A. P. Hill's Light Division
Encyclopedia
A. P. Hill's Light Division was an infantry
unit in Robert E. Lee
's Army of Northern Virginia
. Originally composed of six brigade
s, it was initially commanded by General A. P. Hill
. In a revised form, the Light Division was later commanded by William Dorsey Pender
and Cadmus M. Wilcox
.
Created in the late spring and early summer of 1862, the Light Division was composed of six brigades from six different Confederate states. The First Brigade was a Virginia
Brigade under command of General Charles W. Field
. It was initially composed of the 40th
, 47th
, 55th, and 60th Virginia Infantry
regiments. This brigade was later commanded by Henry Heth
and John Brockenbrough
. The Second Brigade was a South Carolina
Brigade commanded by Maxcy Gregg
. This famous brigade became known as the Gregg-McGowan Brigade (Samuel McGowan
being the other major commander). The South Carolina Brigade consisted of the 1st South Carolina Rifles (Orr's Rifles), 1st South Carolina, 12th South Carolina, 13th South Carolina, and 14th South Carolina.
The Third Brigade was composed of Georgia
troops. Initially commanded by Joseph R. Anderson
, the brigade was mainly commanded by General Edward L. Thomas. It consisted of the 14th Georgia, 35th Georgia, 45th Georgia, and 49th Georgia.
The Fourth and Sixth Brigades were made up of North Carolina
infantry. Lawrence O'Bryan Branch
's brigade consisted of the 7th North Carolina, 18th North Carolina
, 28th North Carolina, 33d North Carolina, and 37th North Carolina. This unit was later commanded by General James H. Lane
. William Dorsey Pender
's Brigade consisted of the 16th North Carolina, 22d North Carolina, 34th North Carolina, and 38th North Carolina. This brigade was later commanded by Alfred Scales.
Finally, the fifth brigade was a mixed command of Alabama
and Tennessee
regiments under James J. Archer
. It consisted mainly of the 5th Alabama Battalion, 1st Tennessee, 7th Tennessee, and 14th Tennessee
. It was commanded late in the War by William McComb
.
Artillery batteries including Andrews' (Maryland) battery, Bachman's (South Carolina) battery, Braxton's battery, Fredericksburg (Va.) Artillery, Crenshaw's (Virginia) battery, Davidson's battery, Letcher (Va.) Artillery, Johnson's (Virginia) battery, Master's (Virginia) battery, McIntosh's Battery, Pee Dee (S. C.) Artillery, and Pegram's (Virginia) battery were also attached to the Light Division.
campaign as part of James Longstreet
's wing of the Army. (Some of the units had seen action prior to this, however.) It was heavily engaged at Mechanicsville
, Gaines' Mill
, and Glendale
.
After A.P. Hill engaged in a newspaper feud with Longstreet, the Light Division was transferred to Stonewall Jackson
's wing of the Army. With Jackson, the Division again was heavily engaged at Cedar Mountain
. It then took a conspicuous role on the defense at Second Manassas
.
The Light Division earned its place in history on Lee's First Invasion of the North into Maryland
. Left behind to parole captured Union troops at Harpers Ferry
, Hill and his men were not initially on the battlefield at Antietam
. Leaving early on the morning of September 17, 1862, Hill's men completed the 17 miles (27.4 km) march in time to arrive and save Lee's Army which was at that moment facing destruction from the advancing Army of the Potomac
. In the battle, General Branch was killed.
This was the Light Division's finest day.
It then took part in the Battle of Fredericksburg
on December 13, 1862, but the Division's alignment caused problems and General Gregg was killed in the fighting.
The Division last served together as a unit at Chancellorsville
where the 18th North Carolina of Lane's Brigade had the misfortune of mortally wounding Jackson. In the same rash of firing, A.P. Hill was also wounded, though his wound proved minor.
and the Light Division was changed. Two of the brigades—the Virginia Brigade and Archer's Brigade—were placed in a new division under Henry Heth
. The remaining brigades stayed together. Heth was actually the Division's senior brigade commander, but Hill preferred Pender to have command of his old division, writing "Gen. Pender has fought with the Division in every battle, has been four times wounded and never left the field, has risen by death and wounds from fifth brigadier to be its senior, has the best drilled and disciplined Brigade in the Division, and more than all, possesses the unbounded confidence of the Division."
Parts of the Division were engaged on July 1 and July 3 at Gettysburg
. Here, General Pender was mortally wounded on July 2 as he moved to engage his men. The Division fought under Isaac R. Trimble
in Pickett's Charge
on July 3.
The Light Division was never the same without A.P. Hill at its head. It continued to exist under Cadmus Wilcox and fought, notably, in the Wilderness
, Spotsylvania
, Cold Harbor
, and Petersburg
campaigns.
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...
unit in 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....
'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...
. Originally composed of six brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s, it was initially commanded by General A. P. Hill
A. P. Hill
Ambrose Powell Hill, Jr. , was a career U.S. Army officer in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars and a Confederate general in the American Civil War...
. In a revised form, the Light Division was later commanded by William Dorsey Pender
William Dorsey Pender
William Dorsey Pender was one of the youngest, and most promising, generals fighting for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg.-Early life:...
and Cadmus M. Wilcox
Cadmus M. Wilcox
Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican–American War and also was a Confederate general during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
.
Created in the late spring and early summer of 1862, the Light Division was composed of six brigades from six different Confederate states. The First Brigade was a 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...
Brigade under command of General Charles W. Field
Charles W. Field
Charles William Field was a career military officer, serving in the United States Army and then, during the American Civil War, in the Confederate States Army. His division was considered as one of the finest in the Army of Northern Virginia...
. It was initially composed of the 40th
40th Virginia Infantry
The 40th 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. Prior to the reorganization of the army after Chancellorsville, it was part of...
, 47th
47th Virginia Infantry
The 47th 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 was a unit in A.P. Hill's Light Division....
, 55th, and 60th Virginia Infantry
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....
regiments. This brigade was later commanded by 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,...
and John Brockenbrough
John Brockenbrough
John Brockenbrough was a business man and civic leader in Richmond, Virginia. He was president of the Bank of Virginia. His home in Richmond's Court End District later served as the "White House" for the Confederate States of America.-History:...
. The Second Brigade was a South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
Brigade commanded by Maxcy Gregg
Maxcy Gregg
Maxcy Gregg was a lawyer, soldier in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War who was killed at the Battle of Fredericksburg....
. This famous brigade became known as the Gregg-McGowan Brigade (Samuel McGowan
Samuel McGowan (general)
Samuel McGowan was a general from South Carolina in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He commanded a brigade in A.P. Hill's famous "Light Division" and was wounded several times...
being the other major commander). The South Carolina Brigade consisted of the 1st South Carolina Rifles (Orr's Rifles), 1st South Carolina, 12th South Carolina, 13th South Carolina, and 14th South Carolina.
The Third Brigade was composed of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
troops. Initially commanded by Joseph R. Anderson
Joseph R. Anderson
Joseph Reid Anderson was an American civil engineer, industrialist, and soldier. During the American Civil War he served as a Confederate general, and his Tredegar Iron Company was a major source of munitions and ordnance for the Confederate States Army.-Early life and career:Joseph Reid Anderson...
, the brigade was mainly commanded by General Edward L. Thomas. It consisted of the 14th Georgia, 35th Georgia, 45th Georgia, and 49th Georgia.
The Fourth and Sixth Brigades were made up of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
infantry. Lawrence O'Bryan Branch
Lawrence O'Bryan Branch
Lawrence O'Bryan Branch was a North Carolina representative in the U.S. Congress and a Confederate brigadier general in the American Civil War, killed at the Battle of Antietam.-Early life and career:...
's brigade consisted of the 7th North Carolina, 18th North Carolina
18th North Carolina Infantry
The 18th North Carolina Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in North Carolina for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia....
, 28th North Carolina, 33d North Carolina, and 37th North Carolina. This unit was later commanded by General James H. Lane
James H. Lane (general)
James Henry Lane was a university professor and Confederate general in the American Civil War.He is considered to be the father of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and is the namesake of the University's oldest building, Lane Hall.-Early life:Lane was born in Mathews Court...
. William Dorsey Pender
William Dorsey Pender
William Dorsey Pender was one of the youngest, and most promising, generals fighting for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg.-Early life:...
's Brigade consisted of the 16th North Carolina, 22d North Carolina, 34th North Carolina, and 38th North Carolina. This brigade was later commanded by Alfred Scales.
Finally, the fifth brigade was a mixed command of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
regiments under James J. Archer
James J. Archer
James Jay Archer was a lawyer and an officer in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War, and he later served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
. It consisted mainly of the 5th Alabama Battalion, 1st Tennessee, 7th Tennessee, and 14th Tennessee
14th Tennessee Infantry Regiment
The 14th Tennessee Regiment was organized at Camp Duncan, Clarksville in May 1861 by Col. W. A. Forbes, during the Battle of Gettysburg. Before the battle, it had 365 men...
. It was commanded late in the War by William McComb
William McComb
William McComb was a Confederate brigadier general born in Pennsylvania, but is best associated with Tennessee.-Early life:...
.
Artillery batteries including Andrews' (Maryland) battery, Bachman's (South Carolina) battery, Braxton's battery, Fredericksburg (Va.) Artillery, Crenshaw's (Virginia) battery, Davidson's battery, Letcher (Va.) Artillery, Johnson's (Virginia) battery, Master's (Virginia) battery, McIntosh's Battery, Pee Dee (S. C.) Artillery, and Pegram's (Virginia) battery were also attached to the Light Division.
Fighting record
The Light Division saw its baptism of fire as a unit in the Seven DaysSeven Days Battles
The Seven Days Battles was a series of six major battles over the seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, away from...
campaign as part 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...
's wing of the Army. (Some of the units had seen action prior to this, however.) It was heavily engaged at Mechanicsville
Battle of Beaver Dam Creek
The Battle of Beaver Dam Creek, also known as the Battle of Mechanicsville or Ellerson's Mill, took place on June 26, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the first major engagement of the Seven Days Battles during the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the start of Confederate...
, Gaines' Mill
Battle of Gaines' Mill
The Battle of Gaines's Mill, sometimes known as the First Battle of Cold Harbor or the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War...
, and Glendale
Battle of Glendale
The Battle of Glendale, also known as the Battle of Frayser's Farm, Frazier's Farm, Nelson's Farm, Charles City Crossroads, New Market Road, or Riddell's Shop, took place on June 30, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, on the sixth day of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War.The...
.
After A.P. Hill engaged in a newspaper feud with Longstreet, the Light Division was transferred to Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
's wing of the Army. With Jackson, the Division again was heavily engaged at Cedar Mountain
Battle of Cedar Mountain
The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks attacked Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Thomas J...
. It then took a conspicuous role on the defense at Second Manassas
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
.
The Light Division earned its place in history on Lee's First Invasion of the North into Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. Left behind to parole captured Union troops at Harpers Ferry
Battle of Harpers Ferry
The Battle of Harpers Ferry was fought September 12–15, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. As Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate army invaded Maryland, a portion of his army under Maj. Gen. Thomas J...
, Hill and his men were not initially on the battlefield at 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...
. Leaving early on the morning of September 17, 1862, Hill's men completed the 17 miles (27.4 km) march in time to arrive and save Lee's Army which was at that moment facing destruction from the advancing 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 battle, General Branch was killed.
This was the Light Division's finest day.
It then took part in the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
on December 13, 1862, but the Division's alignment caused problems and General Gregg was killed in the fighting.
The Division last served together as a unit at Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
where the 18th North Carolina of Lane's Brigade had the misfortune of mortally wounding Jackson. In the same rash of firing, A.P. Hill was also wounded, though his wound proved minor.
Reorganization
After Jackson's death, Lee reorganized his Army. A.P. Hill was given command of the Third CorpsThird Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
The Third Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a military organization within the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during much of the American Civil War. The corps was formed in mid-1863 and served until Lee's surrender April 9, 1865, near the end of the war.-Formation:After the death of...
and the Light Division was changed. Two of the brigades—the Virginia Brigade and Archer's Brigade—were placed in a new division under 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,...
. The remaining brigades stayed together. Heth was actually the Division's senior brigade commander, but Hill preferred Pender to have command of his old division, writing "Gen. Pender has fought with the Division in every battle, has been four times wounded and never left the field, has risen by death and wounds from fifth brigadier to be its senior, has the best drilled and disciplined Brigade in the Division, and more than all, possesses the unbounded confidence of the Division."
Parts of the Division were engaged on July 1 and July 3 at Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
. Here, General Pender was mortally wounded on July 2 as he moved to engage his men. The Division fought under Isaac R. Trimble
Isaac R. Trimble
Isaac Ridgeway Trimble was a United States Army officer, a civil engineer, a prominent railroad construction superintendent and executive, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War, most famous for his leadership role in the assault known as Pickett's Charge at the Battle of...
in Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
on July 3.
The Light Division was never the same without A.P. Hill at its head. It continued to exist under Cadmus Wilcox and fought, notably, 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...
, Spotsylvania
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania , was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the bloody but inconclusive Battle of the Wilderness, Grant's army disengaged...
, Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
, and Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
campaigns.