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33rd North Carolina Infantry

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 in September 18611
Muster Out: April 9, 18652

Commander(s):
Colonel Robert V. Cowan
Commander Image

Major James A. Weston
Commander Image

Captain William J. Callais
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Captain Riddick Gatling
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Commander 5
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Lane’s Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army3

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Second Offensive Order of Battle: Lane’s Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army4

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Lane’s Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army5

  • Commander:
    • Colonel Robert V. Cowan6
    • Captain W. J. Callais7
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Lane’s Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army8

  • Commander: Captain W. J. Callais9
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Lane’s Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army10,11

  • Commander:
    • Colonel Robert V. Cowan (at least September 28 & 30, 1864)12,13,14,15
    • Captain W. J. Callais (at least September 2, 1864)16
  • Unit Strength:
    • 226 officers and men PFD (September 2, 1864)17
    • 273 officers and men PFD (September 28, 1864)18
  • Weapons: .58 caliber rifles (presumably a mix of Enfields and Springfields)19,20

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Lane’s Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army21

  • Commander:
    • Colonel Robert V. Cowan22
    • ? (while Cowan was temporarily commanding brigade)
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle: Lane’s Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army23,24

  • Commander:
    • Captain Riddick Gatling (November 1864)25
    • Colonel Robert V. Cowan (December 1864)26
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: Lane’s Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army27,28,29,30,31

  • Commander:
    • Colonel Robert V. Cowan (took a leave of absence starting February 23)(January & February 1865)32,33,34
    • Major James A. Weston (February 1865)35
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Lane’s Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army36,37

  • Commander:
    • None listed. (March 1865)38
    • Colonel Robert V. Cowan (April 1-2, 1865)39
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles40:

  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • Wells’ Farm (June 22, 1864)
  • Weldon Railroad (June 23, 1864)
  • Gravel Hill (July 28, 1864)
  • Fussell’s Mill (August 16, 1864)
  • Reams’ Station (August 25, 1864)
  • Squirrel Level Road (September 30, 1864)
  • Jones’ Farm (September 30, 1864)
  • Pegram’s Farm (October 1, 1864)
  • Hatcher’s Run (February 5-7, 1865)
  • Stony Creek Raid (December 7-12, 1864)41
  • Fort Stedman (March 25, 1865)
  • Attacks on the Skirmish Lines (March 25, 1865)42
  • Petersburg Final Assault (April 2, 1865)
  • Battery Gregg (April 2, 1865)43
  • Amelia Court House (April 5, 1865)
  • Jetersville (April 5, 1865)
  • Farmville (April 7, 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. 131-133
    2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: North Carolina by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 131-133
    3. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 112
    4. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 112
    5. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 122
    6. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 122
    7. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 122
    8. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 130
    9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 130
    10. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 139
    11. 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. 1312.
    12. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 139
    13. Lane, James H. “History of Lane’s North Carolina Brigade.” Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 9, p. 355: “My line was formed just beyond a stream of water, and the ground in front, particularly on the right, was rising, and served, somewhat, to shelter my men. I put the Thirty-third (North Carolina) regiment on the right, as I feared a flank movement in that direction, and I had unbounded confidence in the bravery, coolness, and judgment of its Colonel, R(obert) V. Cowan. I made known my fears to Cowan and instructed him, should such a movement be attempted, to manoeuvre his regiment at once to meet it and not to await orders from me. Not long after leaving him, and a short time before the general advance, there was heard a volley and a shout on the right. A large body of the enemy had formed perpendicular to Wooten’s line of skirmishers, under the impression, I suppose, that it was my line of battle, and were advancing rapidly. But Cowan was on the alert, his men were brought to attention, and when the Yankee line was nearly opposite his colors, he moved his command to the top of the hill, and with a well directed, converging, flank fire, broke the whole line and sent them back in great disorder into the hands of our cavalry, which had been posted still further to the right.”
    14. Clark, Walter. Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65, Volume 2 (Nash Brothers: 1901), pp. 574-580
    15. Confederate Inspection Report 7-P-24: Lane’s Brigade, September 28, 1864Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
    16. Confederate Inspection Report 25-P-17: Lane’s Brigade, September 2, 1864Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
    17. Confederate Inspection Report 25-P-17: Lane’s Brigade, September 2, 1864Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
    18. Confederate Inspection Report 7-P-24: Lane’s Brigade, September 28, 1864Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
    19. Confederate Inspection Report 25-P-17: Lane’s Brigade, September 2, 1864Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
    20. Confederate Inspection Report 7-P-24: Lane’s Brigade, September 28, 1864Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
    21. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 148
    22. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 148: Cowan also temporarily commanded the brigade for parts of October 1864, but when?  More research is needed.
    23. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 156
    24. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 165
    25. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 156
    26. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 165
    27. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 174
    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 1173: “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.
    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 1182: “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 184
    31. 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 1272: “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.
    32. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 174
    33. 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 1182: “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.
    34. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 184
    35. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 184
    36. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 193
    37. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 203
    38. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 193
    39. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 203
    40. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: North Carolina by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 131-133
    41. Clark, Walter. Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65, Volume 2 (Nash Brothers: 1901), pp. 574-580
    42. Clark, Walter. Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65, Volume 2 (Nash Brothers: 1901), pp. 574-580
    43. Clark, Walter. Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65, Volume 2 (Nash Brothers: 1901), pp. 574-580
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