45th Virginia Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 45th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry
regiment
raised in the Commonwealth of Virginia
for service in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
. It fought mostly in the mountainous area that today encompasses the border regions of Virginia and West Virginia
, and was part of Jubal Early's Army of the Valley
during the Valley Campaigns of 1864
.
began to form as soon as secession
occurred on April 17, 1861. Ex-governor John B. Floyd
was made a brigadier general
and asked to organize these militia into a fighting force. Floyd called the militia to assemble at the central railroad hub of Wytheville and appointed West Point
graduate Henry Heth
to drill and organize the volunteers.
By May 29, Heth had formed ten companies of roughly 900 men into a fighting unit and it was mustered in as the 45th Virginia.
The original ten companies were:
On June 17, Heth was promoted to colonel
and made commander of the regiment. Born in Tidewater Virginia, Heth was unpopular with the mountain farmers and was known as a strict disciplinarian. In turn, Heth was frustrated by the illiteracy and lack of discipline of his men, as well as General Floyd's actions as commanding officer. He wrote of Floyd, "I soon discovered that my chief was as incapacitated for the work he had undertaken as I would have been to lead an Italian opera."
The regiment also elected Gabriel Colvin Wharton, a Virginia Military Institute
graduate from Culpeper
as major, but within a month he was made a colonel, in command of the 51st Virginia Infantry
.
) into the Kanawha Valley in present-day West Virginia, possibly because of the recent retreat of his political rival, former governor and Confederate brigadier general Henry A. Wise
from the same territory. Throughout the month he moved his two regiments north slowly, until they were eventually joined by two more from Wise's brigade, the 22nd and 36th Virginia.
On August 25, scouts reported the 7th Ohio Infantry
in camp at Carnifex Ferry and Floyd, after asking Heth's advice, ordered an attack. The 45th Virginia lost its first man killed in battle, but the brigade easily routed the Ohio soldiers. Floyd made camp at Carnifex Ferry and remained there until September 10, when a Union brigade under Brig. Gen. William S. Rosecrans arrived and drove off Floyd's brigade in the Battle of Carnifex Ferry
. During the battle, Floyd was wounded in the arm and treated by a surgeon of the regiment. The 45th Virginia lost no men in the battle, but suffered three casualties while retreating towards Dogwood Gap.
Floyd and Wise met up at Dogwood Gap and together withdrew to Sewell Mountain in Fayette County
, where the 45th Virginia received a new company out of Tazewell County, Company L. Floyd decided to fall back about 40 miles southeast to what he believed was a more defensible position and ordered Wise to do so as well, but Wise refused and mocked Floyd as he had been mocked in August. On September 21, Gen. Robert E. Lee
arrived at the orders of President Jefferson Davis
to take command of forces in the Kanawha Valley region. Lee determined that Wise had been correct, and ordered Floyd's brigade back to Sewell Mountain, but also unified the command under Floyd and sent Wise to Richmond for assignment.
Throughout September and October, the brigade maneuvered around the area in several abortive attempts at an attack on Rosecrans' retreating men. Lee was recalled east October 30, leaving sole command to Floyd, who was becoming more unpopular. Several officers of the 45th Virginia resigned over harsh treatment of their men, and Floyd angrily replaced them, including Captains Joseph Harrison, Alexander Davis, and George Gose. In November, Floyd began shelling Rosecrans' position, but did not order an attack and, when Rosecrans began an offensive of his own on November 10 was forced to retreat on roads made miserable by bad weather. He retreated all the way to Dublin
in by December 9 before halting and entering winter quarters.
In December, the 45th Virginia became part of a new brigade that was placed under Heth, who was based in Lewisburg
and Lt. Col. William E. Peters took charge of the regiment. January was the end of the regiment's enlistment, and the men were promised $500 and a chance to elect new officers if they signed on for another three-year term. Despite only suffering 4 killed in battle and 70 killed by disease, there was much less enthusiasm than in the previous year.
. Floyd and most of his command was transferred to Tennessee to support the activities of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston
, and the 45th Virginia spent the next several months maneuvering. In April, Lee, now special military adviser to the President, ordered the regiment to Knoxville, but Brig. Gen. Heth convinced him that it was more vital to guard rail lines in southwest Virginia.
On April 30, the 45th Virginia was asked to quickly counter Union movements by Brig. Gen. Jacob D. Cox in Giles County
. On May 10, Heth led a small brigade, including the 45th Virginia, against the 23rd Ohio, now under the command of Lt. Col. Rutherford B. Hayes
at Giles Court House, driving them out of their position. Heth praised the leadership of Peters, but when the regiment was finally reorganized four days later, Peters was not elected and left the regiment.
Tazewell native William Browne, a West Point graduate and commander of Company G, was elected colonel, and another Tazewell native, Edwin Houston Harman, was elected lieutenant colonel. Alexander Davis became the new major, and the men also took the opportunity to replace five of the ten company commanders, plus the two who had been promoted, as well as many of the lieutenants.
Heth received word that Col. George Crook
had occupied Lewisburg and took the 45th and 22nd Virginia
and Finney's Battalion to drive them off. Heth mismanaged his affair, and Crook easily defeated the attack, with only the 45th Virginia maintaining some order. He spent the rest of the summer withdrawing, much to the anger of local residents, until he was transferred to Tennessee and replaced by Brig. Gen. John Echols
, a Virginia Military Institute
graduate.
Maj. Gen. William W. Loring
, who had command of the Department of Southwestern Virginia that the 45th Virginia was operating within, decided to unite his forces in order to drive the Union troops from the Kanawha Valley. At 5 am on September 10, Loring deployed his forces on the approach to the Union camp at Fayetteville
, with the 45th Virginia on the left reassigned to the brigade of Brig. Gen. John S. Williams
. They advanced through heavy fire, Browne writing, “the enemy threw grape and minie-balls thick as hail around us,” until nightfall stopped the brigade. The Union withdrew during the night and began a nearly week-long pursuit to Charleston
. The Confederates reached the city in the midst of a Union retreat. Lt. James Hackler and three other men from Company C crossed the river while the town was still half-occupied and hauled down the garrison’s colors, returning with them over the river safely.
With the conclusion of the Battle of Charleston
, Loring had effectively cleared all Union troops from the Kanawha Valley and issued a proclamation saying, "The army of the Confederate states has come upon you to expel the enemy, to rescue the people from despotism of the counterfeit State government imposed on you by Northern bayonets, and to restore the country once more to its natural allegiance to the State." Loring also called on the western counties to cease all cooperation with the Northern armies and to send men for new regiments for his own.
The occupation of Charleston was short-lived, though. Lee's defeat at the Battle of Antietam
led him to order Loring to the Shenandoah Valley
to reinforce him in case Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan
pursued the Army of Northern Virginia
across the Potomac River
. Loring chose to remain in Charleston instead and was summoned to Richmond, where he began marching with his entire army. On October 16, he was summoned again, but this time was also relieved of command, with Echols replacing him temporarily. Echols tried to move the army back to Charleston, but Union forces had already made the position untenable, so he placed the army into winter quarters on a line from Lewisburg to Princeton
.
In November, the 45th Virginia's brigade commander, John S. Williams, was made the new head of the Department of Southwestern Virginia to replace Loring, and it was subordinated to the new Trans-Allegheny Department covering all of western Virginia to the Kentucky
border, which Williams also commanded temporarily, until Davis settled on Maj. Gen. Samuel Jones.
, had become of vital importance to Confederate forces in Virginia. Most of the salt used in preserving meat for the armies came from southwestern Virginia and the Department of the Trans-Allegheny generally, and the 45th Virginia specifically, were charged with protecting the supply. Throughout the winter, the regiment engaged in a series of periodic maneuvers designed to support an offensive that never occurred. Mostly, the regiment moved from town to town, even taking the time to rebuild the home of a local man whose house was destroyed by a windstorm.
Summer brought the admission of the state of West Virginia
into the Union, as well as Brig. Gen. William W. Averell
to southwestern Virginia and a renewed Union offensive. Averell launched another offensive towards Lewisburg and the Confederate government became concerned about the law library containing the deeds to all the land in western counties of Virginia, recently declared as a new state of West Virginia. Troops from the Trans-Allegheny Department, now under Maj. Gen. Samuel Jones, were asked to protect Lewisburg.
A brigade under Col. William L. Jackson attempted to slow Averell and the 45th Virginia, camped in Lewisburg, attempted to come up on his rear. When Jackson was forced to fall back, Jones sent the 22nd Virginia under Col. George S. Patton and the 26th Virginia Battalion and together, with a handful of other troops, they confronted Averell at White Sulphur Springs on August 26. Two companies detached from the 45th Virginia under Lt. Col. Harman entered the fight on the left "fighting like demons," in his words. As Averell added troops against them Col. Browne sent companies to reinforce and, finally, Maj. Davis brought the rest of the regiment.
After Averell's troops had made four charges on his men, Harman wrote:
The fighting continued until nightfall, when both armies slept on the field. The next morning, Averell ordered one more charge and was again repulsed. For their stand at White Sulphur Springs, the men of the 45th Virginia won praise from Jones, who wrote in his report that they had "inscribed their names high on the roll of those who in this war have illustrated the valor of our troops." Col Browne also commented that "notwithstanding long marches my men had made (having marched about 100 miles during the four days preceding this engagement), I had no stragglers or skulkers. I have never on any battle-field seen men act cooler or braver; they fought with a determination to do or die."
With the Confederate forces in Tennessee under heavy pressure as the Union approached Chickamauga
during September, the 45th Virginia and much of Jones' command was transferred to East Tennessee. Initially, the regiment was ordered to remain to defend Saltville and the mines while its division went west, but on September 19 the battle at Chickamauga spurred Confederate war planners to order them to Tennessee as well.
Jones began a series of maneuvers and skirmishes around the Wautauga River against the Army of the Ohio
under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside
. But when Burnside fell back on Knoxville by mid-October, Jones decided to return the 45th Virginia to Saltville, while the rest of the command joined in the campaign of James Longstreet
to lay siege to the Army of the Ohio.
The regiment had already settled into winter quarters when a raid by Averell into the New River Valley
threatened the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad again. December 16, the 45th Virginia set out for New River Bridge, then spent Christmas Day in the town of Salem, before the threat was ended and it returned to Saltville and winter quarters. On the final day of 1863, 918 men were listed on the roll as members of the regiment, 702 of whom were present, the rest presumably on sick leave or furlough
.
. It was decided for the latter. On the final day of April, roll shows that the regiment had 840 present.
By spring, the Union's new General-in-chief Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
launched a new strategy for the war that coordinated action in all theaters. In southwestern Virginia and West Virginia, this meant Averell would move against Saltville and Wytheville, where substantial lead mines existed, and Brig. Gen. George Crook
would cut the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad in New River Gorge. Then they would meet up with Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel
, who was advancing on the Shenandoah Valley
, at Lynchburg
and march on to Richmond.
While John Hunt Morgan
dealt with Averell, the 45th Virginia was hurried west to confront Crook. Brig. Gen. Albert G. Jenkins
brigade of cavalry had halted Crook at Cloyd's Mountain
and the 45th Virginia joined them there. Col. Browne spread out his companies on the Confederate left and faced the brunt of Crook's infantry, a brigade of Ohioans under the regiment's old opponent Rutherford B. Hayes, including the 23rd Ohio. Lt. Col. Harman, in command of that portion of the line, sent Major Davis for reinforcements from the 60th Virginia
, who sent two companies, but while he was placing them he was struck by a musket ball and mortally wounded.
The Union soldiers were pushed back, but when the Confederates pursued them, they turned the tables and the Confederates began to run. Davis tried to stabilize the line, but intense hand-to-hand combat broke out and the flank as turned. Jenkins himself was hit in the arm while at the head of the 45th Virginia and carried form the battle field, mortally wounded, and cavalry Col. John McCausland
assumed command. He ordered a full retreat that left much of the regiment's supply train on the field, along with 46 of its men that were captured, along with 96 wounded, and 26 killed, its worst casualties so far.
Crook, however, did not pursue, having heard of the heavy losses taken by the Army of the Potomac
in the Wilderness
north of Richmond, as well as the defeat of Sigel at the New Market
. McCausland moved his army back into the territory, and a number of the men of the 45th Virginia became responsible for burying the dead on the Cloyd's Mountain battlefield on May 18. As the campaign north of Richmond
became bloodier, Breckinridge was called to Richmond with a division of his command, and Brig. Gen. William "Grumble" Jones took over the remainder of the department. Sigel was replaced by Maj. Gen. David Hunter
, with instructions to destroy Confederate property in the Shenandoah Valley, in order to deprive Lee's Army of Northern Virginia
of supplies, particularly food.
. The 45th Virginia and the rest of Jones' men were transported by rail to Port Republic
, but when Hunter did not appear began marching towards Staunton
. On June 5, the two armies encountered each other at the village of Piedmont
. The 45th Virginia took up position behind rail pens and endured a heavy Union artillery barrage. Hunter moved several regiments around the Confederate right flank under cover of woods, which Jones discovered too late. While trying to rally his men, he was struck in the head and killed.
The Confederates were routed, with heavy losses. The 45th Virginia suffered at least 325 men captured, dozens wounded, and six killed, though the poorly kept records almost certainly underestimate losses for the battle. Col. Browne was wounded and captured. A West Point classmate, Capt. Henry A. du Pont
visited him in the hospital and loaned him some money for his imprisonment, but three days later his wounds took a bad turn and he died suddenly. Alexander Davis was also captured, along with three company commanders and two more were seriously wounded. The regiment also lost its colors, when they were seized by Pvt Thomas Evans
, a Welsh immigrant in the 54th Pennsylvania, who would be awarded the Medal of Honor
for his actions. The men slowly regrouped at Waynesboro
with fewer than 300 remaining.
The regiment fell back to Lynchburg
, now being led by the commander of Company E, the recently promoted Major Francis Miller, a Prussian immigrant who began the war as the regiment's commissary sergeant. In Lynchburg, they joined with Breckinridge, who had been returned to western Virginia to fight Hunter, who was advancing on Lynchburg with a sizable army. McCausland's cavalry managed to delay Hunter
long enough for reinforcements to arrive from Lee under Maj. Gen. Jubal A. Early, who moved box cars back and forth loudly and successfully fooled Hunter into retreating.
and planned an offensive campaign to take pressure off of Lee. The 45th Virginia was placed in the brigade of their former major, Gabriel Wharton, now a brigadier general. The regiments march with Early down the Valley to Shepherdstown
was its first with a unit larger than a brigade, and it crossed the Potomac River
on July 5. Four days later, on July 9, Early fought a battle against a hodge-podge force of Union defenders under Lew Wallace
at Monocacy Junction
, but Wharton's brigade was held in reserve and saw no action.
By July 11, the men of the 45th Virginia could see the recently completed dome of the United States Capitol
building from their position in Silver Spring
. It was not involved in the fighting near Fort Stevens
, though, and on July 13, Wharton's brigade began clearing Union troops to the army's rear as it fell back to the Potomac, including at Heaton's Crossroads and Cool Spring
.
Throughout the retreat, Crook had been shadowing Early's movement to the west, but on July 24, Early suddenly attacked him at Kernstown
. As part of Wharton's brigade, the 45th Virginia turned Crook's left flank and routed his army. The move freed John McCausland's cavalry to return Maryland, where he attempted to hold the city of Chambersburg
ransom. When his price of $500,000 was not met, he ordered Col. William Peters – erstwhile commander of the 45th Virginia, now leading the 21st Virginia Cavalry
– to burn the city. When he refused, he was arrested and McCausland set the city ablaze. "Remember Chambersburg" became a rallying cry for Northern troops.
Early remained in the lower Valley into August, when Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan
was put in command of all Union forces with orders to eliminate Early. Breckinridge had been transferred out of the theater again and Wharton assumed command of the division, with his brigade led by Col. Augustus Forsburg of the 51st Virginia. Over the next two weeks, Early and Sheridan took turns pursuing each other up and down the Valley, and the Confederates were reinforced by a division under Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson
. Wharton's division led the pursuit of the Union back to Winchester, capturing about 200.
The 45th Virginia was held in reserve with the rest of Wharton's Division during the Battle of Summit Point
on August 21. The pursuit and counter-pursuit continued. On September 4, Wharton was ordered to Berryville
and found Anderson's men engaged with the division of Joseph Thoburn
of Sheridan's army. The 45th Virginia and the rest of the division took up a position on Anderson's left flank and secured it, while the Confederates drove off Thoburn's men. But during the battle, Sheridan had been able to draw up the rest of his army, so Early ordered the Southerners to take up a position on Opequon Creek
south of Winchester.
During August, Lee had lost control of the Weldon Railroad south of Petersburg
as Grant extended his lines to the west. Anderson was ordered back to Petersburg with his men and Wharton's division was moved north of Winchester to defend the battery that would cover the movement on September 16. Sheridan ordered an all-out assault
and caught Wharton's division well north of the town at 8:00 am. Around 11:00, cavalry under Brig. Gen. George A. Custer penetrated the line, but the Confederates eventually drove him back.
The division was withdrawn to about a mile north of Winchester, to link up with the rest of Early's line, with the 45th Virginia's brigade on the extreme left flank. Wharton's division was the focal point of a charge by Thoburn's division of Crook's army, which the 45th Virginia and its division turned back with heavy casualties. Thoburn reorganized and kept up the assaults and was joined by Averell's cavalry, who managed to get behind Forsberg's brigade. The division broke, followed by the army, and the men of the 45th Virginia ran back through town while Averell's cavalry rounded up prisoners. At least five members of the regiment were killed and 79 were captured.
Early drew a new battle line a few miles south at Fisher's Hill
, with Wharton's division entrenched at the top, Forsberg's brigade connecting to the division of John B. Gordon. The division held off the larger Union division attacking it, but once again Thoburn's division along with the division of Rutherford Hayes turned the Confederate left flank and the army was routed. Wharton's men were able to form a rear guard and most of the army escaped up the Valley. Sheridan began a campaign to destroy everything that could be of use to the Confederate army.
Early took the opportunity to advance back down the Valley. By October 1, the army had reached Mount Sidney. In Forsberg's Brigade, only 417 men were listed present for duty, with probably fewer than 200 in the 45th Virginia. Sheridan, thinking that the Confederates in the Valley were no longer a threat, began withdrawing towards Winchester. The Confederates surprised Union troops camped near Hupp's Hill on October 13, and then took up defensive positions on Fisher's Hill, alerting Sheridan to the danger and leading him to order his full army of 30,000 to Cedar Creek.
Before dawn on October 19, Early put his small army into position to attack, surprising the sleeping Union army
, with Sheridan not present. The 45th Virginia, their brigade now being led by Captain R.H. Logan, advanced on the extreme left with the division and swept the Union men in front of them from the field. Wharton's division was moved to the right, with the 45th Virginia's brigade again on the extreme flank. The starving division became caught up gorging themselves on Union supplies captured in Middleburg and soon the looting spread to the whole army. But the Union army was not yet routed, and Sheridan arrived on the battlefield, reorganizing his army. The Union crashed into Early's left, and the whole Southern army took flight, leaving the captured supplies and many of their own, too.
The army camped for several weeks at New Market and the 45th Virginia received 44 new conscripts from Richmond, mostly over the age of 45. Again, Sheridan withdrew north, and again Early followed him, but the army was too weakened to directly challenge the Union army and eventually returned to New Market. With the arrival of cold weather and no winter clothes or shoes, the 45th Virginia refused to drill in the snow on December 6 and was placed under arrest by the 51st Virginia at Wharton's orders with Captain Rufus Wainwright temporarily taking command of the regiment. By December 16, Wharton's Division was all that remained of Early's command, the rest having been returned to Lee's army in Petersburg. Over the final weeks of the year, they were marched out of camp in heavy snow to meet several Union advances, but no fighting took place.
, trailed by Custer's cavalry, before forming a line of battle to repulse the Union. Wharton's 800 men were quickly surrounded by the 7,500 Union cavalry and surrendered, though Wharton and Early both escaped. Some of the men of the 45th Virginia managed to escape as well, but Major Miller and 119 of the men were captured.
Those that got away regrouped at Charlottesville and were soon transferred back to Dublin by rail, and marched form there to Christiansburg
, where, upon hearing the news of Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House
, they decided to disband.
Over the course of the war 1,947 men were listed as members of the 45th Virginia at some point during the war, though most of the regiment's records were poorly kept or not preserved, so it is unclear how many were considered true members of the regiment. Union prisoner of war records shows 600 members of the regiment as having been captured, 104 of whom died in captivity. The regiment's records show 65 deaths in battle and 143 deaths from disease or other reasons, some of which may be from wounds.
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 the Commonwealth of 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 in the mountainous area that today encompasses the border regions of Virginia and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, and was part of Jubal Early's Army of the Valley
Army of the Valley
The Army of the Valley was the name given to the army of Lt. Gen. Jubal Early's independent command during the Shenandoah Valley Campaigns in the summer and autumn of 1864. The Army of the Valley was the last Confederate unit to invade Northern territory, reaching the outskirts of Washington, D.C....
during the Valley Campaigns of 1864
Valley Campaigns of 1864
The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864. Military historians divide this period into three separate campaigns, but it is useful to consider the three together and how they...
.
Companies and formation
Companies of militia in southwest VirginiaVirginia
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...
began to form as soon as secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
occurred on April 17, 1861. Ex-governor John B. Floyd
John B. Floyd
John Buchanan Floyd was the 31st Governor of Virginia, U.S. Secretary of War, and the Confederate general in the American Civil War who lost the crucial Battle of Fort Donelson.-Early life:...
was made a brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
and asked to organize these militia into a fighting force. Floyd called the militia to assemble at the central railroad hub of Wytheville and appointed West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
graduate Henry Heth
Henry Heth
Henry "Harry" Heth was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He is best remembered for inadvertently precipitating the Battle of Gettysburg, when he sent some of his troops of the Army of Northern Virginia to the small Pennsylvania village,...
to drill and organize the volunteers.
By May 29, Heth had formed ten companies of roughly 900 men into a fighting unit and it was mustered in as the 45th Virginia.
The original ten companies were:
- Company A – Floyd Guard (TazewellTazewell County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 44,598 people, 18,277 households and 13,232 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 people per square mile . There were 20,390 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile...
Co.), under Captain Joseph Harrison - Company B – Mount Airy Rough and Readys (WytheWythe County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 27,599 people, 11,511 households, and 8,103 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 people per square mile . There were 12,744 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
Co.), under Captain John Buchanan - Company C – Grayson Rifles (GraysonGrayson County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 17,917 people, 7,259 households, and 5,088 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 people per square mile . There were 9,123 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
Co.), under Captain Alexander M. Davis - Company D – Minute Men (Wythe Co.), under Captain Robert H. Gleaves
- Company E – Rough and Readys (CarrollCarroll County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 29,245 people, 12,186 households, and 8,786 families residing in the county. The population density was 61 people per square mile . There were 14,680 housing units at an average density of 31 per square mile...
Co.), under Captain William Lundy - Company F – Sharpshooters (BlandBland County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 6,871 people, 2,568 households, and 1,908 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 3,161 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile...
Co.), under Captain Andrew J. Grayson - Company G – West Augusta Rifles (Tazewell Co.), under Captain William H. Browne
- Company H – Tazewell Rangers (Tazewell Co.), under Captain Edwin H. Harman
- Company I – Reed Island Rifles (Carroll Co.), under Captain Thomas D. Bolt
- Company K – Tazewell Boys(Tazewell Co.), under Captain Titus V. Williams
On June 17, Heth was promoted to colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and made commander of the regiment. Born in Tidewater Virginia, Heth was unpopular with the mountain farmers and was known as a strict disciplinarian. In turn, Heth was frustrated by the illiteracy and lack of discipline of his men, as well as General Floyd's actions as commanding officer. He wrote of Floyd, "I soon discovered that my chief was as incapacitated for the work he had undertaken as I would have been to lead an Italian opera."
The regiment also elected Gabriel Colvin Wharton, a Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
graduate from Culpeper
Culpeper County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,262 people, 12,141 households, and 9,045 families residing in the county. The population density was 90 people per square mile . There were 12,871 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
as major, but within a month he was made a colonel, in command of the 51st Virginia Infantry
51st Virginia Infantry
The 51st 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 in Tennessee and western Virginia with help of william Elkins....
.
Western Virginia Campaign of 1861
In August, Floyd decided to move his brigade (the 45th Virginia and the 50th Virginia50th Virginia Infantry
The 50th 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 and in Tennessee....
) into the Kanawha Valley in present-day West Virginia, possibly because of the recent retreat of his political rival, former governor and Confederate brigadier general Henry A. Wise
Henry A. Wise
Henry Alexander Wise was an American politician and governor of Virginia, as well as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
from the same territory. Throughout the month he moved his two regiments north slowly, until they were eventually joined by two more from Wise's brigade, the 22nd and 36th Virginia.
On August 25, scouts reported the 7th Ohio Infantry
7th Ohio Infantry
The 7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment formed in northeastern Ohio for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
in camp at Carnifex Ferry and Floyd, after asking Heth's advice, ordered an attack. The 45th Virginia lost its first man killed in battle, but the brigade easily routed the Ohio soldiers. Floyd made camp at Carnifex Ferry and remained there until September 10, when a Union brigade under Brig. Gen. William S. Rosecrans arrived and drove off Floyd's brigade in the Battle of Carnifex Ferry
Battle of Carnifex Ferry
The Battle of Carnifex Ferry took place on September 10, 1861, in Nicholas County, Virginia , as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. The battle resulted in a Union victory that contributed to the eventual Confederate withdrawal from western Virginia...
. During the battle, Floyd was wounded in the arm and treated by a surgeon of the regiment. The 45th Virginia lost no men in the battle, but suffered three casualties while retreating towards Dogwood Gap.
Floyd and Wise met up at Dogwood Gap and together withdrew to Sewell Mountain in Fayette County
Fayette County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,579 people, 18,945 households, and 13,128 families residing in the county. The population density was 72 people per square mile . There were 21,616 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
, where the 45th Virginia received a new company out of Tazewell County, Company L. Floyd decided to fall back about 40 miles southeast to what he believed was a more defensible position and ordered Wise to do so as well, but Wise refused and mocked Floyd as he had been mocked in August. On September 21, Gen. Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
arrived at the orders of President Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
to take command of forces in the Kanawha Valley region. Lee determined that Wise had been correct, and ordered Floyd's brigade back to Sewell Mountain, but also unified the command under Floyd and sent Wise to Richmond for assignment.
Throughout September and October, the brigade maneuvered around the area in several abortive attempts at an attack on Rosecrans' retreating men. Lee was recalled east October 30, leaving sole command to Floyd, who was becoming more unpopular. Several officers of the 45th Virginia resigned over harsh treatment of their men, and Floyd angrily replaced them, including Captains Joseph Harrison, Alexander Davis, and George Gose. In November, Floyd began shelling Rosecrans' position, but did not order an attack and, when Rosecrans began an offensive of his own on November 10 was forced to retreat on roads made miserable by bad weather. He retreated all the way to Dublin
Dublin, Virginia
Dublin is a town in Pulaski County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,534 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Blacksburg–Christiansburg–Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in by December 9 before halting and entering winter quarters.
In December, the 45th Virginia became part of a new brigade that was placed under Heth, who was based in Lewisburg
Lewisburg, West Virginia
Lewisburg is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,830 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Greenbrier County.-Geography:Lewisburg is located at ....
and Lt. Col. William E. Peters took charge of the regiment. January was the end of the regiment's enlistment, and the men were promised $500 and a chance to elect new officers if they signed on for another three-year term. Despite only suffering 4 killed in battle and 70 killed by disease, there was much less enthusiasm than in the previous year.
Campaigns of 1862
In January, most of the regiment re-enlisted, and Company L was transferred to the 23rd Virginia Infantry23rd Virginia Infantry
The 23rd 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....
. Floyd and most of his command was transferred to Tennessee to support the activities of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston served as a general in three different armies: the Texas Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army...
, and the 45th Virginia spent the next several months maneuvering. In April, Lee, now special military adviser to the President, ordered the regiment to Knoxville, but Brig. Gen. Heth convinced him that it was more vital to guard rail lines in southwest Virginia.
On April 30, the 45th Virginia was asked to quickly counter Union movements by Brig. Gen. Jacob D. Cox in Giles County
Giles County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,657 people, 6,994 households, and 4,888 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 7,732 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
. On May 10, Heth led a small brigade, including the 45th Virginia, against the 23rd Ohio, now under the command of Lt. Col. Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...
at Giles Court House, driving them out of their position. Heth praised the leadership of Peters, but when the regiment was finally reorganized four days later, Peters was not elected and left the regiment.
Tazewell native William Browne, a West Point graduate and commander of Company G, was elected colonel, and another Tazewell native, Edwin Houston Harman, was elected lieutenant colonel. Alexander Davis became the new major, and the men also took the opportunity to replace five of the ten company commanders, plus the two who had been promoted, as well as many of the lieutenants.
Heth received word that Col. George Crook
George Crook
George R. Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
had occupied Lewisburg and took the 45th and 22nd Virginia
22nd Virginia Infantry
22nd Virginia Infantry was a Confederate regiment during the American Civil War. Its commander was George S. Patton, the grandfather of World War II General George S. Patton.-Organization:...
and Finney's Battalion to drive them off. Heth mismanaged his affair, and Crook easily defeated the attack, with only the 45th Virginia maintaining some order. He spent the rest of the summer withdrawing, much to the anger of local residents, until he was transferred to Tennessee and replaced by Brig. Gen. John Echols
John Echols
John Echols was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:Echols was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, and was educated at the Virginia Military Institute, Washington College and Harvard College. A tall imposing man, standing 6 feet 4 inches tall, Echols...
, a Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
graduate.
Maj. Gen. William W. Loring
William W. Loring
William Wing Loring was a soldier from North Carolina who served in the armies of the United States, the Confederacy, and Egypt.-Early life:...
, who had command of the Department of Southwestern Virginia that the 45th Virginia was operating within, decided to unite his forces in order to drive the Union troops from the Kanawha Valley. At 5 am on September 10, Loring deployed his forces on the approach to the Union camp at Fayetteville
Fayetteville, West Virginia
Fayetteville is a town in and the county seat of Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,754 at the 2000 census.Fayetteville was listed as one of the 2006 "Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America" by Budget Travel Magazine ....
, with the 45th Virginia on the left reassigned to the brigade of Brig. Gen. John S. Williams
John Stuart Williams
John Stuart Williams was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and a postbellum Democratic U.S. Senator from Kentucky.-Early life and career:...
. They advanced through heavy fire, Browne writing, “the enemy threw grape and minie-balls thick as hail around us,” until nightfall stopped the brigade. The Union withdrew during the night and began a nearly week-long pursuit to Charleston
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
. The Confederates reached the city in the midst of a Union retreat. Lt. James Hackler and three other men from Company C crossed the river while the town was still half-occupied and hauled down the garrison’s colors, returning with them over the river safely.
With the conclusion of the Battle of Charleston
Battle of Charleston (1862)
The Battle of Charleston was an engagement on September 13, 1862, near Charleston, Virginia during the American Civil War. It should not be confused with the Battle of Charleston , which occurred a year earlier in Missouri...
, Loring had effectively cleared all Union troops from the Kanawha Valley and issued a proclamation saying, "The army of the Confederate states has come upon you to expel the enemy, to rescue the people from despotism of the counterfeit State government imposed on you by Northern bayonets, and to restore the country once more to its natural allegiance to the State." Loring also called on the western counties to cease all cooperation with the Northern armies and to send men for new regiments for his own.
The occupation of Charleston was short-lived, though. Lee's defeat at the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
led him to order Loring to the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
to reinforce him in case Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
pursued 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...
across the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
. Loring chose to remain in Charleston instead and was summoned to Richmond, where he began marching with his entire army. On October 16, he was summoned again, but this time was also relieved of command, with Echols replacing him temporarily. Echols tried to move the army back to Charleston, but Union forces had already made the position untenable, so he placed the army into winter quarters on a line from Lewisburg to Princeton
Princeton, West Virginia
Princeton is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 7,652 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 111,586. It is the county seat of Mercer County...
.
In November, the 45th Virginia's brigade commander, John S. Williams, was made the new head of the Department of Southwestern Virginia to replace Loring, and it was subordinated to the new Trans-Allegheny Department covering all of western Virginia to the Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
border, which Williams also commanded temporarily, until Davis settled on Maj. Gen. Samuel Jones.
1863: Defending the Railroad and the Salt Mines
By the winter of 1863, the salt mines of Saltville, VirginiaSaltville, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,204 people, 909 households, and 660 families residing in the town. The population density was 273.7 people per square mile . There were 1,003 housing units at an average density of 124.5 per square mile...
, had become of vital importance to Confederate forces in Virginia. Most of the salt used in preserving meat for the armies came from southwestern Virginia and the Department of the Trans-Allegheny generally, and the 45th Virginia specifically, were charged with protecting the supply. Throughout the winter, the regiment engaged in a series of periodic maneuvers designed to support an offensive that never occurred. Mostly, the regiment moved from town to town, even taking the time to rebuild the home of a local man whose house was destroyed by a windstorm.
Summer brought the admission of the state of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
into the Union, as well as Brig. Gen. William W. Averell
William W. Averell
William Woods Averell was a career United States Army officer and a cavalry general in the American Civil War. After the war he was a diplomat and became wealthy by inventing American asphalt pavement.-Early years:...
to southwestern Virginia and a renewed Union offensive. Averell launched another offensive towards Lewisburg and the Confederate government became concerned about the law library containing the deeds to all the land in western counties of Virginia, recently declared as a new state of West Virginia. Troops from the Trans-Allegheny Department, now under Maj. Gen. Samuel Jones, were asked to protect Lewisburg.
A brigade under Col. William L. Jackson attempted to slow Averell and the 45th Virginia, camped in Lewisburg, attempted to come up on his rear. When Jackson was forced to fall back, Jones sent the 22nd Virginia under Col. George S. Patton and the 26th Virginia Battalion and together, with a handful of other troops, they confronted Averell at White Sulphur Springs on August 26. Two companies detached from the 45th Virginia under Lt. Col. Harman entered the fight on the left "fighting like demons," in his words. As Averell added troops against them Col. Browne sent companies to reinforce and, finally, Maj. Davis brought the rest of the regiment.
After Averell's troops had made four charges on his men, Harman wrote:
After they had charged our regt four different times – and had been repulsed – the next time they came through the brush and go up to within 20 paces before we saw them – and the officers hollowed to us – damn you – aint you Rebels going to run – one of my fellows – replied – no damn you we aint and then we give them such a terrific fire they could not withstand it and ran themselves. Our regt repulsed eight heavy and furious charges.
The fighting continued until nightfall, when both armies slept on the field. The next morning, Averell ordered one more charge and was again repulsed. For their stand at White Sulphur Springs, the men of the 45th Virginia won praise from Jones, who wrote in his report that they had "inscribed their names high on the roll of those who in this war have illustrated the valor of our troops." Col Browne also commented that "notwithstanding long marches my men had made (having marched about 100 miles during the four days preceding this engagement), I had no stragglers or skulkers. I have never on any battle-field seen men act cooler or braver; they fought with a determination to do or die."
With the Confederate forces in Tennessee under heavy pressure as the Union approached Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
during September, the 45th Virginia and much of Jones' command was transferred to East Tennessee. Initially, the regiment was ordered to remain to defend Saltville and the mines while its division went west, but on September 19 the battle at Chickamauga spurred Confederate war planners to order them to Tennessee as well.
Jones began a series of maneuvers and skirmishes around the Wautauga River against the Army of the Ohio
Army of the Ohio
The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863.-History:...
under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
. But when Burnside fell back on Knoxville by mid-October, Jones decided to return the 45th Virginia to Saltville, while the rest of the command joined in the campaign of James Longstreet
James Longstreet
James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." He served under Lee as a corps commander for many of the famous battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the...
to lay siege to the Army of the Ohio.
The regiment had already settled into winter quarters when a raid by Averell into the New River Valley
New River Valley
The New River Valley is a region in the eastern United States along the New River in the Commonwealth of Virginia . The valley comprises the counties of Montgomery , Pulaski, Floyd, Giles and the independent City of Radford...
threatened the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad again. December 16, the 45th Virginia set out for New River Bridge, then spent Christmas Day in the town of Salem, before the threat was ended and it returned to Saltville and winter quarters. On the final day of 1863, 918 men were listed on the roll as members of the regiment, 702 of whom were present, the rest presumably on sick leave or furlough
Furlough
In the United States a furlough is a temporary unpaid leave of some employees due to special needs of a company, which may be due to economic conditions at the specific employer or in the economy as a whole...
.
Crook and Averell's Raids
The regiment remained around Saltville through the winter, with many of the men reenlisting for the duration of the war. By early March, there was a debate as to whether the regiment belonged to Longstreet's command in East Tennessee with the rest of its brigade, or remained in the Department of Trans-Allegheny under its new head, Maj. Gen. John C. BreckinridgeJohn C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
. It was decided for the latter. On the final day of April, roll shows that the regiment had 840 present.
By spring, the Union's new General-in-chief Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
launched a new strategy for the war that coordinated action in all theaters. In southwestern Virginia and West Virginia, this meant Averell would move against Saltville and Wytheville, where substantial lead mines existed, and Brig. Gen. George Crook
George Crook
George R. Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
would cut the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad in New River Gorge. Then they would meet up with Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel
Franz Sigel
Franz Sigel was a German military officer, revolutionist and immigrant to the United States who was a teacher, newspaperman, politician, and served as a Union major general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, who was advancing on the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
, at Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
and march on to Richmond.
While John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general and cavalry officer in the American Civil War.Morgan is best known for Morgan's Raid when, in 1863, he and his men rode over 1,000 miles covering a region from Tennessee, up through Kentucky, into Indiana and on to southern Ohio...
dealt with Averell, the 45th Virginia was hurried west to confront Crook. Brig. Gen. Albert G. Jenkins
Albert G. Jenkins
Albert Gallatin Jenkins was an attorney, planter, representative to the United States Congress and First Confederate Congress, and a Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War...
brigade of cavalry had halted Crook at Cloyd's Mountain
Battle of Cloyd's Mountain
The Battle of Cloyd's Mountain was a Union victory in western Virginia in 1864 that allowed the Union forces to destroy the last railroad connecting Tennessee to Virginia.-Background:...
and the 45th Virginia joined them there. Col. Browne spread out his companies on the Confederate left and faced the brunt of Crook's infantry, a brigade of Ohioans under the regiment's old opponent Rutherford B. Hayes, including the 23rd Ohio. Lt. Col. Harman, in command of that portion of the line, sent Major Davis for reinforcements from the 60th Virginia
60th Virginia Infantry
The 60th 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 and in Tennessee....
, who sent two companies, but while he was placing them he was struck by a musket ball and mortally wounded.
The Union soldiers were pushed back, but when the Confederates pursued them, they turned the tables and the Confederates began to run. Davis tried to stabilize the line, but intense hand-to-hand combat broke out and the flank as turned. Jenkins himself was hit in the arm while at the head of the 45th Virginia and carried form the battle field, mortally wounded, and cavalry Col. John McCausland
John McCausland
John McCausland, Jr. was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army, famous for the ransom of Hagerstown, Maryland, and the razing of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War....
assumed command. He ordered a full retreat that left much of the regiment's supply train on the field, along with 46 of its men that were captured, along with 96 wounded, and 26 killed, its worst casualties so far.
Crook, however, did not pursue, having heard of the heavy losses taken by the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
in the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
north of Richmond, as well as the defeat of Sigel at the New Market
Battle of New Market
The Battle of New Market was a battle fought on May 15, 1864, in Virginia during Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War. Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute fought alongside the Confederate Army and forced Union General Franz Sigel and his army out of the Shenandoah...
. McCausland moved his army back into the territory, and a number of the men of the 45th Virginia became responsible for burying the dead on the Cloyd's Mountain battlefield on May 18. As the campaign north of Richmond
Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
became bloodier, Breckinridge was called to Richmond with a division of his command, and Brig. Gen. William "Grumble" Jones took over the remainder of the department. Sigel was replaced by Maj. Gen. David Hunter
David Hunter
David Hunter was a Union general in the American Civil War. He achieved fame by his unauthorized 1862 order emancipating slaves in three Southern states and as the president of the military commission trying the conspirators involved with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.-Early...
, with instructions to destroy Confederate property in the Shenandoah Valley, in order to deprive Lee's 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...
of supplies, particularly food.
The Lynchburg Campaign
Jones brought his troops north, into the Valley to stop Hunter, who had already burned LexingtonLexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...
. The 45th Virginia and the rest of Jones' men were transported by rail to Port Republic
Port Republic, Virginia
Port Republic is an unincorporated community in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. The Battle of Port Republic occurred there in the American Civil War.-History:...
, but when Hunter did not appear began marching towards Staunton
Staunton, Virginia
Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....
. On June 5, the two armies encountered each other at the village of Piedmont
Battle of Piedmont
The Battle of Piedmont was fought June 5, 1864, in the village of Piedmont, Augusta County, Virginia. Union Maj. Gen. David Hunter engaged Confederates under Brig. Gen. William E. "Grumble" Jones north of Piedmont. After severe fighting, Jones was killed and the Confederates were routed...
. The 45th Virginia took up position behind rail pens and endured a heavy Union artillery barrage. Hunter moved several regiments around the Confederate right flank under cover of woods, which Jones discovered too late. While trying to rally his men, he was struck in the head and killed.
The Confederates were routed, with heavy losses. The 45th Virginia suffered at least 325 men captured, dozens wounded, and six killed, though the poorly kept records almost certainly underestimate losses for the battle. Col. Browne was wounded and captured. A West Point classmate, Capt. Henry A. du Pont
Henry A. du Pont
Henry Algernon du Pont , known as "Colonel Henry", was an American soldier and politician from Winterthur, near Greenville, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a veteran of the American Civil War, and a member of the Republican Party, who served two terms as U.S...
visited him in the hospital and loaned him some money for his imprisonment, but three days later his wounds took a bad turn and he died suddenly. Alexander Davis was also captured, along with three company commanders and two more were seriously wounded. The regiment also lost its colors, when they were seized by Pvt Thomas Evans
Thomas Evans (Union soldier)
Thomas Evans , was a soldier in the Union Army who received the United States military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, a Welsh immigrant in the 54th Pennsylvania, who would be awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for his actions. The men slowly regrouped at Waynesboro
Waynesboro, Virginia
Waynesboro, deriving its name from General Anthony Wayne, is an independent city surrounded by Augusta County in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 21,006 in 2010.....
with fewer than 300 remaining.
The regiment fell back to Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
, now being led by the commander of Company E, the recently promoted Major Francis Miller, a Prussian immigrant who began the war as the regiment's commissary sergeant. In Lynchburg, they joined with Breckinridge, who had been returned to western Virginia to fight Hunter, who was advancing on Lynchburg with a sizable army. McCausland's cavalry managed to delay Hunter
Battle of Lynchburg
The Battle of Lynchburg was fought on June 17–18, 1864, two miles outside Lynchburg, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. The Union Army of West Virginia, under Maj. Gen. David Hunter attempted to capture the city, but was repulsed by Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Anderson...
long enough for reinforcements to arrive from Lee under Maj. Gen. Jubal A. Early, who moved box cars back and forth loudly and successfully fooled Hunter into retreating.
Marching with Early
Early quickly reformed the troops at Lynchburg into the Army of the ValleyArmy of the Valley
The Army of the Valley was the name given to the army of Lt. Gen. Jubal Early's independent command during the Shenandoah Valley Campaigns in the summer and autumn of 1864. The Army of the Valley was the last Confederate unit to invade Northern territory, reaching the outskirts of Washington, D.C....
and planned an offensive campaign to take pressure off of Lee. The 45th Virginia was placed in the brigade of their former major, Gabriel Wharton, now a brigadier general. The regiments march with Early down the Valley to Shepherdstown
Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, located along the Potomac River. It is the oldest town in the state, having been chartered in 1762 by Colonial Virginia's General Assembly. Since 1863, Shepherdstown has been in West Virginia, and is the oldest town in...
was its first with a unit larger than a brigade, and it crossed the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
on July 5. Four days later, on July 9, Early fought a battle against a hodge-podge force of Union defenders under Lew Wallace
Lew Wallace
Lewis "Lew" Wallace was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, territorial governor and statesman, politician and author...
at Monocacy Junction
Battle of Monocacy
The Battle of Monocacy was fought on July 9, 1864, just outside Frederick, Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864, in the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early defeated Union forces under Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace...
, but Wharton's brigade was held in reserve and saw no action.
By July 11, the men of the 45th Virginia could see the recently completed dome of the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
building from their position in Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
. It was not involved in the fighting near Fort Stevens
Battle of Fort Stevens
The Battle of Fort Stevens was an American Civil War battle fought July 11–12, 1864, in Northwest Washington, D.C., as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 between forces under Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early and Union Maj. Gen. Alexander McD. McCook. Although Early caused consternation...
, though, and on July 13, Wharton's brigade began clearing Union troops to the army's rear as it fell back to the Potomac, including at Heaton's Crossroads and Cool Spring
Battle of Cool Spring
The Battle of Cool Spring, also known as Castleman's Ferry, Island Ford, Parker's Ford, and Snicker's Ferry, was a battle in the American Civil War fought July 17–18, 1864, in Clarke County, Virginia, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864...
.
Throughout the retreat, Crook had been shadowing Early's movement to the west, but on July 24, Early suddenly attacked him at Kernstown
Battle of Kernstown II
-References:* Patchan, Scott C. Shenandoah Summer: The 1864 Valley Campaign. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2007. ISBN 978-0-8032-3754-4.-External links:* for July 24, 1864, of Major Alexander Hart of the 5th Louisiana Regiment.*...
. As part of Wharton's brigade, the 45th Virginia turned Crook's left flank and routed his army. The move freed John McCausland's cavalry to return Maryland, where he attempted to hold the city of Chambersburg
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
ransom. When his price of $500,000 was not met, he ordered Col. William Peters – erstwhile commander of the 45th Virginia, now leading the 21st Virginia Cavalry
21st Virginia Cavalry
The 21st Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought in Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee, and the Shenandoah Valley....
– to burn the city. When he refused, he was arrested and McCausland set the city ablaze. "Remember Chambersburg" became a rallying cry for Northern troops.
Early remained in the lower Valley into August, when Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
was put in command of all Union forces with orders to eliminate Early. Breckinridge had been transferred out of the theater again and Wharton assumed command of the division, with his brigade led by Col. Augustus Forsburg of the 51st Virginia. Over the next two weeks, Early and Sheridan took turns pursuing each other up and down the Valley, and the Confederates were reinforced by a division under Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson
Richard H. Anderson
Richard Heron Anderson was a career U.S. Army officer, fighting with distinction in the Mexican-American War. He also served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War, fighting in the Eastern Theater of the conflict and most notably during the 1864 Battle of Spotsylvania Court House...
. Wharton's division led the pursuit of the Union back to Winchester, capturing about 200.
The 45th Virginia was held in reserve with the rest of Wharton's Division during the Battle of Summit Point
Battle of Summit Point
The Battle of Summit Point, also known as Flowing Springs or Cameron's Depot, was an inconclusive battle of the American Civil War fought on August 21, 1864, near Summit Point, West Virginia....
on August 21. The pursuit and counter-pursuit continued. On September 4, Wharton was ordered to Berryville
Battle of Berryville
The Battle of Berryville was fought September 3 and September 4, 1864, in Clarke County, Virginia. It took place toward the end of the American Civil War....
and found Anderson's men engaged with the division of Joseph Thoburn
Joseph Thoburn
Joseph Thoburn was born in the district of Mallusk north of Belfast, County Antrim, to be found in the modern-day borough of Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, UK. He went on to be a physician and soldier from the state of West Virginia who served as an officer and brigade commander in the Union...
of Sheridan's army. The 45th Virginia and the rest of the division took up a position on Anderson's left flank and secured it, while the Confederates drove off Thoburn's men. But during the battle, Sheridan had been able to draw up the rest of his army, so Early ordered the Southerners to take up a position on Opequon Creek
Opequon Creek
Opequon Creek is a tributary stream of the Potomac River. It flows into the Potomac northeast of Martinsburg in Berkeley County, West Virginia, and its source lies northwest of the community of Opequon at the foot of Great North Mountain in Frederick County, Virginia...
south of Winchester.
During August, Lee had lost control of the Weldon Railroad south of Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
as Grant extended his lines to the west. Anderson was ordered back to Petersburg with his men and Wharton's division was moved north of Winchester to defend the battery that would cover the movement on September 16. Sheridan ordered an all-out assault
Battle of Opequon
The Battle of Opequon, more commonly known as the Third Battle of Winchester, was fought in Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864, during the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War....
and caught Wharton's division well north of the town at 8:00 am. Around 11:00, cavalry under Brig. Gen. George A. Custer penetrated the line, but the Confederates eventually drove him back.
The division was withdrawn to about a mile north of Winchester, to link up with the rest of Early's line, with the 45th Virginia's brigade on the extreme left flank. Wharton's division was the focal point of a charge by Thoburn's division of Crook's army, which the 45th Virginia and its division turned back with heavy casualties. Thoburn reorganized and kept up the assaults and was joined by Averell's cavalry, who managed to get behind Forsberg's brigade. The division broke, followed by the army, and the men of the 45th Virginia ran back through town while Averell's cavalry rounded up prisoners. At least five members of the regiment were killed and 79 were captured.
Early drew a new battle line a few miles south at Fisher's Hill
Battle of Fisher's Hill
The Battle of Fisher's Hill was fought September 21–22, 1864, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. Fisher's Hill is located near Strasburg, Virginia....
, with Wharton's division entrenched at the top, Forsberg's brigade connecting to the division of John B. Gordon. The division held off the larger Union division attacking it, but once again Thoburn's division along with the division of Rutherford Hayes turned the Confederate left flank and the army was routed. Wharton's men were able to form a rear guard and most of the army escaped up the Valley. Sheridan began a campaign to destroy everything that could be of use to the Confederate army.
Early took the opportunity to advance back down the Valley. By October 1, the army had reached Mount Sidney. In Forsberg's Brigade, only 417 men were listed present for duty, with probably fewer than 200 in the 45th Virginia. Sheridan, thinking that the Confederates in the Valley were no longer a threat, began withdrawing towards Winchester. The Confederates surprised Union troops camped near Hupp's Hill on October 13, and then took up defensive positions on Fisher's Hill, alerting Sheridan to the danger and leading him to order his full army of 30,000 to Cedar Creek.
Before dawn on October 19, Early put his small army into position to attack, surprising the sleeping Union army
Battle of Cedar Creek
The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, October 19, 1864, was one of the final, and most decisive, battles in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. The final Confederate invasion of the North, led by Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early, was effectively ended...
, with Sheridan not present. The 45th Virginia, their brigade now being led by Captain R.H. Logan, advanced on the extreme left with the division and swept the Union men in front of them from the field. Wharton's division was moved to the right, with the 45th Virginia's brigade again on the extreme flank. The starving division became caught up gorging themselves on Union supplies captured in Middleburg and soon the looting spread to the whole army. But the Union army was not yet routed, and Sheridan arrived on the battlefield, reorganizing his army. The Union crashed into Early's left, and the whole Southern army took flight, leaving the captured supplies and many of their own, too.
The army camped for several weeks at New Market and the 45th Virginia received 44 new conscripts from Richmond, mostly over the age of 45. Again, Sheridan withdrew north, and again Early followed him, but the army was too weakened to directly challenge the Union army and eventually returned to New Market. With the arrival of cold weather and no winter clothes or shoes, the 45th Virginia refused to drill in the snow on December 6 and was placed under arrest by the 51st Virginia at Wharton's orders with Captain Rufus Wainwright temporarily taking command of the regiment. By December 16, Wharton's Division was all that remained of Early's command, the rest having been returned to Lee's army in Petersburg. Over the final weeks of the year, they were marched out of camp in heavy snow to meet several Union advances, but no fighting took place.
The End of the War and Disbandment
The first two months of 1865 passed without incident and on March 2, Wharton's Division and some remaining troops in southwestern Virginia now under Early's command was ordered to move east to support Lee's army. They got as far as WaynesboroBattle of Waynesboro
The Battle of Waynesboro was fought on March 2, 1865, in Augusta County, Virginia, during the American Civil War. It was the final battle for Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Early, whose force was destroyed.-Background:...
, trailed by Custer's cavalry, before forming a line of battle to repulse the Union. Wharton's 800 men were quickly surrounded by the 7,500 Union cavalry and surrendered, though Wharton and Early both escaped. Some of the men of the 45th Virginia managed to escape as well, but Major Miller and 119 of the men were captured.
Those that got away regrouped at Charlottesville and were soon transferred back to Dublin by rail, and marched form there to Christiansburg
Christiansburg, Virginia
Christiansburg is a town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States. The population was 21,041 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
, where, upon hearing the news of Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
The Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is a National Historical Park of original and reconstructed nineteenth century buildings. It was signed into law August 3, 1935. The village was made a national monument in 1940 and a national historical park in 1954...
, they decided to disband.
Over the course of the war 1,947 men were listed as members of the 45th Virginia at some point during the war, though most of the regiment's records were poorly kept or not preserved, so it is unclear how many were considered true members of the regiment. Union prisoner of war records shows 600 members of the regiment as having been captured, 104 of whom died in captivity. The regiment's records show 65 deaths in battle and 143 deaths from disease or other reasons, some of which may be from wounds.