Stonewall Brigade

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Stonewall Brigade

The Stonewall Brigade of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
, was one of the most famous combat units in United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
history. It was trained and first led by General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, a professor from Virginia Military Institute

Virginia Military Institute

The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest State university system military academy and one of six Senior Military College in the United States....
(VMI). His severe training program and ascetic standards of military discipline turned raw but enthusiastic recruits into an effective military organization, which distinguished itself from the First Battle of Bull Run

First Battle of Bull Run

The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Battle of Manassas , was the first major land battle of the American Civil War, fought on July 21, 1861, near Manassas, Virginia....
(First Manassas) in 1861 to Spotsylvania Court House

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 Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
in 1864.

brigade was formed by Jackson at Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, West Virginia. It is situated at the confluence of the Potomac River and Shenandoah Rivers where the U.S....
, April 27, 1861, from the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 27th, and 33rd Virginia Infantry

33rd Virginia Infantry

The 33rd Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in the Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
regiments and the Rockbridge Artillery Battery of Rockbridge County, all units recruited in or near 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 bound 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 and to the south by the James River ....
of Virginia.

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The Stonewall Brigade of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War

American Civil War

United States

Virginia Military Institute

First Battle of Bull Run

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 Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
in 1864.

1861

The brigade was formed by Jackson at Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

33rd Virginia Infantry

Shenandoah Valley

West Virginia

West Virginia is a U.S. state in the Appalachian, Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia on the southeast, Kentucky on the southwest, Ohio on the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland on the northeast....
. It was officially assigned to the Virginia Provisional Army, then to the Army of the Shenandoah

Army of the Shenandoah (Confederate)

The Army of the Shenandoah was an army of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Major General Kenton Harper of the Virginia Militia organized about two thousand volunteers at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia by April 21, 1861....
on May 15, and the Valley District on July 20.

Jackson's brigade was referred to informally as "Virginia's First Brigade" until July 21, 1861, when, at First Manassas, both the brigade and its general received the nickname "Stonewall". General Barnard E. Bee

Barnard E. Bee

Barnard E. Bee may refer to:* Barnard Elliott Bee, Sr.* Barnard Elliott Bee, Jr....
of South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a U.S. state in the Southern United States of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north....
is said to have made his immortal remark as he rallied his brigade for the final phase of the battle. Although the exact words were not recorded at the time, he probably said, "Yonder stands Jackson like a stone wall; let's go to his assistance. Rally behind the Virginians!" This is considered the turning point of the first major battle of the Civil War, when the Union

Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
troops were repulsed and retreated back to Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
Jackson was promoted to higher command, but the brigade remained in his chain of command until his death. His first replacement as brigade commander was Brig. Gen. Richard B. Garnett

Richard B. Garnett

Richard Brooke Garnett was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States of America General officer in the American Civil War. He was killed during Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg....
that fall.

1862

On March 13, 1862, the Valley District was incorporated into 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 of the American Civil War....
, under General Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career United States Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
. Jackson and the Stonewall Brigade operated in the Valley as part of the left wing of Johnston's army. During Jackson's Valley Campaign

Valley Campaign

The Valley Campaign was Confederate States Army Major General Stonewall Jackson brilliant spring 1862 campaign through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia during the American Civil War....
, Jackson's first and only defeat of the Civil War occurred at the First Battle of Kernstown

Battle of Kernstown I

The First Battle of Kernstown was fought on March 23, 1862, in Frederick County, Virginia and Winchester, Virginia, the opening battle of Confederate Army Major General Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War....
on March 25, 1862. After receiving faulty intelligence, the brigade was ordered to attack a much larger Union force. Out of ammunition and almost surrounded by the superior force, Garnett ordered a withdrawal. Jackson was infuriated by this action, taken without his explicit permission, and Garnett was relieved of command and subject to court martial. (Garnett was later killed during Pickett's Charge

Pickett's Charge

Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate States Army General Robert E. Lee against Major general George G. Meade's Union Army positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War....
in the Battle of Gettysburg

Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
, attempting to restore his military honor.) For the remainder of the Valley Campaign, Brig. Gen. Charles S. Winder commanded the brigade and there were no more defeats in store. The brigade marched over 400 miles in four weeks, was victorious in six significant battles, and helped Jackson achieve a strategic victory in the Eastern Theater. The brigade's mobility in the campaign (particularly a 57-mile march in 51 hours) earned it the oxymoronic

Oxymoron

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two normally contradiction terms. Oxymoron is a loanword from Greek language oxy and moros ....
title "Jackson's foot cavalry".

At the end of the Valley Campaign, the brigade moved to reinforce General Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
in the Seven Days Battles

Seven 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....
on the Virginia Peninsula

Virginia Peninsula

The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, bounded by the York River , James River , Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name....
. In the Battle of Gaines' Mill

Battle of Gaines' Mill

The Battle of Gaines' Mill, also 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....
, the brigade assaulted the Federal right and helped Lee achieve a victory. In the Northern Virginia Campaign

Northern Virginia Campaign

}|-||}The Northern Virginia Campaign, also known as the Second Bull Run Campaign or Second Manassas Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during August and September 1862 in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, the brigade suffered high casualties at the Battle of 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, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War....
and General Winder was killed on August 9, 1862. Jackson personally rallied his old brigade and won the battle. The brigade would suffer more casualties in the Second Battle of Bull Run

Second Battle of Bull Run

The Second Battle of Bull Run, or, as it was called by the Confederate States of America, the Battle of Second Manassas, was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War....
. On August 30, 1862, the Stonewall Brigade repulsed the attack of the Union's Iron Brigade

Iron Brigade

The Iron Brigade, also known as the Iron Brigade of the West or the Black Hat Brigade, was an infantry brigade in the Union Army Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War....
and rallied for a counterattack. Its acting commander, Colonel William Baylor, was killed. Colonel Andrew J. Grigsby

Andrew J. Grigsby

Andrew Jackson Grigsby was a Confederate States Army officer in the famed Stonewall Brigade during the American Civil War.Grigsby was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia....
assumed command and led the brigade through the Maryland Campaign

Maryland Campaign

The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign, of September 1862 is widely considered one of the major Turning Point of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
and 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 United States soil....
. The brigade defended the West Woods, where the fighting was so severe and attrition so high that Grigsby was commanding the division ("Jackson's Division") by the end of the day.

Grigsby did not receive permanent command of the brigade, for reasons Jackson did not record. Instead, Brig. Gen. Elisha F. Paxton

Elisha F. Paxton

Elisha Franklin Paxton was an United States lawyer and soldier who served as a General officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
, former commander of the 27th Virginia, moved from Jackson's staff to brigade command, which he performed in the Battle of Fredericksburg

Battle of Fredericksburg

The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, from December 11 to December 15, 1862, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major general Ambrose E....
. There, under the division command of William B. Taliaferro

William B. Taliaferro

William Booth Taliaferro , was a United States Army officer, a lawyer, legislator, and Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War....
, the brigade was on the right flank of the Confederate defense and counterattacked the encroaching Union division of George G. Meade, but was overall lightly engaged.

In 1862, casualties in the brigade surpassed 1,200.

1863

At Chancellorsville

Battle of Chancellorsville

The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, fought near the village of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, from April 30 to May 6, 1863....
, the brigade was part of 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 States Army General officer in the American Civil War, most famous for his leadership role in the assault known as Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg....
's division and participated in Stonewall Jackson's audacious flanking movement of May 2, 1863. The brigade attacked on the Union right flank along the Orange Plank Road, falling in behind J.E.B. Stuart

J.E.B. Stuart

James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was an American soldier from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names....
's cavalry. More than 600 men out of 2,000 were killed or wounded, and among the killed was General Paxton. This was the same night that Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded. The men of the brigade were devastated to learn that their hero had been struck down by friendly fire

Friendly fire

Friendly fire or non-hostile fire, a term originally adopted by the United States Armed Forces, refers to Shooting from one's own side or allied forces, as opposed to fire coming from enemy forces....
and they renewed their attacks on May 3 with extra determination. As Jackson and his staff were returning to camp on May 2, they were mistaken for a Union cavalry force by a Confederate North Carolina regiment who shouted, "Halt, who goes there?," but fired before evaluating the reply. Jackson was hit by three bullets, two in the left arm and one in the right hand. The commander of the 4th Virginia, Colonel James A. Walker

James A. Walker

James Alexander Walker was a Virginia lawyer, politician, and Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, later serving as a United States Congressman for two terms....
, was promoted to brigadier general to replace Paxton. In the Gettysburg Campaign

Gettysburg Campaign

File:Meade and Lee.jpgThe Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate States Army Full General Robert E....
, the brigade was part of Edward “Allegheny” Johnson's

Edward Johnson (general)

Edward Johnson , also known as Allegheny Johnson , was a United States Army officer and a Confederate States of America General officer in the American Civil War....
division. At the Second Battle of Winchester

Battle of Winchester II

The Second Battle of Winchester was fought between June 13 and June 15, 1863 in Frederick County, Virginia and Winchester, Virginia as part of the Gettysburg Campaign during the American Civil War....
, the brigade launched a spirited counterattack at Stephenson's Depot that captured six Union regiments. The brigade arrived late in the afternoon of the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg

Battle of Gettysburg

Culp's Hill

Culp's Hill is a key terrain feature in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, overlooking the main downtown area from the southeast. It consists of two rounded peaks, separated by a narrow saddle....
.

1864

In the Overland Campaign

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....
, at the Battle of the Wilderness

Battle of the Wilderness

The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E....
, the brigade fought along the Orange Courthouse Turnpike. At Spotsylvania Court House

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 Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
, the brigade was on the left flank of the "Mule Shoe" salient, in the part of the line known as the "Bloody Angle", where Winfield S. Hancock's II Corps

II Corps (ACW)

There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L....
launched a massive assault. All but 200 men of the brigade were killed, wounded, or were among the 6,000 captured Confederates following the bloody hand-to-hand fighting. The prisoners included Johnson, the division commander, and Walker, who was seriously wounded. Spotsylvania Court House was the official end of the road for the Stonewall Brigade. The brigade was disbanded and its surviving members were consolidated into one (small) regiment.

The remaining regiment fought as part of Brig. Gen. William Terry

William Terry (congressman)

William Terry was a nineteenth century politician, lawyer, teacher, and soldier from Virginia and the last commander of the famed Stonewall Brigade during the American Civil War....
's brigade (which itself was the remnant of the Stonewall Division) in 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....
under Jubal A. Early. It figured prominently in the Battle of Monocacy

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....
on July 9, 1864, routing the Union defenders and opening the road to Washington. Early's army was eventually defeated in the Valley by Philip Sheridan

Philip Sheridan

Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to Major general and his close association with Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
and they rejoined Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia

Army of Northern Virginia

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....
and the Appomattox Campaign

Appomattox Campaign

The Appomattox Campaign was a series of battles fought in Virginia that culminated in the surrender of Confederate States Army General Robert E....
. Of the 6,000 men who served in the Stonewall brigade during the war, by the time of the surrender at Appomattox Court House

Appomattox Court House

File:New Appomattox Court House.jpgFile:Appomattox Court House new and old marker.jpgThe Appomattox Court House is a courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892....
, only 210 soldiers were left, none above the rank of captain.

Legacy

The military lineage of the brigade has reached modern times in the form of the 116th Infantry Regiment

116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)

The 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was formerly known as the 1st Brigade, 29th Infantry Division . It is currently assigned to the Virginia Army National Guard....
, formerly the 1st Brigade "The Stonewall Brigade" of the 29th Infantry Division (Light)

U.S. 29th Infantry Division

The U.S. 29th Infantry Division is a United States infantry division that has existed since World War I as part of the Army National Guard.Nicknamed "Blue and Gray", the division's motto is "29, Let's Go!" The shoulder patch is a half-blue, half-gray Chinese language taijitu; this patch was approved 14 December 1917 and was designed by Maj...
, Virginia Army National Guard, which counts historical ties to the 5th Virginia, one of the five original regiments in the Civil War Stonewall Brigade. As a result of US Army modularization, the 1st Brigade is now the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The brigade's colors carry battle streamers for the Stonewall Brigade's actions in the Civil War.

Command history

Brig. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, and probably the most well-known Confederate commander after General Robert E....	April 27, 1861 – October 28, 1861
Brig. Gen. Richard B. Garnett Richard B. Garnett Richard Brooke Garnett was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States of America General officer in the American Civil War. He was killed during Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg....	November 14, 1861 – March 25, 1862
Brig. Gen. Charles S. Winder	March 25, 1862 – August 9, 1862
Col. William Baylor	August 9, 1862 – August 30, 1862
Col. Andrew J. Grigsby Andrew J. Grigsby Andrew Jackson Grigsby was a Confederate States Army officer in the famed Stonewall Brigade during the American Civil War.Grigsby was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia....	August 30, 1862 – November 6, 1862
Brig. Gen. Elisha F. Paxton Elisha F. Paxton Elisha Franklin Paxton was an United States lawyer and soldier who served as a General officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....	November 6, 1862 – May 3, 1863
Brig. Gen. James A. Walker James A. Walker James Alexander Walker was a Virginia lawyer, politician, and Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, later serving as a United States Congressman for two terms....	May 14, 1863 – May 12, 1864
Brig. Gen. William Terry William Terry (congressman) William Terry was a nineteenth century politician, lawyer, teacher, and soldier from Virginia and the last commander of the famed Stonewall Brigade during the American Civil War....	May 20, 1864 – end of Civil War

Stonewall Brigade

1861

1862

1863

1864

Legacy

Command history

External links