48th Va Inf. Co A/D and 63rd Va Co. K

PapaRob

Private
Joined
Jan 14, 2020
Location
Winchester, VA
I went digging quite a while ago and found that all of my ancestors that were in the War were from these two units. All from SW VA. I honestly had never really heard much about either of these units at the time I did the digging but WOW once I did start researching them I found myself humbled just to be here at all given what my ancestors must have gone through. While I have always been a student of CW history being able to apply actual names and relations to people made the research much more personal and richer because of it.
 
I went digging quite a while ago and found that all of my ancestors that were in the War were from these two units. All from SW VA. I honestly had never really heard much about either of these units at the time I did the digging but WOW once I did start researching them I found myself humbled just to be here at all given what my ancestors must have gone through. While I have always been a student of CW history being able to apply actual names and relations to people made the research much more personal and richer because of it.

My GG grandfather, one of his brothers, and several cousins were members of the 50th Virginia Infantry. Various battle maps, narratives, and memoirs describe that the 48th & 50th regiments formed and fought side by side during the battles of Chancellorsville, 2nd Winchester, Gettysburg, Mine Run, and the Wilderness. During the opening actions at the Wilderness, May 5, 1864 both regiments formed the extreme right flank of Gen. J.M. Jones brigade deployed at Saunders field, south of the Orange CH turnpike. The Confederate battle line was flanked by elements of the Union Fifth Corps and both regiments were overrun. The battle flags of both regiments were captured.

In turn, supporting Confederate brigades flanked the Yankees and forced them back past the original battle line. The 48th & the 50th both sustained heavy numbers of casualties and captured and were stationed in a reserve position for the rest of the battle.
 
My GG grandfather, one of his brothers, and several cousins were members of the 50th Virginia Infantry. Various battle maps, narratives, and memoirs describe that the 48th & 50th regiments formed and fought side by side during the battles of Chancellorsville, 2nd Winchester, Gettysburg, Mine Run, and the Wilderness. During the opening actions at the Wilderness, May 5, 1864 both regiments formed the extreme right flank of Gen. J.M. Jones brigade deployed at Saunders field, south of the Orange CH turnpike. The Confederate battle line was flanked by elements of the Union Fifth Corps and both regiments were overrun. The battle flags of both regiments were captured.

In turn, supporting Confederate brigades flanked the Yankees and forced them back past the original battle line. The 48th & the 50th both sustained heavy numbers of casualties and captured and were stationed in a reserve position for the rest of the battle.

I believe the 50th was known as the "Bloody Half-Hundred". They had a few East Tennesseans.

One of my wife's 3 x gr uncles

2nd Great Grand Uncle of my Wife,Linda.jpg

Winfield Carter: Enlisted July 1, 1861 • " Stock Creek Grays " from Scot County, Virginia. They became Co A 48th Va Infantry. Winfield was promoted to 2nd Sergeant of Co A. He was captured on Sept 22, 1864 at Fisher's Hill Virginia. Sent to prison at Point Lookout Maryland where he was held till June 26, 1865.

The Abingdon Virginian, July 24, 1863. (1).jpg


The Abingdon Virginian July 24, 1863.

Gettysburg Casualties for the 48th Virginia Company E lists "Lt. D.K. (D.H.) Harris, mortal stomach wound". Another of my wife's 3 x gr uncles.
 
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Here are the details of the flag captures of the 48th & 50th Virginia Infantry regiments at the Battle of the Wilderness.

48th Virginia :
48VaInfFlagCapture.jpg

[ https://moconfederacy.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/0907425B-4D3F-4E0F-8A96-983630787890 ]


50th Virginia:
MozingoStatement.jpg

Captain Armstrong is Capt. Jesse Armstrong of Co. K. The Congressional Medal of Honor
was awarded to Pvt. John Opel of Co. G for the capture of the flag of the 50th Virginia Infantry -
it's a mystery why Opel was awarded the MOH given Mozingo's statement.
[ https://moconfederacy.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/85C86952-F8EB-43EE-B5A4-902665651872 ]
 
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Pvt. John Opel of Co. G for the capture of the flag of the 50th Virginia Infantry -

 
Well I imagine I must be amongst family here...lol

How we became the 48th Va Infantry of the N-SSA:

I was in AFG and a couple of guys from my former Unit (Wheat’s Tigers) were a bit dissatisfied with direction our current team was headed. (Not real friendly to new people or young people) so we hatched the idea of starting our own. Well since I was the originator of the idea they all punted the idea of what unit to portray to me. Trying not be selfish I came up with a couple of different units but sort of got shot down for different reasons on each. Well a point of frustration was reached in all of us as to the decision and the deadline for the paperwork was at hand so I just took the command step and decided on the 48th due to my family connection and Appalacian-ness. Once the guys did some digging on the history on their own the resounding concensus was “Oh Hell Yeah!”. We wanted a Unit with a solid battle history but not one of the more famous units. Well the battle history doesn’t get much more solid than the 48th’s and then I told them all about my family connection and their view was “Well why didn’t you say so in the first place?”. That’s what I get for trying to be considerate I suppose...lol

I love this. What an awesome way to connect.
 

(Perhaps I should re-phrase my comment about Opel's MOH) :

The statement by Mozingo is a mystery given that John Opel received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
 
The 48th was in the center of the brigade on Culp's Hill at Gettysburg, which was led by Brig. Gen. John M. Jones until he was wounded early in the night battle of July 2, then by Lt. Col. Robert H. Dungan of the 48th. Surgeon Bushrod Taylor was the Chief Medical Officer of the brigade. The 48th's surgeon was possibly William "Billie" Wall, who was present as of 1 March 1863. Assistant Surgeon Charles Lesesne was present as of 1 August 1863. Here's my first draft map showing the 48th attempting to ascend the very steep north slope of Culp's Hill at dusk (7:45 p.m.). One participant said they could have used scaling ladders.
CulpsHillJul21945A 001.jpg
 
I believe the 50th was known as the "Bloody Half-Hundred". They had a few East Tennesseans.

One of my wife's 3 x gr uncles

View attachment 347367
Winfield Carter: Enlisted July 1, 1861 • " Stock Creek Grays " from Scot County, Virginia. They became Co A 48th Va Infantry. Winfield was promoted to 2nd Sergeant of Co A. He was captured on Sept 22, 1864 at Fisher's Hill Virginia. Sent to prison at Point Lookout Maryland where he was held till June 26, 1865.

View attachment 347369

The Abingdon Virginian July 24, 1863.

Gettysburg Casualties for the 48th Virginia Company E lists "Lt. D.K. (D.H.) Harris, mortal stomach wound". Another of my wife's 3 x gr uncles.
John Buchanan Co. D was a GGG Uncle of mine. A lit of the surnames I see in those lists are distant relations also.

I was also stunned to read (can’t remember where) that the other unit my family was in the 63rd Va was one of the most heavily engaged units of the war.
 
John Buchanan Co. D was a GGG Uncle of mine. A lit of the surnames I see in those lists are distant relations also.

I was also stunned to read (can’t remember where) that the other unit my family was in the 63rd Va was one of the most heavily engaged units of the war.

Chickamagua after battle report:

Report of Maj. James M. French, Sixty-third Virginia Infantry.

CAMP SIXTY-THIRD VIRGINIA REGT.,
Near Chattanooga, Tenn., September 25, 1863.
SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part
taken by this regiment in the action of September 19 and 20, on
Chickamauga River, Ga.:

My regiment having been detached as a guard for the ordnance
train, on the evening of the 19th, I was ordered to rejoin the
brigade, leaving two companies back as a guard with the
ordnance. I joined my brigade accordingly with eight companies,
where we were held in reserve.

On the morning of the 20th, it was moved with the remainder of
the brigade to a position in supporting distance of a battery,
protected by fortifications thrown up the night previous.

At about 3 p. m. it was moved with the brigade to the front in
the direction of Chattanooga and placed in line of battle,
Fifty-eighth North Carolina on the right, Fifth Kentucky on the
left, Sixty-third Virginia Regt. occupying the center. It was soon
afterward moved by the enemy. The enemy occupied a range of
ridges, from which they had successfully repulsed several
assaults made by our troops. The approach to the enemy's
position was very difficult, owing to deep ravines and
depressions partly covered with thick undergrowth. After
emerging from this thicket my regiment moved steadily on under
a heavy fire from the enemy until gaining the summit of the hill
upon which the enemy was posted. When within 15 paces of the
enemy, my regiment was halted and poured a deadly fire into his
ranks. The enemy gave way before them. I was in the act of
making a charge when I received information that they were our
friends we were firing upon. My regiment was ordered to cease
firing. This mistake gave the enemy time to rally, which he did,
taking position on a ridge at an angle of about 25.

Just here I would state that a portion of the Fifty-eighth North
Carolina, having been forced to fall back, left my right exposed
to an enfilading fire from the enemy. This fire was most terrific,
which caused me to change my front a little, retaining the ground
from
which we had driven the enemy. In this part of the
engagement I lost several of my best officers and men killed and
wounded.

An incessant fire was kept up until abut sundown, when the
enemy ceased firing.

The fifty-eighth North Carolina, Fifth Kentucky, and my
regiment advanced to within a short distance of the enemy, when
they proposed to surrender and laid down their arms. When we
arrived within about 40 yards of them, they retook their arms
and pored a heavy fire into our ranks, which caused us to fall
back a short distance to our position on the hill, from which
place we continued to fire into them. Our ammunition being
now almost exhausted, we supplied ourselves as far as possible
from the boxes of the killed and wounded. We again advanced
in conjunction with Col. Trigg's brigade, when we succeeded in
capturing 249 prisoners, including several field officers. The
prisoners being secured and sent to the rear, we encamped upon
the battle-ground.

I am pained to state that in this engagement I lost about one-third
of the number engaged in killed and wounded.

The position we took and held was the same from which some of
our troops had been twice repulsed.

The instanced of personal coolness, courage, and daring are too
numerous to mention. Both officers and men did their whole duty.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. M. FRENCH,
Maj., Comdg. Sixty-third Virginia Regt.

Capt. JOHN B. Maj.,
Assistant Adjutant-Gen.

Source: Official Records
PAGE 447-51 KY., SW. VA., TENN., MISS., ALA., AND N. GA. [CHAP. XLII.
[Series I. Vol. 30. Part II, Reports. Serial No. 51.]

 
... Here's my first draft map showing the 48th attempting to ascend the very steep north slope of Culp's Hill at dusk (7:45 p.m.). One participant said they could have used scaling ladders.
Tom,
I like your map - the placement and identity of individual regiments is quite clear. The 48th VA & Jones' Brigade were also at the Battle of the Wilderness and I have been trying to create a map similar to yours that shows the initial brigade deployment at beginning of that battle. Historic sources (period maps, official reports, memoirs, etc.) variously describe the width of the Jones brigade battle line deployment, ranging from as narrow as about 300 feet to as wide as approximately 1200 feet. Do you know if there was a typical width of a regiment's battle line deployment?
 
Tom,
I like your map - the placement and identity of individual regiments is quite clear. The 48th VA & Jones' Brigade were also at the Battle of the Wilderness and I have been trying to create a map similar to yours that shows the initial brigade deployment at beginning of that battle. Historic sources (period maps, official reports, memoirs, etc.) variously describe the width of the Jones brigade battle line deployment, ranging from as narrow as about 300 feet to as wide as approximately 1200 feet. Do you know if there was a typical width of a regiment's battle line deployment?

My rule of thumb is to allow 22 inches per enlisted man, two ranks as usual in a line of battle, deducting for deployed skirmishers. At Gettysburg, the 48th entered the battle with about 210 enlisted men for an estimated length of 192 feet (210 X 22, divided by 12, and divided again by 2). The brigade as a whole I estimate at 1,011 enlisted men with a 927 feet front. It excludes the 25th Virginia, which deployed as skirmishers and I figure was likely subsumed by the rest of the brigade during the advance, thus not materially changing the brigade's overall front.
 
My rule of thumb is to allow 22 inches per enlisted man, two ranks as usual in a line of battle, deducting for deployed skirmishers. At Gettysburg, the 48th entered the battle with about 210 enlisted men for an estimated length of 192 feet (210 X 22, divided by 12, and divided again by 2). The brigade as a whole I estimate at 1,011 enlisted men with a 927 feet front. It excludes the 25th Virginia, which deployed as skirmishers and I figure was likely subsumed by the rest of the brigade during the advance, thus not materially changing the brigade's overall front.

Once upon a time I remember reading inspection reports of the Army of Northern Virginia from early 1864 with returns of individual regiments indicating their troop strength but I can't seem to locate these docs now. At the Wilderness, the Jones Brigade was composed of the same regiments as were present at Gettysburg and, similarly, the 25th Virginia was deployed as a skirmish line a the beginning of the battle. If I can assume that the brigade was able to replace their Gettysburg losses by the time they deployed at the Wilderness then I'll use your estimate of troop strength and deployment calcs.

The 21st Virginia was the left most regiment of the brigade at the Wilderness and was initially deployed north of the Orange turnpike (modern Hwy 20) with the balance of the brigade arrayed south of the pike (and , as mentioned, the 25th Va pushed forward as a picket line). Assuming that all regiments were of approximately the same strength then the brigade front south of the pike would have been about 740 feet wide.

This coincides with the width of the extent of the modern Saunders field clearing south of Hwy 20 as is maintained by the NPS today. This being the case, then the unprotected flank of Jones Brigade sat right at the tree line of the southern margin of the field and the regiments of Union BG Lysander Cutler's Iron Brigade would have attacked this flank from the wooded thicket on the south of the field.
 
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