The following Confederate army units were involved in the Battle of Lynchburg on June 17–18, 1864, near Lynchburg, Virginia, in the American Civil War. The Union units are shown separately. The Confederate force, commanded by Lieutenant General Jubal Early in cooperation with Major General John C. Breckenridge, consisted of brigades, divisions, and part of a corps. Both infantry and cavalry were involved—plus artillery. Confederate cavalry units delayed the Union approach to Lynchburg, enabling Confederate infantry forces to arrive in Lynchburg in time to defend the city.

Abbreviations used

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Map from the report of Confederate engineer Jedediah Hotchkiss

Units listed under "Regiments and Others" are regiments unless noted otherwise in "Additional information".

Military rank

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Other

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Confederate Army

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City (Lynchburg) Command

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BG Francis T. Nicholls - Until the arrival of Breckinridge, Nicholls and his small force were the only defenders of Lynchburg other than cavalry positioned between the city and advancing Union forces. Nicholls was missing he left arm and left leg—lost in separate battles.[1]

Group Unit
BG Francis T. Nicholls
  • Convalescents and invalids - Consisted of Lynchburg hospital patients.[2]
  • Silver Grays City Home Guard - Locals that ranged in ages from 15 years to 81 years.[3] They had "possibly four guns" (artillery pieces).[4]
  • V.M.I. Cadets - Brought six artillery pieces to Lynchburg.[5]
  • Botetourt Artillery - Captain Henry C. Douthat commanded this six piece unit.[6]

Breckinridge's Division, Trans–Alleghany Department

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MG John C. Breckinridge, commanding[7] Breckinridge was appointed commander of the Trans-Alleghany Department, also known as the Western Department of Virginia, on February 25, 1864.[8] Breckinridge's Division (except King's Artillery Battalion and the Maryland Line) was ordered back to the Shenandoah Valley on June 7, 1864.<need cite> Because of injuries from an earlier battle, Breckinridge was bedridden. He had D.H. Hill, who was visiting Lynchburg, organize the city's positioning of troops for the city's defense.[9]

  • MG D.H. Hill, unofficial command - Traveled to Lynchburg per orders from General P. G. T. Beauregard to offer assistance to Brigadier General F.T. Nicholls, arriving before Lieutenant General Jubal Early. Breckinridge was bedridden because of injuries suffered in an earlier battle, and gave Hill unofficial command of Lynchburg. Hill set up the city's defense by positioning brigades and artillery around the city. He also ordered the construction of redoubts and trenches.[10]
  • MG Arnold Elzey - Took official command of Lynchburg on the afternoon of June 18, but only participated in the pursuit after the battle.[11]


BG Gabriel C. Wharton, division commander[7]

Brigade Regiments and Others
Wharton/Forsberg Brigade

Col Augustus Forsberg[7]


Additional Information

  • A map by Jedediah Hotchkiss of the Lynchburg battlefield identifies Wharton's Brigade as Forsberg's Brigade. On June 17, the brigade was positioned on the north side of Lynchburg not far from the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad. On June 18, the brigade was positioned further west.[13]
  • The 45th Virginia Infantry Regiment was depleted by 450 casualties in the June 5 Battle of Piedmont—including Colonel William H. Browne (mortally wounded and captured), Lieutenant Colonel Alexander M. Davis (captured), and Major William C. Sanders (wounded and captured).[14]
Echols/Patton Brigade

Col George S. Patton Sr.[7]


Additional Information

  • A map by Jedediah Hotchkiss of the Lynchburg battlefield identifies Echol's Brigade as Patton's Brigade. It was positioned on the west side of Lynchburg on June 17, and moved further west on June 18.[13]
  • The 23rd Virginia Infantry Battalion was also known as Derrick's Battalion.[15]
  • The 26th Virginia Infantry Battalion was also known as Edgar's Battalion.[16]
  • The combination of Forsberg's and Patton's brigades totaled to about 2,100 soldiers.[17]
McCausland/Smith Brigade

Col Thomas J. Smith[7]


Additional Information

  • Although listed by one author in the order-of-battle for Lynchburg, there is little evidence that this brigade fought—and it was seriously depleted at the Battle of Piedmont on June 5.[7]
  • The units in this brigade received numerous casualties in the June 5 Battle of Piedmont.
  • The commander of a brigade consisting of the 36th and 60th Virginia Infantry Regiments, Colonel Beuhring H. Jones of the 60th Virginia, was captured at the Battle of Piedmont.[18]
  • The 36th Virginia Infantry Regiment, which consisted of fewer than 500 fighters at Piedmont, was depleted in that battle by 177 casualties.[19]
  • The 45th Virginia Battalion consisted of approximately 175 fighters at the beginning of the Battle of Piedmont.[20]
  • A map by Jedediah Hotchkiss of the Lynchburg battlefield identifies a "Geo" Smith Brigade (not T Smith, possibly Colonel George H. Smith) as part of Breckinridge's command positioned on the west side of Lynchburg on June 18 between Forsberg and Patton.[13]
  • An additional source does not list any of the three Virginia units as fighting at Lynchburg.[21]
  • All three Virginia units do not have Lynchburg mentioned by the National Parks Service, although Piedmont is mentioned for the 36th and 60th Virginia Infantries.[22]
Major Floyd King's
Artillery Battalion


Additional Information

  • A map by Jedediah Hotchkiss of the Lynchburg battlefield shows Bryan's Battery positioned near the Salem Turnpike southwest of Lynchburg on June 17.[13]

Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

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Only a portion of this corps, listed below, arrived in time for the battle.

LTG Jubal Early https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Monocacy_order_of_battle:_Confederate

Division Brigade Regiments and Others

Early/Ramseur Division
     MG Stephen D. Ramseur

Pegram's Brigade


   BG John D. Lilley


Additional Information

  • A map by Jedediah Hotchkiss of the Lynchburg battlefield shows Johnston's Brigade positioned on June 18 between the Old Road and the Salem Turnpike southwest of Lynchburg.[13]
Johnston's Brigade


   BG Robert D. Johnston


Additional Information

  • A map by Jedediah Hotchkiss of the Lynchburg battlefield shows Johnston's Brigade positioned on June 18 north of Pegram's Brigade and the Old Road, southwest of Lynchburg.[13]
Lewis' Brigade[13][Note 1]


   BG William G. Lewis
  


Additional Information

  • A map by Jedediah Hotchkiss of the Lynchburg battlefield shows Lewis' Brigade positioned on June 18 on the north side of the Salem Turnpike, between Pegram and York's brigades, southwest of Lynchburg.[13]

Gordon's Division (partial)
     MG John B. Gordon

York's Brigade


   BG Zebulon York


Additional Information

  • The remnants of the Louisiana Infantry regiments in this brigade were brigaded together into two brigades, making York's Brigade a consolidated Louisiana brigade.
  • A map by Jedediah Hotchkiss of the Lynchburg battlefield shows York's Brigade positioned on June 18 on the south side of the Salem Turnpike, between Lewis and Evans' brigades, southwest of Lynchburg.[13]
Evan's Brigade


   BG Clement A. Evans


Additional Information

  • A map by Jedediah Hotchkiss of the Lynchburg battlefield shows Evans' Brigade positioned on June 18 on the south side of the Salem Turnpike, forming the extreme left flank, southwest of Lynchburg.[13]

Cavalry, Department of Western Virginia

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MG Robert Ransom, commanding - On June 13, Ransom was ordered to take command of all cavalry in the Department of Western Virginia, reporting to Breckinridge.[28] Ransom did not arrive in Lynchburg until 4:00 pm on June 18.[29]

Brigade Regiments (unless noted otherwise)
McCausland's Cavalry

Col John McCausland[23]


Additional Information

  • A map by Jedediah Hotchkiss of the Lynchburg battlefield shows McCausland's Cavalry positioned west of Lynchburg, near Forest Road and the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad.[13]
Jackson's Cavalry

Col William L. "Mudwall" Jackson


Additional Information

  • A map by Jedediah Hotchkiss of the Lynchburg battlefield shows Jackson's Cavalry positioned near the Salem Turnpike southwest of Lynchburg on June 17.[13]
Imboden's Cavalry

BG John D. Imboden


Additional Information

  • Imboden's cavalry had suffered significant losses in the Battle of Piedmont that occurred earlier in June.[32]
  • The 62nd Virginia Mounted Infantry lost their commander, Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. Doyle, when he was killed in the June 5 Battle of Piedment.[33]
  • A map by Jedediah Hotchkiss of the Lynchburg battlefield shows Jackson's Cavalry positioned near the Salem Turnpike southwest of Lynchburg on June 17.[13]
Vaughn's Mounted Infantry

BG John C. Vaughn[23]

  • 1st Tennessee Mounted Infantry Regiment[23]
  • 43rd Tennessee Mounted Infantry Battalion[23]
  • 16th Tennessee Infantry Battalion[23]
  • 16th Tennessee Mounted Infantry Regiment (remnants)[23]


Additional Information

  • A map by Jedediah Hotchkiss of the Lynchburg battlefield shows Vaughn's Infantry positioned on the southwest edge of Lynchburg on June 17.[13]
  • Vaughn was the senior cavalry brigadier until Ransom arrived.[34]
Jones' Cavalry

under Vaughn[23]


Additional Information

Horse Artillery
  • Berkeley's Battery - 2 artillery pieces from McClanahan's Artillery, commanded by Lt Carter Berkeley[35]
  • W.S. Lurty's Battery - 2 artillery pieces


Additional Information

  • McClanahan's Virginia Horse Artillery was also known as Staunton Artillery.[36]
  • Lurty's Company, Virginia horse Artillery, was assigned to W.J. Jackson's cavalry in February 1864.[37]

Breckinridge's Division (except King's Artillery Battalion and the Maryland Line) was ordered back to the Shenandoah Valley on June 7, 1864.<need cite> Because of injuries from an earlier battle, Breckinridge was bedridden. He had D.H. Hill, who was visiting Lynchburg, organize the city's positioning of troops for the city's defense.[9]

Notes

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ While Hotchkiss identifies this brigade as part of Ramseur's Division, Walker is unclear (possibly Gordon's).[24] A historian for the 6th Virginia Infantry says "Early's Division, to which the Sixth Regiment belonged" when discussing the Battle of Lynchburg.[25] The Order of Battle for the early June Battle of Cold Harbor lists Lewis's Brigade (a.k.a. Hoke's Brigade) as part of Pickett's Division in I Corps instead of II Corps.[26] In the July 9, 1864, Battle of Monocacy, Lewis' Brigade is listed as part of Ramseur's Division.[27]

Citations

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  1. ^
  2. ^ Walker 1989, pp. 189, 285
  3. ^ Walker 1989, pp. 190, 285
  4. ^ Walker 1989, p. 282
  5. ^ Walker 1989, pp. 282, 285
  6. ^
    • Walker 1989, pp. 243, 286;
    • "Battle Unit Detail - Confederate Virginia Troops - Douthat's Company, Virginia Light Artillery (Botetourt Artillery)". National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Walker 1989, pp. 284
  8. ^ Evans 1899, p. 92
  9. ^ a b Walker 1989, pp. 231, 264
  10. ^
  11. ^
  12. ^
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Report of the camps, marches & engagements, of the Second Corps, A.N.V., and of the Army of the Valley Dist. of the Department of Northern VA., during the campaign of: Virginia. 1864". U.S. Library of Congress. p. 14 (No.9a). Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  14. ^ Walker 1989, pp. 124–125
  15. ^ Wallace 1986, p. 106
  16. ^ Wallace 1986, p. 109
  17. ^ Walker 1989, p. 137
  18. ^ Walker 1989, pp. 82, 125
  19. ^ Walker 1989, pp. 82, 124
  20. ^ Walker 1989, p. 82
  21. ^ Sifakis 2006, pp. 223–224, 233–234, 255–256
  22. ^
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Walker 1989, p. 286
  24. ^
  25. ^ Clark 1901, p. 323
  26. ^ King, Robertson & Clay 2009, p. 407
  27. ^ "Monocacy - Confederate Order of Battle". National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  28. ^ Withers 1892, p. 646
  29. ^ Walker 1989, p. 327
  30. ^ a b c Walker 1989, p. 172
  31. ^ Blackford 1901, p. 34
  32. ^ Blackford 1901, p. 20
  33. ^ Cite error: The named reference Walker124 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  34. ^ Davis 1974, p. 442
  35. ^
  36. ^ "Battle Unit Detail - Confederate Virginia Troops - McClanahan's Company, Virginia Horse Artillery". National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  37. ^ "Battle Unit Detail - Confederate Virginia Troops - Lurty's Company, Virginia Horse Artillery". National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 10, 2025.

References

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