Confederate States Army • Army of Northern Virginia
< to April • May 1864 • to June >
Lieutenant General Richard Ewell (disabled May 29)
Major General Jubal A. Early (to Lieutenant General May 31)
The Second Corps suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of the Wilderness (May 4-5) but it was the fighting around Spotsylvania Court House (May 8-21) that came close to destroying the corps. Johnson’s Division was overrun in the fighting in the Mule Shoe (May 21), and Edward Johnson was captured. Ten Brigadier Generals became casualties during the month. Afterwards three of Johnston’s brigades were consolidated into one – still sadly understrength – under William Terry.
Before the Defense of the Mule Shoe, May 1-21:
The organization of the Second Corps after May 21 is listed farther below.
Early’s/Gordon’s Division –
Major General Jubal A. Early (to Third Corps 5/8)
Brigadier General John B. Gordon (to Major General 5/14; to Johnson’s Division 5/21)
Jubal Early temporarily took over the Third Corps from the ailing A.P. Hill on May 8, leaving John Gordon in charge of the division. Early returned to take over the Second Corps from the disabled Richard Ewell and never resumed division command. Gordon transferred to Johnson’s Division with his brigade on May 21, and Brigadier General Stephen Dodson Ramseur transferred from Rodes’ Division to take command of Early’s Division.
| Gordon’s/Evans’ Brigade | Brigadier General John B. Gordon (^5/8) Colonel Clement A. Evans (to BG 5/19) |
to Johnson’s Div. 5/21 |
| 13th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Major Samuel Jones | |
| 26th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Edmund N. Atkinson | |
| 31st Georgia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Clement A. Evans (^ 5/8) Lieutenant Colonel John H. Lowe (to Col.) |
|
| 38th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel Philip E. Davant (c 5/12) Major Thomas H. Bomar |
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| 60th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel Thomas J. Berry | |
| 61st Georgia Infantry Regiment | Colonel John H. Lamar | |
| Hays’ Brigade | Brigadier General Harry T. Hays (w 5/10) |
merged with Stafford’s Louisiana Brig., Johnson’s Div. 5/10 |
| 5th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Menger (k 5/12) Major Alexander Hart |
|
| 6th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Major William H. Manning | |
| 7th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Major J. Moore Wilson (c 5/12) | |
| 8th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel German A. Lester | |
| 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel William R. Peck | |
| R.D. Johnston’s Brigade | Brigadier General Robert D. Johnston (c 5/12) Colonel Thomas Garrett (k 5/12) Colonel Thomas F. Toon |
from Rodes’ Div. 5/8 |
| 5th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Thomas M. Garrett (^ 5/12) Lieutenant Colonel John W. Lea |
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| 12th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Henry E. Coleman | |
| 20th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Thomas F. Toon (^ 5/12) Major Duncan J. Devane |
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| 23rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Charles C. Blacknall | |
| Pegram’s Brigade | Brigadier General John Pegram (w 5/5) Colonel John S. Hoffman (to 5/31) Brigadier General Robert Lilley |
|
| 13th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel James B. Terrill | |
| 31st Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel John S. Hoffman (^ 5/5) Lieutenant James S.K. McCutchen |
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| 49th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Catlett Gibson | |
| 52nd Virginia Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel James H. Skinner | |
| 58th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Francis H. Board |
Major General Edward Johnson (c 5/12)
Major General John B. Gordon (after 5/21)
Fighting started on May 5 with the Battle of the Wilderness, where John Jones was killed and Leroy Stafford was mortally wounded. On May 8 the brigade of Harry T. Hays was transferred from Early’s Division in order to temporarily place John Gordon, who Hays outranked, in charge of his division. Hays’ Brigade was consolidated with Stafford’s Brigade, bringing all of the Louisiana regiments in the Army of Northern Virginia into one brigade.
Several days of fighting then took place near Spotsylvania Court House, culminating with the defense of the Mule Shoe on May 12. Johnson was captured and most of the division became casualties. Steuart was also captured and Hays and Walker were wounded. On May 21 John Gordon was transferred from Early’s Division along with his brigade, now under Clement Evans, and took over the remnants of the division. The remnants of Stafford’s, Steuart’s and Walker’s Brigades, made up of fragments of regiments, many no larger than weak companies, were consolidated into one brigade under William Terry.
| Stonewall Brigade | Brigadier General James A. Walker (w 5/12) Colonel William Terry |
Consolidated into Terry’s Brigade 5/21 |
| 2nd Virginia Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel William Randolph (k 4/5) Major Charles H. Stewart |
|
| 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel William Terry (^ 5/12) Major Matthew Bennett |
|
| 5th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel John Henry Stover Funk | |
| 27th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel Charles L. Haynes (w&c 5/12) | |
| 33rd Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Abraham Spengler | |
| Jones’ Brigade | Brigadier General John M. Jones (k 5/6) Colonel W. A. Witcher (to 5/21) |
Consolidated into Terry’s Brigade 5/21 |
| 21st Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel W. A. Witcher (^ 5/6) | |
| 25th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel John C. Higginbotham (k 5/6) Lieutenant Colonel Robert Lilley (c 5/12) |
|
| 42nd Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Robert W. Withers | |
| 44th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Norvell Cobb (c 5/12) | |
| 48th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Robert H. Dungan | |
| 50th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Alexander S. Vandeventer (c 5/12) | |
| Stafford’s Brigade | Brigadier General Leroy Stafford (mw 5/5) Colonel Zebulon York (to 5/8) Brigadier General Harry T. Hays (w 5/12) Colonel William Monaghan (to 5/31) Brigadier General Zebulon York |
Consolidated with Hays’ Brig., transferred from Early’s Div. |
| 1st Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel W. R. Shivers | |
| 2nd Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel Jesse M. Williams | |
| 5th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Major William H. Manning | from Early’s Div. 5/9 |
| 6th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel William Monaghan | from Early’s Div. 5/9 |
| 7th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Major J. Moore Wilson | from Early’s Div. 5/9 |
| 8th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel German A. Lester | from Early’s Div. 5/9 |
| 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel William R. Peck | from Early’s Div. 5/9 |
| 10th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel Eugene Waggaman | |
| 14th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel Zebulon York (to BG 5/31) Lieutenant Colonel David Zable (to Col.) |
|
| 15th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel Edmund Pendleton | |
| Steuart’s Brigade | Brigadier General George H. Steuart (c 5/12) | Consolidated into Terry’s Brig. 5/21 |
| 1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Hamilton Brown (w 5/12) | to Ramseur’s Brig., Rodes’s Div. |
| 3rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Stephen D. Thruston (w 5/10) Lieutenant Colonel William Parsley (c 5/12) |
surrendered 5/12; survivors consolidated with 1st NC |
| 10th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Edward T.H. Warren | |
| 23rd Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Alexander G. Talliaferro | |
| 37th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Titus V. Williams |
Rodes’ Division – Major General Robert Rodes
| Battle’s (Rodes’) Brigade | Brigadier General Cullen A. Battle (w 5/12) | |
| 3rd Alabama Infantry Regiment | Colonel Charles Forsyth (w 5/12) Captain Watkins Pheland |
|
| 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment | Colonel Josephus Hall (w 5/10) Lieutenant Colonel E.L. Hobson |
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| 6th Alabama Infantry Regiment | Colonel James N. Lightfoot (w 5/12) | |
| 12th Alabama Infantry Regiment | Colonel Samuel B. Pickens (w 5/12) Lieutenant Colonel Theodore O’ Hara |
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| 61st Alabama Infantry Regiment | Colonel William G. Swanson | |
| Daniel’s Brigade | Brigadier General Junius Daniel (mw 5/12) |
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| 32nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Edmund C. Brabble (k 5/10) Lieutenant Colonel David C. Cowand (to Col) |
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| 45th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Samuel H. Boyd (k 5/12) Lieutenant Colonel John R. Winston (to Col.) |
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| 53rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel William A. Owens (w 5/12) Lieutenant Colonel James T. Morehead |
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| 2nd North Carolina Infantry Battalion | Major John J. Iredell | |
| Doles’ Brigade | Brigadier General George P. Doles | |
| 4th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Philip Cook | |
| 12th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Edward S. Willis (w 5/6; mw 5/31) | |
| 21st Georgia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Thomas W. Hooper | returned from NC 5/20 |
| 44th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Colonel William H. Peebles (c 5/10) Lieutenant Colonel James Beck |
|
| R.D. Johnston’s Brigade |
Brigadier General Robert D. Johnston | arrived from Hanover Jct. 5/6 transferred to Early’s Div. 5/8 |
| 5th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Thomas Garrett (k 5/12) | |
| 12th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Henry E. Coleman | |
| 20th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Thomas F. Toon (w 5/12) | |
| 23rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Charles C. Blacknall | |
| Ramseur’s Brigade | Brigadier General Stephen D. Ramseur (w 5/12) Colonel Bryan Grimes (to 5/19) Colonel William R. Cox |
Ramseur was wounded but did not leave the field. |
| 2nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel William R. Cox (^ 5/22) Major Walter Stallings (to LTC) |
|
| 3rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Stephen Thruston (w 5/10) Lieutenant Colonel William M. Parsley |
consolidated with 1 NC Regt. 5/13* |
| 4th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Bryan Grimes (^ 5/12) | |
| 14th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel R. Tyler Bennett | |
| 30th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Francis M. Parker (w 5/12) |
Artillery – Brigadier General Armistead Long
| Brown’s Division | Colonel J. Thompson Brown (k 5/6) Lieutenant Colonel Carter M. Braxton |
dissolved 5/13 |
| 1st Virginia Artillery Battalion | Lieutenant Colonel Robert A. Hardaway (w 5/9) Major David Watson (mw 5/9) Captain Willis J. Dance (to 5/13) Lieutenant Colonel Robert A. Hardaway (w 5/13) Major Willifred E. Cutshaw |
|
| Powhattan (Va.) Artillery | Captain Willis J. Dance (^5/9) Lieutenant Henry C. Carter (to 5/13) Captain Willis J. Dance |
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| 2nd Richmond (Va.) Howitzers | Captain David Watson | |
| 3rd Richmond (Va.) Howitzers | Captain Benjamin H. Smith | |
| 1st Rockbridge (Va.) Artillery | Captain Archibald Graham | |
| Salem (Va.) Artillery | Captain Charles B. Griffin | |
| Braxton’s Artillery Battalion | Lieutenant Colonel Carter M. Braxton (^ 5/6) Major Marcellus Moorman |
|
| Alleghany (VA) Battery | Captain John Cadwalader Carpenter | |
| Lee (VA) Artillery | Captain W. W. Hardwicke | |
| Stafford (VA) Artillery | Captain Raleigh L. Cooper | |
| Nelson’s Artillery Battalion | Lieutenant Colonel William Nelson | |
| Amherst (Va.) Artillery | Captain Thomas J. Kirkpatrick | |
| Fluvanna (Va.) Artillery | Captain John L. Massie | |
| Milledge’s Regular (Ga.) Battery | Captain John Milledge | |
| Carter’s Division | Colonel Thomas H. Carter | dissolved 5/13 |
| Cutshaw’s Artillery Battalion | Major Willifred E. Cutshaw | mostly captured 5/12 & merged with Page’s Bat. 5/13 |
| Charlottesville (VA) Artillery | Captain James McDowell Carrington | captured 5/12 |
| Courtney (VA) Battery | Lieutenant William A. Tanner | captured 5/12 |
| Staunton (Virginia) Artillery | Captain Asher W. Garber | |
| Powhattan (Va.) Artillery | Captain Willis J. Dance | |
| Page’s Artillery Battalion | Major Richard C. M. Page | mostly captured 5/12 |
| Jefferson Davis (AL) Artillery | Captain William J. Reese (c 5/12) | 3 guns captured 5/12 |
| King William (VA) Artillery | Captain William P. P. Carter | all guns captured 5/12 |
| Louisa Morris (VA) Artillery | Captain Charles R. Montgomery | 3 guns captured 5/12 |
| Richmond Orange Artillery | Captain Charles W. Fry | 2 guns captured 5/12 |
After May 21:
Ramseur’s (Early’s) Division – Brigadier General Stephen Dodson Ramseur (from 5/22)
| Hoke’s Brigade | Lieutenant Colonel William G. Lewis (to BG 5/31) | from Richmond’s Defenses |
| 6th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel Samuel M. Tate | |
| 21st North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel William S. Rankin | |
| 54th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Kenneth M. Murchison | |
| 57th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Archibald C. Godwin | |
| 1st North Carolina Sharpshooters | Major Rufus N. Wharton | |
| Johnston’s Brigade | Colonel Thomas F. Toon (to BG 5/31) |
|
| 5th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Thomas M. Garrett (^ 5/12) Lieutenant Colonel John W. Lea |
|
| 12th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Henry E. Coleman | |
| 20th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Thomas F. Toon (^ 5/12) Major Duncan J. Devane |
|
| 23rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Charles C. Blacknall | |
| Pegram’s Brigade | Brigadier General John Pegram (w 5/5) Colonel John S. Hoffman |
|
| 13th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel James B. Terrill | |
| 31st Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel John S. Hoffman (^ 5/5) Lieutenant James S.K. McCutchen |
|
| 49th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Catlett Gibson | |
| 52nd Virginia Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel James H. Skinner | |
| 58th Virginia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Francis H. Board |
Gordon’s (Johnson’s) Division – Major General John B. Gordon
| Gordon’s/Evans’ Brigade | Brigadier General Clement A. Evans (to BG 5/29) |
|
| 13th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Major Samuel Jones | |
| 26th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Edmund N. Atkinson | |
| 31st Georgia Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel John H. Lowe (to Col.) | |
| 38th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Major Thomas H. Bomar | |
| 60th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel Thomas J. Berry | |
| 61st Georgia Infantry Regiment | Colonel John H. Lamar | |
| York’s Brigade (Hay’s/Stafford’s) Brigade | Brigadier General Zebulon York | created 5/21 from remnants of Hays’ & Staffords Brigs. |
| 1st Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel W. R. Shivers | from Stafford’s Brig. |
| 2nd Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel Jesse M. Williams | from Stafford’s Brig. |
| 5th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Major Alexander Hart | from Hays’ Brig. |
| 6th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Major William H. Manning | from Hays’ Brig. |
| 7th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | from Hays’ Brig. | |
| 8th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel German A. Lester | from Hays’ Brig. |
| 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel William R. Peck | from Hays’ Brig. |
| 10th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel Eugene Waggaman | from Stafford’s Brig. |
| 14th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel Zebulon York | from Stafford’s Brig. |
| 15th Louisiana Infantry Regiment | Colonel Edmund Pendleton | from Stafford’s Brig. |
| Terry’s Brigade | Colonel William Terry (to BG 5/31) | created 5/21 from remnants of Jones’, Steuart’s & Walker’s Brigs. |
| 21st, 25th, 42nd, 44th, 48th & 50th Virginia Infantry Regiments (consolidated) | Colonel Robert H. Dungan | from Jones’ Brig. |
| 2nd, 4th, 5th, 27th & 33rd Virginia Infantry Regiments (consolidated) | Colonel John H.S. Funk | from Stonewall Brig. |
| 10th, 23rd & 37th Virginia Infantry Regiments (consolidated) | Lieutenant Colonel Samuel H. Saunders | from Steuart’s Brig. |
Rodes’s Division – Major General Robert E. Rodes
| Battle’s (Rodes’) Brigade | Brigadier General Cullen A. Battle (w 5/12) | |
| 3rd Alabama Infantry Regiment | Colonel Charles Forsyth (w 5/12) Captain Watkins Pheland |
|
| 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment | Colonel Josephus Hall (w 5/10) Lieutenant Colonel E.L. Hobson |
|
| 6th Alabama Infantry Regiment | Colonel James N. Lightfoot (w 5/12) | |
| 12th Alabama Infantry Regiment | Colonel Samuel B. Pickens (w 5/12) Lieutenant Colonel Theodore O’ Hara |
|
| 61st Alabama Infantry Regiment | Colonel William G. Swanson | |
| Daniel’s Brigade | Brigadier General Junius Daniel (mw 5/12) |
|
| 32nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Edmund C. Brabble (k 5/10) Lieutenant Colonel David C. Cowand (to Col) |
|
| 45th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Samuel H. Boyd (k 5/12) Lieutenant Colonel John R. Winston (to Col.) |
|
| 53rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel William A. Owens (w 5/12) Lieutenant Colonel James T. Morehead |
|
| 2nd North Carolina Infantry Battalion | Major John J. Iredell | |
| Doles’ Brigade | Brigadier General George P. Doles | |
| 4th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Philip Cook | |
| 12th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Edward S. Willis (w 5/6; mw 5/31) | |
| 21st Georgia Infantry Regiment | Colonel Thomas W. Hooper | returned from NC 5/20 |
| 44th Georgia Infantry Regiment | Colonel William H. Peebles (c 5/10) Lieutenant Colonel James Beck |
|
| Ramseur’s Brigade | Colonel William R. Cox |
|
| 2nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Major Walter Stallings (to LTC) | |
| 3rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Lieutenant Colonel William M. Parsley | consolidated with 1 NC Regt. 5/13* |
| 4th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Bryan Grimes (^ 5/12) Major Edwin Osborne (w) |
|
| 14th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel R. Tyler Bennett | |
| 30th North Carolina Infantry Regiment | Colonel Francis M. Parker (w 5/12) |
Reserve Artillery – Brigadier General Armistead Long
| 1st Virginia Artillery Battalion | Major Willifred E. Cutshaw |
|
| Powhattan (Va.) Artillery | Captain Willis J. Dance | |
| 2nd Richmond (Va.) Howitzers | Captain David Watson | |
| 3rd Richmond (Va.) Howitzers | Captain Benjamin H. Smith | |
| 1st Rockbridge (Va.) Artillery | Captain Archibald Graham | |
| Salem (Va.) Artillery | Captain Charles B. Griffin | |
| Braxton’s Artillery Battalion | Major Marcellus Moorman | |
| Alleghany (VA) Battery | Captain John Cadwalader Carpenter | |
| Lee (VA) Artillery | Captain W. W. Hardwicke | |
| Stafford (VA) Artillery | Captain Raleigh L. Cooper | |
| Cutshaw’s Artillery Battalion | Major Willifred E. Cutshaw | |
| Staunton (Virginia) Artillery | Captain Asher W. Garber | |
| Powhattan (Va.) Artillery | Captain Willis J. Dance | |
| Nelson’s Artillery Battalion | Lieutenant Colonel William Nelson | |
| Amherst (Va.) Artillery | Captain Thomas J. Kirkpatrick | |
| Fluvanna (Va.) Artillery | Captain John L. Massie | |
| Milledge’s Regular (Ga.) Battery | Captain John Milledge |