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Confederate Casualties at Burgess Mill by Bryce Suderow

Editor’s Note: Bryce Suderow shared this original research on Confederate Army casualties at the Battle of Burgess Mill (aka the Battle of Boydton Plank Road) on October 27, 1864. He used a variety of sources to determine these casualty figures, including regimental histories, period newspapers, and various archival sources. He has given written permission to reproduce this research here and this article may not be reproduced without his consent. When you finish here, please also check out Bryce’s original article on the First Battle of Boydton Plank Road, or Burgess Mill.

October 27, 1864 Burgess Mill

Mahone’s Division

Weisiger’s V[irgini]a. Brig.

Regiment Killed Wounded Wounded & Missing Captured Total Casualties
6th Va. Inf. 2 k 9 w 0 w & m 81 c 92
12th Va. Inf. 3 k 9 w 4 w & m 83 c 99
41st Va. Inf. 1 k 4 w 1 w & m 56 c 62
61st Va. Inf. 7 k 11 w 0 w & m 57 c 75
Total: 13 k 33 w 5 w & m 277 c 328

The 6th, 12th’s and 41st’s figures come from the rosters in the back of the regimental histories published by H. E. Howard. The 61st’s come from a statement in the regiment’s record of events.

 

Sanders’ Ala[bama]. Brig.

Regiment Killed Wounded Total Casualties
8th Alabama Inf. 0 k 9 w 9

(Mobile Evening News, Nov. 21, 1864, p. 1 col. 2)

The brigade probably lost 40 or 50 casualties.

 

Harris’ Miss[issippi]. Brig.

Participated in the fight against Eagan at the bridge over Hatcher’s Run, along with Scales and Dearing. The brigade probably lost only a score of casualties.

 

Mahone’s Division Total:

Brigade Total Casualties
Weisiger 328
Sanders 50
Harris 20
Total 398

 

 

 

 

Heth’s Division

McRae’s N[orth] C[arolina] Brig.

Regiment Killed Wounded Missing Total Casualties
11th N. C. Inf. 0 k 13 w 102 m 115
26th N. C. Inf. 2 k 16 w 60 m 78
44th N. C. Inf. 2 k 14 w 109 m 125
47th N. C. Inf. 4 k 19 w 128 m 151
52nd N. C. Inf. 4 k 11 w 32 m 57
Total: 12 k 73 w 431 m 516

(MC R479 Papers of Gen. Harry Heth “Report Casualties on the 27th”).

 

Davis’ Miss[issippi]. Brig.

Regiment Killed Wounded Missing Total Casualties
2nd Miss. Inf. 2 k 1 w 0 m 3
11th Miss. Inf. 1 k 5 w 0 m 6
26th Miss. Inf. 3 k 5 w 0 m 8
42nd Miss. Inf. 1 k 5 w 0 m 6
55th N. C. Inf. 3 k 14 w 0 m 17
Total: 11 k 30 w 1 m 42

(MC3 H-479, Papers of Gen. Harry Heth)

 

Cooke’s N[orth] C[arolina] Brig.

Regiment Killed Wounded Missing Total Casualties
15th N. C. Inf. 0 k 1 w 0 m 1
27th N. C. Inf. 0 k 1 w 0 m 1
46th N. C. Inf. 0 k 6 w 0 m 6
Total: 0 k 8 w 0 m 8

(Heth Papers, Museum of the Confederacy, Cooke’s List of Casualties)

 

Heth’s Division Total:

Brigade Killed Wounded Missing Total Casualties
McRae’s Brig. 12 k 73 w 431 m 516
Davis’ Brig. 11 k 30 w 1 m 42
Cooke’s Brig. 0 k 8 w 0 m 8
Total: 23 k 111 w 432 546

 

 

 

 

Wilcox’s Division

Scales’ N[orth]. C[arolina]. Brig.

Scales was engaged by the Mill Pond, along with Dearing and Harris. He probably lost 12 or 15 men.

 

Lane’s N[orth]. C[arolina]. Brig.

 

McGowan’s S[outh] C[arolina] Brig.

 

 

Artillery:

Pegram’s Battalion

 

Infantry Total:

Division Killed Wounded Missing Total Casualties
Heth 23 k 111 w 432 m 546
Mahone 398
Wilcox 12
Total: 956

 

 

 

 

Hampton’s Cavalry Corps

W. H. F. Lee’s Division

Barringer’s N[orth]. C[arolina]. Cav. Brig.

Regiment Killed Wounded Missing Total Casualties
1st N. C. Cav. 0 k 34 w 1 m 35

 (Raleigh, NC Daily Confederate, Nov. 5, 1864, p. 1 col. 1)

The Brigade lost 3 killed, 65 wounded, 2 missing, a total of 70.

(Raleigh, NC Daily Confederate, Feb. 23, 1865, p. 2 col. 3-4)

 

Beale’s V[irgini]a. Cav. Brig.

The brigade probably lost 50 or 60 casualties.

W. H. F. Lee’s Division probably lost 130 casualties.

 

Butler’s Division

[South Carolina Cav. Brig.]

Regiment Killed Wounded Missing Total Casualties
4th S. C. Cav. 1 k 12 w 3 m 16
5th S. C. Cav. 4 k 17 w 0 m 21
6th S. C. Cav. 7 k 20 w 5 m 32
Total: 12 k 49 w 8 m 69

 (Charleston Daily Courier, Nov. 3, 1864, p. 1 col. 1)

 

Young’s [Cav.] Brigade

Regiment Killed Wounded Missing Total Casualties
Jeff Davis Legion 1 k 4 w 1 m 6
Cobb’s Legion
Phillips’ Legion
Total:

The brigade probably lost 20 or 25 casualties.

Butler’s Division probably lost about 90 casualties.

 

 

 

Dearing’s [Cav.] Brigade

Regiment Killed Wounded Missing Total Casualties
8th Ga. Cav. 5 k 22 w 5 m 32
4th N. C. Cav. 4 k 20 w 1 m 25
7th Conf. Cav. 6 k 15 w 3 m 24
Graham’s Batty 1 k 6 w 0 m 7
Total: 16 k 63 w 9 m 88

(The Daily Express, Nov. 8, 1864, p. ? col. 1-2)

 

Horse Artillery

Battery Killed Wounded Missing Total Casualties
Hart’s Battery 2 k 8 w 0 m 10
McGregor’s Batty
[Total:]

(Charleston Daily Courier, Nov. 5, 1864, p. 1 col. 5)

 

Cavalry Corps total:

Unit Total Casualties
W. H. F. Lee 90
Butler 130
Dearing 88
Artillery 10
Total: 318

 

Infantry: 956
Cavalry: 318
Grand Total: 1,274

1

 

Source/Notes:

  1. Bryce Suderow Note: See “General James Dearing” in Confederate Veteran, May, 1901, p. 216.
{ 1 comment… add one }
  • John Horn February 28, 2016, 5:58 pm

    Weisiger’s Brigade lost 410. George S. Bernard Diary, George S. Bernard Papers, Alderman Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia. The 12th Virginia lost 3 killed, 13 wounded, and 89 missing. Three of the wounded fell into enemy hands, and three of the wounded died. Rolls 514-534, Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations From the State of Virginia, M324; Henderson, 12th Virginia Infantry, 106-167. Suderow’s account omits the 16th Virginia. His casualty studies are important starting points.
    The roster of the H. E. Howard book on the 12th Virginia is incomplete. I hired Suderow as a researcher for my book on the 12th Virginia (currently under contract with Savas Beatie) and we found many soldiers who belonged to the 12th but were not listed in the H. E. Howard book roster by looking at Rolls 514-534, Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations From the State of Virginia, M324.

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