Peninsula campaign order of battle: Confederate

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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[edit]

Military rank[edit]

Army of Northern Virginia[edit]

Organization of the Confederate 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)[edit]

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

Division 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[edit]

The center was the area between Dam No. 1 and Redoubts 4 and 5 outside Yorktown

MG James Longstreet, Commanding
  Cpt Moxley Sorrel, Adjutant

Division Brigade Regiments and others

Longstreet's Division


     MG James Longstreet

Hill's Brigade


   BG A.P. Hill

Anderson's Brigade


   BG Richard H. Anderson

Colston's Brigade


   BG Raleigh E. Colston

  • 3rd Virginia: Col Joseph Mayo
  • 13th North Carolina: Col Alfred M. Scales
  • 14th North Carolina: Col P.W. Roberts
  • Donaldsonville Artillery: Cpt Victor Maurin
Pickett's Brigade


   BG George Pickett

Wilcox's Brigade


   BG Cadmus Wilcox

Pryor's Brigade


   Col John A. Winston

  • 8th Alabama: Ltc Thomas E. Irby
  • 14th Alabama: Col Thomas James Judge
  • 14th Louisiana: Col Richard W. Jones
  • Richmond Fayette Artillery: Cpt Miles C. Macon

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[edit]

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

Division 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[edit]

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

Division Brigade Regiments and others

Whiting's Division


     BG W.H.C. Whiting

Whiting's Brigade


   Col Evander M. Law

Hood's Brigade

  (Texas Brigade)

   BG John B. Hood

Hampton's Brigade


   BG Wade Hampton

Directly commanded by Smith

Anderson's Brigade


   BG S.R. Anderson

  • 1st Tennessee: Col Peter Turney
  • 7th Tennessee: Col John F. Goodner
  • 14th Tennessee: Col William A. Forbes
  • Fredericksburg Artillery: Cpt Carter M. Braxton
Pettigrew's Brigade


   BG Johnston Pettigrew

  • 2nd Arkansas Battalion: Maj William N. Bronaugh
  • 35th Georgia: Col E.L. Thomas
  • 22nd North Carolina: Col Charles E. Lightfoot
  • 47th Virginia: Col Robert M. Mayo
  • 1st Maryland Artillery: Cpt R. Snowden Andrews

Cavalry and artillery reserves[edit]

Type Brigade Regiments and others
Cavalry Cavalry Brigade


   BG J.E.B. Stuart

Artillery

   BG William N. Pendleton

Pendleton's Corps


   BG William N. Pendleton

  • 2nd Co., Richmond Howitzers: Cpt Lorraine F. Jones
  • Hanover Artillery: Cpt George W. Nelson
  • Albemarle Artillery: Cpt William H. Southall
  • James City Artillery: Cpt Lucien W. Richardson
  • Hampton Artillery: Cpt C.L. Smith
  • Magruder Artillery: Cpt Thomas J. Page
  • Troup Artillery: Cpt Henry Hull Carlton
Washington Artillery Battalion


   Col James B. Walton

  • 1st Co.: Cpt Charles Winder Squires
  • 2nd Co.: Cpt Thomas L. Rosser
  • 3rd Co.: Cpt Merritt "Buck" Miller
  • 4th Co.: Lt Joseph Norcom

Other troops in the Department of Northern Virginia[edit]

These troops helped shape the theater for the Peninsula campaign.

Huger's division (Department of Norfolk)[edit]

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

Division Brigade Regiments and others

Huger's Division

     MG Benjamin Huger

Second Brigade


   BG William Mahone

Third Brigade


   BG Albert G. Blanchard

  • 22nd Georgia: Col Robert H. Jones
  • Norfolk Artillery: Cpt Frank Huger
Fourth Brigade


   BG Lewis A. Armistead

Detached or Unbrigaded

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[edit]

MG Gustavus W. Smith, Commanding
(absent with the Army of Northern Virginia)

Brigade Regiments and others
Field's Brigade


   BG Charles W. Field

Troops around Gordonsville[edit]

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

Division Brigade Regiments and others

Ewell's Division

     MG Richard S. Ewell

Fourth Brigade


   BG Arnold Elzey

Seventh Brigade


   BG Isaac Trimble

Eighth Brigade


   BG Richard Taylor

Cavalry

District of the Valley[edit]

MG Stonewall Jackson, Commanding
    Maj Robert L. Dabney, Adjutant

Staff:

Division Brigade Regiments and others

Jackson's Division

     MG Thomas J. Jackson

First Brigade

  (Stonewall Brigade)

   BG Charles S. Winder

Second Brigade


   Col John A. Campbell

Third Brigade


   BG William B. Taliaferro

Cavalry


   Col Turner Ashby

References[edit]

  • 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)
  • Cozzens, Peter (2008). Shenandoah 1862: Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. p. 623. ISBN 978-0-8078-3200-4.
  • Sears, Stephen W. (2001). To the Gate of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign. Mariner Books. p. 512. ISBN 0618127135.
  • Alexander, Edward Porter (1989). Gary W. Gallagher (ed.). Fighting for the Confederacy: The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. pp. 72–73. ISBN 978-0-8078-4722-0.


  1. ^ Multiple commander names indicate command succession of command during the battle or the campaign.
  2. ^ 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.