12th Virginia Infantry Regiment


The 12th Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment mostly raised in Petersburg, Virginia, for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, but with units from the cities of Norfolk and Richmond, and Greensville and Brunswick counties in southeastern Virginia. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia.
The 12th Virginia was organized at Norfolk in May, 1861, using the 4th Battalion Virginia Volunteers as its nucleus. Its members were mostly from Petersburg, with some men from Richmond and Norfolk. The regiment initially protected the main ports at Norfolk and Petersburg.
In response to the federal Peninsular Campaign in the spring 1862, it joined General William Mahone's Brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia, then participated in many conflicts from Seven Pines to Wilderness. It was involved in the nearly year-long Siege of Petersburg, and conclusion of the Appomattox Campaign.
The field officers were Colonels Everard M. Feild and David A. Weisiger; Lieutenant Colonels John R. Lewellen and Fielding L. Taylor; and Majors Edgar L. Brockett, Richard W. Jones, and John P. May. Future Virginia governors William E. Cameron and William Hodges Mann served in the 12th Virginia. Cameron had been a staff officer under Gen. Mahone and won election as a member of the Readjuster Party. Mann would be the last governor of Virginia to have fought in the Civil War.

Companies

By 1860, the Petersburg City Guard was led by Col. David Weisiger, associated with the commission merchant firm John Rowlett and Company. He also was a prominent Freemason, the grand commander of the Appomattox Commandery, Knights Templar No. 6. Company A formally enlisted in the Virginia militia on April 19, 1861, shortly after the Virginia Secession Convention of 1861 approved a secession resolution. The Petersburg City Guard and the older established militia company, the Petersburg Grays had been sent to Harper's Ferry, Virginia in 1859 to guard against civil unrest during the trial and execution of abolitionist John Brown.
Upon their return, Petersburg expanded the Old Grays, and formed another unit, dubbed the "new" Petersburg Grays. Three additional companies were recruited within the city and began training. The Lafayette Guards became Company D, and the Petersburg Riflemen became Company E. Eventually, all five Petersburg companies would become part of this unit, and would be joined by companies from Norfolk and Richmond. In March 1862, before this regiment's combat service began, many men transferred from the Lafayette Guards into the new Petersburg Artillery, so that unit received many recruits from rural Patrick County in southwest Virginia. The final Petersburg-recruited company, "Archer's Rifles" was raised in May 1861 by Fletcher H. Archer, who had commanded a volunteer company in the Mexican War. Archer soon became lieutenant colonel of the 3rd Virginia Infantry Regiment, while his company became Company K of the 12th Virginia Infantry.
The regiment was unusual in the Confederate army as a whole, because most of its members were educated and from cities, only Companies F and I were from rural counties. The Huger Grays and Meherrin Grays were recruited mainly from Greensville and Brunswick Counties. The Richmond Grays had been Company A of the 1st Virginia Infantry, but became Company G of the 12th Virginia on July 12, 1861. The oldest militia volunteers in Norfolk, the Norfolk Junior Volunteers enlisted on April 19, 1861, for one year. When their home city fell to the Union Army & Navy in 1862, many deserted and rejoined their families. On July 1, 1861, this company was transferred from the 6th Virginia Infantry Regiment, to become Company H of the 12th Virginia Infantry.
CompanyNicknameRecruited atFirst Commanding Officer
APetersburg City GuardPetersburgColonel David A. Weisiger
BPetersburg Old GraysPetersburgDavid Edmundson
CPetersburg New GraysPetersburg]Thomas H. Bond
DLafayette GuardsPetersburg]William H. Jarvis
EPetersburg RiflemenPetersburgDaniel Dodson
FHugar GraysGreensville
Brunswick County		Everard M. Feild
GRichmond GraysRichmond
HNorfolk JuniorsNorfolkA.F. Santos
Finlay T. Ferguson
IMeherrin GraysGreensville
Brunswick County		Richard W. Jones
KArcher RiflesPetersburg]Fletcher Archer

One soldier reminisced about their first assignment after their April 1861 enlistment, a train ride to Norfolk.
The next morning I volunteered in the "B" Grays of Petersburg, and on the 20th of April, 1861, we boarded a train en route to Norfolk. Our organization was then known as the "Petersburg Battalion," comprising two companies of Grays, each 108 men, the "City Guard," "Petersburg Rifles," "The Lafayette Guards," and the "Nichols Battery of Artillery," The whole of Petersburg seemed to have turned out on that eventful April morning to bid us farewell, and mingled with tears, banners and handkerchiefs waving, we sped away over the Petersburg and Norfolk Railroad, as it was then known.

Uniforms during the war

Throughout the war, the regiment went through inconsistent reequipping, tending to leave the men with proper accoutrements and weapons, but without uniforms. The men were first supplied by the City of Petersburg, in April 1861, with new grey uniforms. However, that would be the only equipment that would be distributed throughout the regiment, until Christmas of 1862, again by the City Council of Petersburg. The men captured the weapons off of the dead and wounded U.S. Soldiers from the Seven Days Battles, and had little proper clothing during the winter of 1862-1863, even into the spring. The 12th Virginia, again took new equipment from the federal dead at the Battle of Chancellorsville, but there is no mention of new uniforms issued even after the Battle of Gettysburg.

Timeline of events

Formation of the regiment

The majority of the Regiment came from the cities and received formal education, unlike the majority of Confederate Army units, whose ranks consisted mainly of country men.
  • 1802, The Norfolk Juniors formed, being the oldest militia company in the city, would join the 12th Virginia in July 1861, as Company H.
  • 1828, The Petersburg Greys organized, which eventually fought through the Mexican War under the command of Captain Fletcher Archer.
  • 1844, The Richmond Greys formed, and joined the 1st Virginia Infantry, as Company A, and later transferred to the 12th Virginia.
  • 1852, Captain John Pegram May organized the Petersburg City Guard. These two companies formed the 39th Regiment, Virginia State Militia, during the 1850s.
  • December 2, 1859, Both the Petersburg Greys and the Petersburg City Guard were part of the security detail at the hanging of John Brown. On the return from the execution, the second company of the Petersburg Greys was formed by Thomas H. Bond. William Jarvis formed the Lafayette Guards the same year. A prominent lawyer in the city of Petersburg, Daniel Dodson, also organized the Petersburg Riflemen.
  • 1860, The Commonwealth of Virginia began organizing the militia companies across the state, with this, the 4th Battalion, Virginia State Militia, was formed: with Co A, the Petersburg City Guard; Co B, the Old, and Co C, the New Petersburg Greys; Co D, the Lafayette Guards; and Co E, the Petersburg Riflemen; forming the unit. The Petersburg Riflemen had purchased new English manufactured Enfield,.577 caliber rifles, when the rest of the unit carried the old flintlock-conversion muskets, and older cap-lock muskets.
  • 1861
  • *April 17, Virginia voted for secession from the union. Following this, on April 19, Governor John Letcher called for volunteers. The 4th Battalion went into camp at Poplar Lawn in Petersburg.
  • *April 20, The Battalion left Petersburg to Norfolk, for an occupation of the city and the military bases.
  • *June 12, The Confederate Government redesignates the 4th Battalion, as the 12th Regiment, Virginia Infantry.

    Military Actions

  • 1861. The regiment consisted of nearly 1000 men and officers.
  • *The 4th Battalion,, goes into camp in Norfolk, after an extremely long delay by friends and family in Petersburg, from the early hours of the morning, until noon, the battalion was delayed. It is speculated by Mahone and the other commanders that if the unit had arrived as expected early on the morning of the 20th, that the whole of Norfolk Naval Base would have fallen intact to the Confederate Army.
  • *Company K is assigned to the Seacoast Battery, on Craney Island, starting in May.
  • *On August 22, Company H spent a month at the Battery of Bouch's Bluff.
  • 1862.
  • *May 7. The regiment took the ferry to Portsmouth, VA to march the 20 miles to Suffolk, following the actions of Union General Wool. The regiment threw away the knapsacks, blankets, excess gear, and two-soldier tents during the march.
  • *On May 15, The 12th Virginia and Mahone's Brigade, were ordered to Drewry's Bluff, aiding the heavy artillery and the Confederate Marines stationed there.
  • *May 19. U.S. Navy ships; ironclads, USS Galena and USS Monitor, with the Naugatuck and Port Royal, steam up the river from City Point, and engage the C.S. battery at Drewry's Bluff. The 12th Virginia left the fortifications and started to fire at the vessels, in the attempt to injure any exposed crewman. After several hours without affecting either side, the U.S. Navy retired back down the river.
  • *May 28. The 12th Virginia, Mahone's Brigade, and the rest of Huger's Division, went into camp on the outskirts of Richmond.
  • Battle of Seven Pines/Fair Oaks May 31, Mahone's Brigade found itself on a mis-marked road, being led away from battle in the afternoon assault.
  • *June 1, 1 A.M., orders to Mahone moved his brigade to the Williamsburg Road, arriving west of Seven Pines by 7 A.M. After confusion on the field from Armistead's Brigade pulling out, Mahone misinterpreted orders and pulled his brigade out, leaving only General George Pickett's Brigade in combat. Pickett called for aid in holding the line, and General D. H. Hill sent Mahone's brigade back into combat. This placed them nearer to Casey's Redoubt, and lasted from noon to 1 P. M. With the closing of the day's battle, the 12th Virginia faced Francis Barlow's 6th New York Infantry, O. O. Howard's Brigade, Richardson's Division. The 12th Virginia was the last unit to withdraw during the night, as it was the closest to the enemy. The following morning, the men examined the Regimental Battle Flag, of the Petersburg City Guard, with its first bullet holes.
  • *During this time, Confederate President Jefferson Davis signed an order placing Robert E. Lee as commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
  • June 25. Battle of Oak Grove 12th Virginia sustains 12 dead and 11 wounded, among highest in brigade.
  • June 30 Battle of Glendale Huger's Division engaged in road construction per CSA General Mahone's orders; does not participate
  • Battle of Malvern Hill 102 casualties, approximately 25% of 12 Virginia men engaged
  • August 17, The regiment left the encampment at Falling Creek to board the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad train bound for Richmond, and marched from the R&P station to the Central Virginia Railroad station on Broad Street, in parade order with regimental band playing. The entire regiment carried either.58 caliber Springfield Rifle-muskets, or Enfield.577 caliber rifle-muskets, and possessed new rubber blankets, wool blankets, haversacks and other captured/issued goods. The men carried their personal effects in the bedroll, over the shoulder. The regiment left Richmond in boxcars from the Central Virginia Railroad, at 6 p.m.
  • August 18, Train arrived at Louisa Court House around midnight, and the men had to march the thirteen miles to Gordonsville, and went into camp four miles south of Orange Court House.
  • August 29–30. Second Battle of Manassas. 12th Virginia sustained 69 casualties, the highest of any regiment in Anderson's Division, including Major John P. May killed and Gen. Mahone and Col. D.A. Weisinger wounded; Col. William A. Parham of Sussex County and 41st Virginia Infantry led the brigade during Mahone's recovery
  • September 4–20 Maryland Campaign
  • *Battle of Crampton's Gap, 60 killed wounded or missing of 100 soldiers in the 12's Virginia, including Lt.Col. Fielding Taylor III killed
  • *Battle of Antietam. Former Congressman and Petersburg lawyer Roger Pryor in brigade command
  • December 13 Battle of Fredericksburg 12 Virginia sustains 8 killed or wounded by shell fire.
1863
  • April 30-May 5 Battle of Chancellorsville. 12th Virginia sustains 36 killed or wounded; 51 taken prisoner at Germanna bridge near beginning; but on May 5 only 100 men present at roll call instead of 313, so Col. Feild on May 15 read public reprimand of unexcused absentees
May. Col. Weisinger returns to duty, having recovered from wounds of Second Manassas
  • July 1–2.Battle of Gettysburg. 12th Virginia mostly in reserve; 1 killed, 8 wounded and 8 taken prisoners of war, one of the lowest casualty rates in army.
1864
  • May 5–6.Battle of the Wilderness. Friendly fire incident between 12th Virginia and 41st Virginia wounds Gen. Longstreet and many others. Longstreet replaced by Richard Heron Anderson; Mahone replacing Anderson in divisional command and Col. Weisinger assumes command of Mahone's Brigade, and Lt.Col. E.M. Feild of 12th Virginia
  • June 9–14. Battle of Old Men and Young Boys. Union troops attack Petersburg, defended by Lt.Col. Archer and about 125 local militia. Archer wounded on final day, when General Grant after arrival of Longstreet's Corps, changes to siege.
  • June 18. 12th Virginia arrives during Siege of Petersburg. Would mostly man trenches for next 10 months
  • *July 30Battle of the Crater. 12th Virginia loses 8 killed and 24 wounded, about 10% of those engaged
  • *October 27–28Battle of Boydton Plank Road Though 12th Virginia protected South Side Railroad, many men became Union prisoners of war, including Captain Edward Scott of Company F, a grand nephew of Union General Winfield Scott
1865
  • April 2. 12th Virginia in Mahone's Division acts as rear guard during Petersburg's evacuation
  • Lee's surrender. After acting as rear guard during the evacuation of Petersburg on April 2–3, 1861, Mahone's Division was the largest in Lee's army. 12th Virginia surrendered 16 officers and 180 men.