History of the Stonewall Brigade
When the Virginia secession convention voted 81 to 51 to secede from the Union on April 17, 1861, Governor John Letcher called for militia companies in the Shenandoah Valley to form and make all haste to Harper's Ferry to secure the town and armaments in the town. The 2,611 men that gathered at Harper's Ferry in April were organized into five regiments of infantry and a battery of artillery and designated as the First Brigade, Virginia Volunteers. The regiments were made up of forty-nine companies, each with a letter designation and nickname. The men ranged in age from school age to grandfathers. Nationalities included Germans, Scotch-Irish, and Irish. Occupations included just about every 19th century occupations that existed with farmer making up about a third of the original number of recruits.
The Valley men were placed under the command of then Colonel Thomas J. Jackson. Jackson had been picked to lead the First Virginia Brigade by Robert E. Lee, then an advisor to Jefferson Davis. Jackson had left his teaching position at the Virginia Military Institute to join the Virginia forces when war broke out.
The first action that the brigade saw was at the battle of First Manassas where the brigade's steadfast action at the Henry House where they earned them the name "Stonewall Brigade". Jackson always contended that his brigade had earned the name and not himself. The brigade followed Jackson through the Romney campaign in the first winter of the war, which solidified the relationship between men and commander. 1862 saw the Valley men on their home turf, defeating three separate Union armies and keeping reinforcements from marching on Richmond during Gen. George McClellan's failed Peninsula campaign. The brigade followed R.E. Lee into Maryland and then to Chancellorsville. The brigade's love for their first commander was deep and life-long. Jackson's loss at Chancellorsville in May of 1863 devastated the men in his brigade and throughout the Confederacy.
The brigade took part in the second day of Gettysburg when they attacked Culp's Hill and a member of the 2nd regiment, Pvt. Wesley Culp, died within sight of his home. Many feel that if Jackson had been alive for the battle of Gettysburg, the outcome of the battle and ultimately the war may have been different. The Mine Run campaign and Spotsylvania reduced the numbers in the five regiments so much, that in the last year of the war, the regiments were combined with five other regiments to form a brigade. The men followed Jubal Early to Monocacy and the outskirts of Washington, DC.
Sadly, in April of 1865, only 210 men from the original Stonewall Brigade were left at Appomattox. Because of the reputation of the brigade on both sides of the war, the Stonewall Brigade was the first to march through the Federal lines at the surrender.
Commanders of the Stonewall Brigade
Thomas J. Jackson - wounded Chancellorsville, 1863, died Guinea Station, 1863
Franklin E. Paxton - KIA Chancellorsville, 1863
Richard Garnett - KIA Gettysburg, 1863
Charles Winder - KIA Cedar Run, 1862
William Baylor - KIA Second Manassas, 1862
James Walker - died 1901
William Terry - died 1888
The companies of the
Stonewall Brigade
(company letter, nickname, where members were from, and first captain)
Second Regiment
Company A - Jefferson Guards, Jefferson Co. WVA, John W. Rowan
Company B - Hamtramck Guards, Shepardstown, WVA, Vincent M. Butler
Company C - Nelson Rifles, Millwood, VA , William Nelson
Company D - Berkeley Border Guards, Berkeley, WVA, J.Q.A. Nadenbousch
Company E - Hedgesville Blues, Martinsburg, WVA, Raleigh T. Colson
Company F - Winchester Riflemen, Winchester, VA, William L. Clark, Jr.
Company G - Botts Greys, Charlestown, WVA, Lawson Botts
Company H - Letcher Riflemen, Duffields community, VA, James H.L. Hunter
Company I - Clarke Rifles, Berryville, VA, Strother H. Bowen
Company K - Floyd Guards, Harper’s Ferry, WVA, George W. Chambers
Company A - Wythe Grays, Wythewille, VA, William Terry
Company B - Fort Lewis Volunteers, Big Spring area, VA, David Edmondson
Company C - Pulaski Guards, Pulaski Co., VA, James Walker
Company D - Smythe Blues, Marion, VA, Albert G. Pendleton
Company E - Montgomery Highlanders, Blacksburg, VA, Charles A. Ronald
Company F - Grayson Daredevils, Elk Creek community, VA, Peyton H. Hale
Company G - Montgomery Fencibles, Montgomery Co., VA, Robert G. Terry
Company H - Rockbridge Grays, Buffalo Forge & Lexington, VA, James G. Updike
Company I - Liberty Hall Volunteers, Lexington, VA, James J. White
Company K - Montgomery Mountain Boys, Montgomery Co., Robert G. Newlee
Fifth Regiment
Company A - Marion Rifles, Winchester, VA, John H.S. Funk
Company B - Rockbridge Rifles, Rockbridge Co. VA, Samuel H. Letcher
Company C - Mountain Guard, Staunton, VA, Richard G. Doyle
Company D - Southern Guard, Staunton, VA, Hazael J. Williams
Company E - Augusta Greys, Greenville community, VA, James W. Newton
Company F - West View Infantry, Augusta Co. VA, St. Francis C. Roberts
Company G - Staunton Rifles, Staunton, VA, Adam W. Harman
Company H - Augusta Rifles, Augusta Co., VA, Absalom Koiner
Company I - Ready Rifles, Sangerville community, VA, Oswald F. Grimman
Company K - Continental Morgan Guards, Frederick Co., John Avis
Company L - West Augusta Guards, Staunton, VA, William S.H. Baylor
Company A - Allegheny Light Infantry, Covington, VA, Thompson McAllister
(later transferred to artillery and known as Carpenter's Battery)
Company B - Virginia Hiberians, Alleghany Co. VA, Henry H. Robertson
Company C - Allegheny Rifles, Clifton Forge, VA, Lewis P. Holloway
Company D - Monroe Guards, Monroe Co., WVA, Hugh S. Tiffany
Company E - Greenbrier Rifles, Lewisburg, WVA, Robert Dennis
Company F - Greenbrier Sharpshooters, Greenbrier Co., Samuel Brown
Company G - Shriver Grays, Wheeling, WVA, Daniel M. Shriver
Company H - Rockbridge Rifles, originally Co. B, 5th regiment, Samuel Houston Letcher.
Company A - Potomac Guards, Springfield, Hampshire Co. WVA, Phillip T. Grace
Company B - Tom's Brook Guard, Tom's Brook, Shenandoah Co. VA, Emanuel Crabill
Company C - Tenth Legion Minute Men, Woodstock, Shenandoah Co., VA, John Gatewood
Company D - Mountain Rangers, Winchester, Frederick Co., VA, Frederick W.M. Holliday
Company E - Emerald Guard, New Market, Shenandoah County VA, Marion M. Sibert
Company F - Independent (Hardy) Greys, Moorefield, Hardy Co. WVA, Abraham Spengler
Company G - Mount Jackson Rifles, Mount Jackson area, Shenandoah Co., VA, George W. Allen
Company H - Page Grays, Luray, Page Co. VA, William D. Rippetoe
Company I - Rockingham Confederates, Harrisonburg, Rockingham Co. VA, John R. Jones
Company K - Shenandoah Sharpshooters, Shenanadoah Co. VA, David H. Walton
Source: The National Archives Muster rolls, Thirty-Third Virginia Infantry by Lowell Reidenbaugh.
