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24th Virginia Infantry Regiment

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24th Virginia Infantry Regiment
Flag of Virginia, 1861
ActiveJune 1861 – April 1865
DisbandedApril 1865
CountryConfederacy
AllegianceConfederate States of America Confederate States of America
Branch Confederate States Army
TypeInfantry
EngagementsFirst Battle of Manassas
Peninsula Campaign
Seven Days' Battles
Second Battle of Bull Run
Battle of Antietam
Battle of Fredericksburg
Siege of Suffolk
Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Cold Harbor
Siege of Petersburg
Battle of Five Forks
Battle of Sailor's Creek
Battle of Williamsburg
Appomattox Campaign
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Colonel Jubal A. Early
Colonel William R. Terry

The 24th Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in southwestern Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought throughout the conflict, mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia. The 24th Virginia's most prominent field officers were Colonels Jubal A. Early (who was promoted to brigade command after the battle and would become a key Confederate General) and William R. Terry; Lieutenant Colonels Peter Hairston, Jr. and Richard L. Maury; and Majors William W. Bentley, Joseph A. Hambrick, and J.P. Hammet.

History

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The 24th Virginia was assembled in Lynchburg in June, 1861, with companies recruited from Floyd, Franklin, Carroll, Giles, Patrick, Pulaski, Mercer, Montgomery County and Henry Counties.[1]

After fighting under former U.S. Army officer and Franklin County delegate Col. Jubal Early at the First Manassas, the 24th Virginia was assigned to Brigades in the Army of Northern Virginia often colloquially referred to by the commander's surname—first commanded by Early (hence "Early's Brigade"), then after his promotion, by future CSA General and Virginia state senator W. R. Terry (hence "Terry's Brigade"), who was temporarily disabled by a wound at the Battle of Williamsburg and temporarily replaced as brigade commander by future CSA General and later Virginia Governor James L. Kemper (hence "Kemper's Brigade").

The 24th Virginia participated in the Army of Northern Virginia's campaigns from the Peninsula Campaign to Gettysburg, except when it was detached to Siege of Suffolk under Gen. Longstreet. It was involved in the Drewry's Bluff (May 1862), Plymouth (in Washington, North Carolina in April 1864), the Petersburg siege north of the James River (June 1864-March 1865), and the final Appomattox operations.

The regiment contained 740 men in April, 1862. It reported 189 casualties at Williamsburg and 107 casualties at Seven Pines as it defended the Confederate capitol at Richmond during the Peninsula Campaign. It lost 4 killed, 61 wounded, and 14 missing at Frayser's Farm, and 8 men were wounded at Fredericksburg. About forty percent of its 395 soldiers engaged at Gettysburg were disabled. Many were lost at Sayler's Creek in the war's final weeks. After General Lee formally surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House, no officers but 22 men surrendered on April 9, 1865.

Companies and officers

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Sortable table
Company Nickname Recruited at First (then later) Commanding Officer

[2]

A Floyd Riflemen Floyd County Dr. Calohill M. Stigleman
John W. Shelton
B Franklin Rifles Franklin County Joseph A. Hambrick (VMI)
Charles E. Bernard
John A. Bernard
George E. Dennis
C Carroll Boys Carroll County Alexander C. Brancom
William R. Jennings
Abner W. C. Nowlin
D Early Guards Franklin County Thomas S. Taylor (VMI)
Mordecai Cook
E Pulaski boys Dublin, Pulaski County William W. Bentley
William Radford
James Randall Kent Jr.
F New River Rifles Giles County William Eggleston
Thomas Haden
Brainard Hines
George A. Porterfield
G Mercer County Robert A. Richardson
Benjamin P. Grigsby
Hercules Scott
H Henry Guards Henry County Dr. Peter R. Reamey
Orren W. Barrow
Olerce Nolan
John W. Headen
I Patrick County Andrew Murray Lybrook
K New River Grays Montgomery County Dr. James Preston Hammet(VMI)
John Henry LeTeller
John T. Radford

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ralph White Gunn, 24th Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, H.E. Howard Inc. Virginia Regimental History Series, 1st edition 1987)
  2. ^ derived from Gunn, pp. 1-3, 63-64
  • Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System. National Park Service.