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38th 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 on January 17, 18621
Muster Out: April 9, 18652

Commander(s):
Colonel John Ashford
John Ashford 38th NC3

Commander 2
Commander Image

Commander 3
Commander Image

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

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength: ~191 officers and men PFD (June 4, 1864)5
  • Weapons: 167 Rifle Muskets (.58 caliber)(June 4, 1864)6

Second Offensive Order of Battle: Scales’ Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps| Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army7

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

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

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Scales’ Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army9

  • Commander: Colonel John Ashford (August 1864)(at least August 31, 1864)10,11,12
  • Unit Strength: 223 officers and men PFD (August 31, 1864)13
  • Weapons: .58 caliber rifles (presumably a mix of Enfields and Springfields)14

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Scales’ Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army15,16

  • Commander: Colonel John Ashford17,18
  • Unit Strength: 259 officers and men PFD (September 30, 1864)19
  • Weapons: .58 caliber rifles (presumably a mix of Enfields and Springfields)20
  • Note: Scales’ Brigade operated with General Hoke’s Division from September 29 to October 3, 1864.21

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Scales’ Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army22

  • Commander: Colonel John Ashford23
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle: Scales’ Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army24,25

  • Commander: Colonel John Ashford (November & December 1864)26,27
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: Scales’ Brigade | Wilcox’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army28,29,30,31,32

  • Commander: Colonel John Ashford (January & February 1865)33,34,35
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

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

  • Commander:
    • Colonel John Ashford (wounded March 30 or April 2?)(March 1865)38,39
    • ? (after Col. Ashford was wounded)(March 1865)40
    • Lieutenant Colonel George W. Flowers (April 1-2, 1865)41,42
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles43:

  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • Skirmish at Riddell’s Shop (June 13, 1864)44
  • Reams’ Station (August 25, 1864)
  • Fort Harrison (September 29-30, 1864)
  • Jones’ Farm (September 30, 1864)
  • Hatcher’s Run (February 5-7, 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. 138-139 ↩
    2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: North Carolina by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 138-139 ↩
    3. Clark, Walter. Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65, Volume 2 (Nash Brothers: 1901), pp. 674-675 ↩
    4. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 112 ↩
    5. SOPO Editor’s Note: Using Steven Newton’s method for converting effectives to Present for Duty strength, we take (167/.93) x 1.065=~191 officers and men present for duty. This is admittedly a stretch.  Just because the unit had 167 rifled muskets on hand does NOT mean that number of effectives were present for duty.  That said, this is probably a pretty informed guess and should be close to the real number.  I will leave it posted until/unless better information becomes available. ↩
    6. Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of North Carolina, National Archives, Roll 408 (John Ashford, 38th North Carolina, Fold3.com Page 79): Invoice of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores, 2nd Quarter 1864 (June 4, 1864) ↩
    7. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 112 ↩
    8. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 122 ↩
    9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 131 ↩
    10. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 131 ↩
    11. Confederate Inspection Report 26-P-17: Scales’ Brigade, August 31, 1864; Inspection 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. ↩
    12. Clark, Walter. Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65, Volume 2 (Nash Brothers: 1901), pp. 694-697: “Colonel William J. Hoke, from wounds received in battle, was disabled for field service and was appointed to the post at Charlotte. Lieutenant-Colonel John Ashford was promoted to the command of the regiment; Major Geo. W. Flowers to be Lieutenant-Colonel, and Captain J. T. Wilson to be Major.” I’m unsure on the exact date. More research is needed. ↩
    13. Confederate Inspection Report 26-P-17: Scales’ Brigade, August 31, 1864; Inspection 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. ↩
    14. Confederate Inspection Report 26-P-17: Scales’ Brigade, August 31, 1864; Inspection 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. ↩
    15. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 139 ↩
    16. 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. ↩
    17. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 139 ↩
    18. Confederate Inspection Report 9-P-24: Scales’ Brigade, September 30, 1864; Inspection 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 9-P-24: Scales’ Brigade, September 30, 1864; Inspection 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 9-P-24: Scales’ Brigade, September 30, 1864; Inspection 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. 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. ↩
    22. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 148 ↩
    23. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 148 ↩
    24. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 157 ↩
    25. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 165 ↩
    26. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 157 ↩
    27. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 165 ↩
    28. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 174 ↩
    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 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. ↩
    30. 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. ↩
    31. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 184 ↩
    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 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. ↩
    33. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 174 ↩
    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 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. ↩
    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. Clark, Walter. Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65, Volume 2 (Nash Brothers: 1901), pp. 694-697: “In this engagement (on April 2, 1865) Colonel Ashford was wounded, and turned over the command to this writer, who retained it until the surrender, signing the paroles.” ↩
    40. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 193 ↩
    41. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 203: Sibley lists no one, but other sources point to LTCol Flowers, including an account penned by Flowers himself. ↩
    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. 694-697: “In this engagement (on April 2, 1865) Colonel Ashford was wounded, and turned over the command to this writer (George W. Flowers), who retained it until the surrender, signing the paroles.” ↩
    43. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: North Carolina by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 138-139 ↩
    44. Clark, Walter. Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-’65, Volume 2 (Nash Brothers: 1901), pp. 694-697 ↩

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