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26th Virginia 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 ca. June 1862.  Transferred to Confederate service on July 1, 1861.1
Muster Out: April 9, 18652

Commander(s):
Lieutenant Colonel J. Calvin Councill
Commander Image

Major Patrick H. Fitzhugh
Commander Image

Major William K. Perrin
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Captain Napoleon B. Street
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Captain R. E. Steele (?)
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Commander 6
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Wise’s Brigade | Johnson’s Division | Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia | Confederate Army3

  • Commander:
    • Lieutenant Colonel J. Calvin Councill (at least June 10, 1864)4
    • Major Patrick H. Fitzhugh (mortally wounded on June 18, 1864)5
    • Captain (Major) William K. Perrin (June 18, 1864)6
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Second Offensive Order of Battle: Wise’s Brigade | Johnson’s Division | Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia | Confederate Army7

  • Commander: Major William K. Perrin8
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Wise’s Brigade | Johnson’s Division | Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia | Confederate Army9

  • Commander:
    • Captain Napoleon B. Street (July 30, 1864)10
    • Captain R. E. Steele (?)(at least July 30, 1864)11
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons: Enfield Rifles (.577 caliber) (July 30, 1864)12

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Wise’s Brigade | Johnson’s Division | Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia | Confederate Army13

  • Commander:
    • Captain Napoleon B. Street (at least August 29, 1864)14,15
    • Major William K. Perrin16
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Wise’s Brigade | Johnson’s Division | Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia | Confederate Army17,18

  • Commander:
    • Major William K. Perrin19
    • Captain Napoleon B. Street (at least September 30, 1864)20,21
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Wise’s Brigade | Johnson’s Division | Fourth Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army22

  • Commander: Major William K. Perrin (at least October 31, 1864)23,24
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle: Wise’s Brigade | Johnson’s Division | Fourth Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army25,26

  • Commander: Major William K. Perrin (at least November 30 and December 31, 1864)(November & December 1864)27,28,29
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: Wise’s Brigade | Johnson’s Division | Fourth Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army30,31,32,33,34

  • Commander:
    • Captain (Major?) William K. Perrin (no reason is given for his absence in January)(took a leave of absence starting on February 27)(January & February 1865)35,36,37,38
    • Captain Napoleon B. Street(January & February 1865)39,40
  • Unit Strength: 231 officers and men PFD (January 29, 1865)41
  • Weapons: Enfield Rifles (.577 caliber) (January 29, 1865)42

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Wise’s Brigade | Johnson’s Division | Fourth Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army43,44

  • Commander: None listed (March & April 1-2, 1865)45,46
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles47:

  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • Second Battle of Petersburg (June 15-18, 1864)48,49,50
    • Jordan’s Farm (June 15, 1864)
    • Taylor’s Farm (June 17, 1864)
  • Sayler’s Creek (April 6, 1865)
  • Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

    Sources:

    1. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 208-210
    2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 208-210
    3. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 115
    4. Sherwood, G. L. and Weaver, Jeffrey C. 59th Virginia Infantry (H.E. Howard: 1994), p. 78
    5. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 115
    6. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 115
    7. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 115
    8. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., p. 115
    9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 124
    10. Sherwood, G. L. and Weaver, Jeffrey C. 59th Virginia Infantry (H.E. Howard: 1994), p. 80: The text claims Captain “Steele” commanded the 26th Virginia on July 30, 1864.  This seems to be in error.  Captain Napoleon Street was in charge on that day based on other sources, and the only Steele in the 26th Virginia was a private.
    11. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 124: The Official Records mention Steele as being in command on July 30, 1864.  Sibley notes, however, that Steele’s name does not appear in the CSRs for the 26th Virginia.  More research is necessary.
    12. Sherwood, G. L. and Weaver, Jeffrey C. 59th Virginia Infantry (H.E. Howard: 1994), p. 80
    13. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 133
    14. Sherwood, G. L. and Weaver, Jeffrey C. 59th Virginia Infantry (H.E. Howard: 1994), p. 78
    15. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 133
    16. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 133
    17. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 141
    18. 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. 1314.
    19. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 141
    20. Sherwood, G. L. and Weaver, Jeffrey C. 59th Virginia Infantry (H.E. Howard: 1994), p. 78
    21. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 141
    22. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 150
    23. Sherwood, G. L. and Weaver, Jeffrey C. 59th Virginia Infantry (H.E. Howard: 1994), p. 78: This source lists Perrin as a captain.
    24. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 150
    25. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 158
    26. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 167
    27. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 158
    28. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 167
    29. Sherwood, G. L. and Weaver, Jeffrey C. 59th Virginia Infantry (H.E. Howard: 1994), p. 78: This source lists Perrin as a captain.
    30. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 176
    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 1174: “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.
    32. 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.
    33. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186
    34. 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.
    35. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 176
    36. 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.
    37. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186
    38. Sherwood, G. L. and Weaver, Jeffrey C. 59th Virginia Infantry (H.E. Howard: 1994), p. 78: This source lists Perrin as a captain.
    39. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 176
    40. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186
    41. Sherwood, G. L. and Weaver, Jeffrey C. 59th Virginia Infantry (H.E. Howard: 1994), p. 87: The book lists 18 officers and 213 men “present”, but a quick look at other inspection reports in my possession reassures me this is truly a present for duty number.  I will double check when I transcribe this specific inspection report.
    42. Sherwood, G. L. and Weaver, Jeffrey C. 59th Virginia Infantry (H.E. Howard: 1994), p. 87
    43. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 195
    44. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 204
    45. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 195
    46. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 204
    47. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 208-210
    48. “Rebel Accounts of Affairs at Petersburg.” The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), June 20, 1864, p. 1, col. 5 AND p. 8, col. 1: At sunset the enemy charged our batteries commanding these roads, coming up in line of battle six and seven columns deep.  The brunt of the assault was sustained by the Twenty-sixth (Virginia) and Forty-sixth (Virginia) Regiments of WISE’S Brigade and STURDIVANT’S Battery of four guns.  Five previous assaults were made, the enemy coming up with a yell and making the most determined efforts to carry the works.
    49. “From the Front.” Daily Constitutionalist (Augusta, GA), June 21, 1864, p. 2, col. 3-5, originally printed in The Daily Express (Petersburg, VA), June 18, 1864, page and column(s) unknown: “A portion of our lines in this vicinity was held by the 26th Virginia, Wise’s Brigade, but the attack here was handsomely repulsed.  We regret to hear that Col. P. R. Page, of the 26th, commanding Brigade, was mortally wounded in this assault.  He was brought to the city, but died in the course of an hour or two after reaching the hospital.  Several other officers were wounded.”
    50. “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.
    { 1 comment… add one }
    • Johnny_Reb_1865 March 5, 2014, 4:43 am

      The 26th Virginia fought to keep battery 16 from the yankees and also participated in General Mahone’s famous counter attack to repel the yankees out of the crater and away from Petersburg. Colonal Powhatian R. Page was mortality wounded in early June 1864 along with Major Patrick H Fitzhugh.
      My Great Great Uncule Pvt. Benjamin F. West served in company E. 26th Virginia infantry General Wises Comand 2nd corps General John B. Gorden’s Division.

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