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16th North Carolina Battalion Cavalry

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Muster In: Special Orders #161 created the 16th North Carolina Cavalry Battalion from 5 NC cos. of the 7th Confederate Cav. + 3 NC cos. of the 62nd GA Cav. + Co. C of the 12th NC Cav. Bn.1
Muster Out: April 9, 18652

Commander(s):
Captain William K. Lane
Commander Image

Lieutenant Colonel John T. Kennedy
Commander Image

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Boyd Edelin
Commander Image

Captain F. G. Pitts
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle:

  • Not yet in existence.

Second Offensive Order of Battle:

  • Not yet in existence.

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade (?) | Butler’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army3

  • Not yet in existence.
  • Note: Special Orders #161 created the 16th North Carolina Cavalry Battalion from 5 NC cos. of the 7th Confederate Cav. + 3 NC cos. of the 62nd GA Cav. + Co. C of the 12th NC Cav. Bn.  However, the 7th Confederate Cavalry continued to exist at least through October 1864, so I’m not sure if the 16th NC Cavalry Battalion existed in a smaller form from July, or if it was created later.  More research is necessary.

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade (?) | Butler’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army4

  • Not yet in existence.
  • Note: Special Orders #161 created the 16th North Carolina Cavalry Battalion from 5 NC cos. of the 7th Confederate Cav. + 3 NC cos. of the 62nd GA Cav. + Co. C of the 12th NC Cav. Bn.  However, the 7th Confederate Cavalry continued to exist at least through October 1864, so I’m not sure if the 16th NC Cavalry Battalion existed in a smaller form from July, or if it was created later.  More research is necessary.

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle:

  • Not yet in existence.
  • Note: Sommers does not have this unit in existence in September 1864.  I don’t think it was formed yet.5

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle:

  • Not yet in existence.

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade | ? Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army6,7

  • Commander: Captain William K. Lane (November & December 1864)8,9
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: This unit existed by at least November 30, 1864 and probably earlier.  (Source needed)

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle:

Dearing’s Brigade | ? Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (January 1-?, 1865)

Dearing’s Brigade | Rooney Lee’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (January ?-February 21, 1865)10,11,12,13

Roberts’ Brigade | Rooney Lee’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (February 21-18, 1865)14,15

  • Commander:
    • Lieutenant Colonel John T. Kennedy (January 1865)16
    • Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Boyd Edelin (appointed to “temporary” rank of Lt. Col. in July)(January & February 1865)17,18,19
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: At some point in January 1865, probably when Butler’s Division was sent to South Carolina on January 19, 1865, Dearing’s Brigade shifted orgs and went from Butler and/or Independent to Rooney Lee’s Division.  When, specifically, did this happen?  More research is needed.
  • Note: On February 21, 1865, Colonel William P. Roberts of the 2nd NC Cav. was promoted to Brig. Gen. and took command of Dearing’s old brigade below.  Dearing was transferred to command Rosser’s old brigade.20

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Roberts’ Brigade | Rooney Lee’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army21,22

  • Commander:
    • Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Boyd Edelin (captured March 30)(March 1865)23
    •  

      Captain F. G. Pitts (after Lt. Col. Edelin was captured and also at least April 2)(captured on April 2)(March & April 1-2, 1865)24,25

    •  

      ? (after Captain Pitts was captured)(April 2, 1865)26

  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: On February 21, 1865, Colonel William P. Roberts of the 2nd NC Cav. was promoted to Brig. Gen. and took command of Dearing’s old brigade below.  Dearing was transferred to command Rosser’s old brigade.27

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles28:

  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • Belfield (December 8, 1864)
  • Hatcher’s Run (February 5-7, 1865)
  • Five Forks (April 1, 1865)
  • Namozine Church (April 3, 1865)
  • Amelia Court House (April 5, 1865)
  • Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

    Sources:

    1. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: North Carolina by Stewart Sifakis, p. 73 ↩
    2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: North Carolina by Stewart Sifakis, p. 73 ↩
    3.  The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 123 ↩
    4. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 132 ↩
    5. 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. 1310. ↩
    6. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 159 ↩
    7. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 168 ↩
    8. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 159 ↩
    9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 168 ↩
    10. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 177 ↩
    11. 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 1175: “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. ↩
    12. 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 1183: “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. ↩
    13. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186 ↩
    14. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186 ↩
    15. 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 1273: “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. ↩
    16. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 177 ↩
    17. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 177 ↩
    18. 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 1183: “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. ↩
    19. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186 ↩
    20. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186 ↩
    21. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 195 ↩
    22. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 205 ↩
    23. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 195 ↩
    24. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 195 ↩
    25. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 205 ↩
    26. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 205 ↩
    27. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186 ↩
    28. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: North Carolina by Stewart Sifakis, p. 73 ↩

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