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5th South Carolina Infantry

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Muster In: June 4, 18611
Muster Out: April 9, 18652

Commander(s):
Colonel Asbury Coward
Commander Image

Lieutenant Colonel John D. Wylie
Commander Image

Captain J. Banks Lyle
Commander Image

Commander 4
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Bratton’s Brigade | Field’s DivisionFirst Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army3

  • Commander: Colonel Asbury Coward (?)4
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Second Offensive Order of Battle: Bratton’s Brigade | Field’s DivisionFirst Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army5

  • Commander: Colonel Asbury Coward (?)6
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Bratton’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army7

  • Commander: Colonel Asbury Coward8
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Bratton’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army9

  • Commander: Colonel Asbury Coward (at least August 31, 1864)10,11
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Bratton’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army12,13

  • Commander:
    • Colonel Asbury Coward  (wounded September 30, 1864)14
    • Captain J. Banks Lyle (at least September 30, 1864)15
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Bratton’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army16

  • Commander: Colonel Asbury Coward17
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle: Bratton’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army18,19

  • Commander:
    • Colonel Asbury Coward (took a leave of absence starting on December 3, 1864) (November & December 1864)20,21
    • Lieutenant Colonel John D. Wylie (December 1864)22
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: Bratton’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army23,24,25,26,27

  • Commander: Colonel Asbury Coward (January & February 1865)28,29,30
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Bratton’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army31,32

  • Commander:
    • None listed. (March – April 2, 1865)33,34
    • Colonel Asbury Coward [April 9, 1865]35
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles36:

  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • 2nd Fort Harrison (September 30, 1864)
  • Williamsburg Road (October 27, 1864)
  • Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)

Bibliography:

Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

Sources:

  1. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: South Carolina and Georgia by Stewart Sifakis, pages 69-71
  2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: South Carolina and Georgia by Stewart Sifakis, pages 69-71
  3. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 110
  4. Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of South Carolina, National Archives, Roll 191 (Asbury Coward, 5th South Carolina): Ray Sibley claims there is documentation supporting Coward’s command of the 5th South Carolina in June 1864, but after looking through his compiled service record I was unable to find this evidence.  More research is needed.
  5. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 110
  6. Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of South Carolina, National Archives, Roll 191 (Asbury Coward, 5th South Carolina): Ray Sibley claims there is documentation supporting Coward’s command of the 5th South Carolina in June 1864, but after looking through his compiled service record I was unable to find this evidence.  More research is needed.
  7. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 119
  8. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 119
  9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 128
  10. Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of South Carolina, National Archives, Roll 191 (Asbury Coward, 5th South Carolina): Field and Staff Muster Roll for July + August, 1864
  11. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 128
  12. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 137
  13. Sommers, Richard J. “Grant’s Fifth Offensive at Petersburg: A Study in Strategy, Tactics, and Generalship.  The Battle of Poplar Spring Church, the First Battle of the Darbytown Road, the Second Battle of the Squirrel Level Road, the Second Battle of the Darbytown Road (Ulysses S. Grant, Virginia).” Doctoral Thesis. Rice University, 1970. Print. p. 1311.
  14. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 137
  15. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 137
  16. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 146
  17. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 146: When did Coward return to duty after his wound? More research is needed.
  18. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 154
  19. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 162
  20. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 154
  21. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 162
  22. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 162
  23. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 171
  24. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 1171: “Organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General R. E. Lee, January 31, 1865”; This list contains many commanders who were not there.  They were the “official” commanders but may have been gone on leave.  I have used none of the leaders from this list as a result.
  25. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 1179: “Organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, General R. E. Lee, C. S. Army, commanding, January 31, 1865”; This order of battle was based off of inspection reports from January 26-31, 1865, and the leaders should be accurate for this time frame.
  26. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 181
  27. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 1269: “Organization of the Infantry and Cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia, General R. E. Lee, C. S. Army, commanding, February 28, 1865”; This order of battle was based off of inspection reports from February 28, 1865.  However, leaders listed are from January.  I’ve chosen to ignore the leaders and just use this source for the organization of the order of battle.
  28. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 171
  29. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 1179: “Organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, General R. E. Lee, C. S. Army, commanding, January 31, 1865”; This order of battle was based off of inspection reports from January 26-31, 1865, and the leaders should be accurate for this time frame.
  30. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 181
  31. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 190
  32. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 200
  33. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 190
  34. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 200
  35. Field, Charles. “Campaign of 1864 and 1865.” Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 14, p. 562
  36. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: South Carolina and Georgia by Stewart Sifakis, pages 69-71
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