
- Peninsula Artillery: Cpt Joseph B. Cosnahan
- 1st Co., Richmond Howitzers: Cpt Edward S. McCarthy
- Co. A, 1st North Carolina Artillery: Cpt Basil C. Manly
- Pulaski Artillery: Cpt John P.W. Read
- Henrico Artillery: Cpt Johnson H. Sands
|
Kershaw's Brigade
BG Joseph B. Kershaw | - 2nd South Carolina: Col John D. Kennedy
- 3rd South Carolina: Col James D. Nance
- 7th South Carolina: Col Thomas G. Bacon
- 8th South Carolina: Col John W. Henagan
- Alabama Sharpshooter Battalion: Maj Archibald Gracie
- Alexandria Artillery: Cpt Delaware Kemper
|
Cobb's Brigade
BG Howell Cobb |
|
| Reserves | - 10th Georgia: Col A. Cumming
|
| Toombs' Division
BG Robert Toombs
| Toombs' Brigade
BG Robert Toombs |
|
Jones' Brigade
BG P.J. Semmes |
|
| Forces at Wiliamsburg
Col Benjamin S. Ewell | - 32nd Virginia (one company)
- 52nd Virginia Militia
- 68th Virginia Militia
- 115th Virginia Militia
- Old Dominion Rifles
- Allen's Artillery Battalion
- Artillery Companies B & C
|
|
Both brigades of Toombs' Division and Griffith's Brigade and Kershaw's Brigade from McLaws' Division were old Army of the Potomac units that had been transferred to reinforce the Warwick Line. Magruder had organized his army only in two very large divisions under McLaws and Rains, and several additional regional commands. Upon the arrival of Johnston, he reorganized the divisions into four brigades, two of which, Cobb's and McLaws', remained under his direct command. The reserve brigade and forces at Williamsburg are both also from the old Army of the Peninsula. The 17th Mississippi was stationed at Leesburg and the 24th Georgia in Goldsboro, until they became early reinforcements for Magruder.Center of Position
The center was the area between Dam No. 1 and Redoubts 4 and 5 outside Yorktown
MG James Longstreet, Commanding
Cpt Moxley Sorrel, Adjutant
Colston's Brigade was the First Brigade of the Department of Norfolk, then briefly served as part of the Army of the Peninsula, before being transferred to Longstreet's command at the end of April. Pryor's Brigade was a new organization, made up of troops from the old Army of the Peninsula plus the 14th Alabama, detached from the Department of Aquia in the winter to recover from disease in Richmond. The other brigades are from the old Army of the Potomac.Left of Position
The responsibility of the left was at Yorktown, extending to Redoubts 4 and 5. Rains' Brigade was stationed within Yorktown itself, giving him direct command over the defensive batteries present there.
MG Daniel Harvey Hill, Commanding
Cpt James W. Ratchford, Adjutant
| width=25% | Division | width=25% | Brigade | Regiments and others |
|---|
| Early's Division
BG Jubal Early
| Early's Brigade
BG Jubal Early |
|
Rodes' Brigade
BG Robert Rodes | - 5th Alabama: Col Christopher C. Pegues
- 6th Alabama: Col John B. Gordon
- 12th Alabama: Col Robert T. Jones
- 12th Mississippi: Col William H. Taylor
- King William Artillery: Cpt Thomas H. Carter
|
Detached
Col George T. Ward |
|
| Rains' Division
BG Gabriel J. Rains
| Rains' Brigade
BG Gabriel J. Rains |
|
Featherston's Brigade
BG W.S. Featherston |
|
Units on Glouscester Point
Col Charles A. Crump | - 26th Virginia: Ltc Powhatan A. Page
- 46th Virginia Infantry: Ltc J. H. Richardson[2]
- 9th Virginia Militia
- 21st Virginia Militia
- 61st Virginia Militia
- 3rd Virginia Cavalry (one company)
- Eastern Shore Company
- Mathews Light Dragoons
- Mathews Artillery: Cpt Andrew D. Armistead
- 4th Battalion, Virginia Heavy Artillery
- King and Queen Artillery: Cpt John R. Bagby
- Piedmont Battery B: Cpt Charles C. Otey
- Powhatan Artillery: Cpt Jordan
- Gloucester Artillery: Cpt Thomas B. Montague
|
|
Rains' Brigade, the reserve detachment for Early's Division, and the units at Glouscester Point were all part of the old Army of the Peninsula. Early's, Rodes', and Featherston's Brigades were from the old Army of the Potomac.Reserve
The reserve consisted of troops from the District of Aquia, which Smith had assumed command of from Theophilus Holmes on March 23. Smith left a single brigade under Charles W. Field in the District and brought the rest to the Peninsula.
MG Gustavus W. Smith, commanding
Cpt John W. Riely, adjutant
Cavalry and artillery reserves
Other troops in the Department of Northern Virginia
These troops helped shape the theater for the Peninsula campaign.
Huger's division (Department of Norfolk)
The bulk of troops from the Department of Norfolk were formally folded into the Department of Northern Virginia at the beginning of April, but Huger continued to refer to his command by its former name.
BG Benjamin Huger, commanding
Huger had not completed brigading his regiments at the beginning of the campaign. Additionally, significant portions of what would become Armistead's Brigade and Blanchard's Brigade were out of theater in Richmond or North Carolina. The 12th North Carolina would be detached to join a brigade fresh from North Carolina under Lawrence O'Bryan Branch for an aborted attempt to reinforce Jackson in the Valley. They would instead be moved to outside Richmond where they would take part in the Battle of Hanover Court-House.Aquia District
MG Gustavus W. Smith, Commanding
(absent with the Army of Northern Virginia)
Troops around Gordonsville
Johnston had detached Ewell to maintain communication with Jackson. Ewell nominally reported to D.H. Hill, but was actually operating semi-independently. On May 17, Johnston would transfer the division to the Valley District under Jackson.
MG Richard S. Ewell
District of the Valley
MG Stonewall Jackson, Commanding
Maj Robert L. Dabney, Adjutant
Staff:
- Lt A.S. "Sandie" Pendleton, Assistant Adjutant General
- Maj Abner Smead, Inspector General
- Maj Daniel Truehart, Chief of Artillery
- Lt James M. Garnett, Ordnance Officer
- Lt James K. Boswell, Engineer
- Mr. Jedediah Hotchkiss, Topographical Engineer
- Maj John A. Harmon, Quartermaster
- Dr. Hunter McGuire, Chief Surgeon
- Maj Wells J. Hawks, Commissary
- Col William Lowther Jackson, aide-de-camp
- Col Charles J. Faulkner, aide-de-camp
- Lt George G. Junkin, aide-de-camp
- Lt Henry Kyd Douglas, aide-de-camp
References
- Organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Joseph E. Johnston, on the Peninsula, about April 30, 1862 The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. United States War Department. Series I, Volume XI, Chapter XXIII, pp. 479–484. (1884)
- Organization of the Troops of the Department of the Peninsula, commanded by Maj. Gen. J. Bankhead Magruder, C.S. Army, January 31, 1862 The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. United States War Department. Series I, Volume IX, Chapter XIX, pp. 37. (1883)
- Book: Cozzens, Peter. Shenandoah 1862: Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign. 2008. The University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill. 978-0-8078-3200-4. 623.
- Book: Sears, Stephen W.. To the Gate of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign. 2001. Mariner Books. 0618127135. 512.
- Book: Alexander, Edward Porter. Fighting for the Confederacy: The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander. 1989. The University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill. 978-0-8078-4722-0. 72–73. Gary W. Gallagher. Gary W. Gallagher.
Notes and References
- Multiple commander names indicate command succession of command during the battle or the campaign.
- 5 coys only. The other five coys of the 46th Virginia had been captured at Roanoke Island. The escapees were ordered to the peninsula on 29 March.
