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48th Alabama Infantry

Editor’s Note: Do you have information on this regiment’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 May 22, 18621
Muster Out: April 9, 18652

Commander(s):
Colonel William C. Oates
Commander Image

Major John W. Wigginton
Commander Image

Commander 3
Commander Image

Commander 4
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Law’s Brigade | Field’s DivisionFirst Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army3

  • Commander: Unknown
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Second Offensive Order of Battle: Law’s Brigade | Field’s DivisionFirst Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army4

  • Commander: Unknown
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Law’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army5

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Law’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army6

  • Commander:
    • Colonel William C. Oates (of the 15th AL)(wounded August 16, 1864 and possibly August 25, 1864) 7
    • Major John W. Wigginton (at least August 16, 1864)(wounded on or after August 16, 1864)8
    • ? (August 16-31, 1864)9
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Law’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army10,11

  • Commander:
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  • Weapons:

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Law’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army12

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle: Law’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army13,14

  • Commander: Major John W. Wigginton (November & December 1864)15,16
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: Law’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army17,18,19,20,21

  • Commander: Major John W. Wigginton (January & February 1865)22,23,24
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Law’s Brigade | Field’s Division | First Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army25,26

  • Commander: None listed. (March – April 2, 1865)27,28
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles29:

  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • Fort Harrison (September 29-30, 1864)
  • Fort Gilmer (September 29-30, 1864)
  • Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

    Sources:

    1. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Alabama by Stewart Sifakis, pages 118-119
    2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Alabama by Stewart Sifakis, pages 118-119
    3. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 110
    4. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 110
    5. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 120
    6. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 128
    7. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 129: Oates claimed in his history of the 15th Alabama that when Col. Lowther replaced Oates as head of the 15th AL, Oates was appointed Colonel of the 48th Alabama, but Sibley can find no record of Oates ever being promoted to Colonel or Lt. Col. of the 48th Alabama.  Perhaps this was due to his quick wounding after moving over to the 48th Alabama.  What is clear from the avaiilable sources is that Oates’ move to the 48th Alabama was meant to be a permanent one.
    8. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 129: Wigginton had taken over for Oates after Oates was wounded on August 16, 1864.
    9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 129
    10. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 137
    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. 1311.
    12. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 146
    13. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 154
    14. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 162
    15. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 154
    16. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 162
    17. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 171
    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 1171: “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.
    19. 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 1179: “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.
    20. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 181
    21. 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 1269: “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.
    22. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 171
    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 1179: “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 181
    25. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 190
    26. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 200
    27. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 190
    28. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 200
    29. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Alabama by Stewart Sifakis, pages 118-119
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