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4th North Carolina Cavalry

Editor’s Note: Do you have information on this unit’s role at the Siege of Petersburg?  Please contact us using the Contact button in the menu at the top of the screen.  We are happy to exchange information with other researchers.

Muster In: Organized with five companies on August 20, 1862. Company F mustered in on September 1, 1862.  Company G assigned on September 22, 1862.  Company H assigned in March or April 1863.  Companies A and B, 12th North Carolina Cavalry Battalion, assigned to this regiment as Companies K and I, respectively, on July 11, 1864, per S.O. #161, A&IG’s office, completing organization of the regiment.1
Muster Out: April 9, 18652

Commander(s):
Colonel Dennis D. Ferebee
Commander Image

Captain Demosthenes Bell
Commander Image

Captain Joseph B. Cherry
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade | Hampton’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army3

  • Commander: Colonel Dennis D. Ferebee (at least June 15, 1864)4,5
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Second Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade | Hampton’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army6

  • Commander: Colonel Dennis D. Ferebee7
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade | Hampton’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army8

  • Commander: Colonel Dennis D. Ferebee9
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade | Butler’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army10

  • Commander: Colonel Dennis D. Ferebee11
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade | Butler’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army12,13

  • Commander: Colonel Dennis D. Ferebee14
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade | Unattached | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army15

  • Commander: Colonel Dennis D. Ferebee16
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade | ? Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army17,18

  • Commander: Colonel Dennis D. Ferebee (November & December 1864)19,20
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

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)21,22,23,24

Roberts’ Brigade | Rooney Lee’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (February 21-18, 1865)25,26

  • Commander: Colonel Dennis D. Ferebee (January & February 1865)27,28,29
  • 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.30

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Roberts’ Brigade | Rooney Lee’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army31,32

  • Commander:
    • Colonel Dennis D. Ferebee (resigned March 24)(March 1865)33
    • Captain Demosthenes Bell (wounded in the face March 29)(March 1865)34
    • Captain Joseph B. Cherry (after Bell was wounded)(mortally wounded March 29)(March 1865)35
    • ? (after Cherry was mortally wounded)(March 1865)36
    • None listed. (April 1-2, 1865)37
  • 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.38

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles39:

  • Bermuda Hundred (May 17-June 14, 1864)
  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • Second Battle of Petersburg (at least June 15, 1864)40
    • Battle of Baylor’s Farm (June 15, 1864)41
  • Peebles’ Farm (September 29-October 2, 1864)
  • Jones’ Farm (September 30, 1864)
  • Harman Road (October 2, 1864)
  • Belfield (December 8, 1864)
  • Dinwiddie Court House (March 31, 1865)
  • Five Forks (April 1, 1865)
  • Namozine Church (April 3, 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, pp. 65-67
    2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: North Carolina by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 65-67
    3. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 113
    4. “Rebel Accounts of Affairs at Petersburg.” The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), June 20, 1864, p. 1, col. 5 AND p. 8, col. 1
    5. “From the Front.” Daily Constitutionalist (Augusta, GA), June 19, 1864, p. 2, col. 2-3, originally printed in The Daily Express (Petersburg, VA), June 16, 1864, page and column(s) unknown.
    6. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 113
    7. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 113
    8. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 123
    9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 123
    10. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 132
    11. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 132
    12. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 140
    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. 1310.
    14. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 140
    15. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 151
    16. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 151
    17. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 159
    18. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 168
    19. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 159
    20. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 168
    21. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 177
    22. 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.
    23. 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.
    24. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186
    25. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186
    26. 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.
    27. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 177
    28. 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.
    29. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186
    30. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186
    31. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 195
    32. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 205
    33. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 195
    34. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 195
    35. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 195
    36. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 195
    37. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 205
    38. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186
    39. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: North Carolina by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 65-67
    40. “From the Front.” Daily Constitutionalist(Augusta, GA), June 19, 1864, p. 2, col. 2-3, originally printed in The Daily Express (Petersburg, VA), June 16, 1864, page and column(s) unknown.
    41. “From the Front.” Daily Constitutionalist (Augusta, GA), June 19, 1864, p. 2, col. 2-3, originally printed in The Daily Express (Petersburg, VA), June 16, 1864, page and column(s) unknown.
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