14th Louisiana Infantry Regiment

Confederate Regiments & Batteries * Louisiana

1.026 men served in the 14th Louisiana Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Of these, 184 men were killed, 85 died of disease, 1 man died in an accident, 1 drowned, 1 was shot by court martial, and 5 were shot in the riot at Grand Junction, Tennessee. The regiment was unique among the Louisiana regiments of the Army of Northern Virginia in that none of its field officers (colonels, lieutenant colonels and majors) were killed during the war.

1861
August 24 Organized at Camp Pulaski under the command of Colonel Valery Sulakowski, Lieutenant Colonel Richard W. Jones and Major Zebulon York. The regiment was originally known as Sulakowski’s 1st Regiment Polish Brigade, and was mustered into service as the 13th Louisiana Infantry Regiment.
August The regiment was sent to Virginia. It lost 7 dead and 19 wounded in drunken rioting in Grand Junction, Tennessee, several shot by Colonel Sulakowski. The officers of the Franco Rifle Guards were forced to resign and the company was split up and distributed around the regiment.
September 21 Assigned to the Department of the Peninsula and redesignated as the 14th Louisiana Infantry Regiment.
1862
January Assigned to Rains’ Division, Department of the Peninsula
February 19 Colonel Sulakowski resigned. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Jones was promoted to colonel, Major Zebulon York was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain David Zable of Company K was promoted to major
May 5
Battle of Williamsburg

The 14th Louisiana lost 194 men. Lieutenant Colonel Zebulon York and Major David Zable were wounded.
June 1
Battle of Seven Pines
June 26
Battle of Mechanicsville
June 27
Battle of Gaines’ Mill
June 30
Battle of Glendale (Frayser’s Farm)

Captain Toler was badly wounded in the thigh.
July 26 Assigned to the 1st Louisiana Brigade along with the 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th Louisiana Regiments.
August 9
Battle of Cedar Mountain

The regiment took part in light skirmishing.
August 15 Colonel Richard Jones resigned. Lieutenant Colonel York was promoted to colonel, Major Zable was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain William H. Toler of Company C was promoted to major.
August 26-September 1
Second Manassas Campaign

The regiment lost 49 casualties during the campaign.
August 26
Battle of Bristoe Station
August 27
Battle of Kettle Run
August 29-30
Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)

Colonel York was wounded.
September 1
Battle of Chantilly
September 17
Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel David Zable.

Two War Department markers on the Antieram battlefield report the brigade’s actions:

(September 16-17, 1862.)

Hays’ Brigade encamped on the night of the 16th in the woods northwest of the Dunkard Church. Soon after daylight on the 17th, it advanced and, near this point, crossed the Hagerstown Pike to fill an interval between the Brigades of Lawton and Trimble. Afer a short halt in the open fields south of the Cornfield, it was ordered to the support of Lawton’s Brigade. It advanced into the Cornfield about 150 yards beyond Lawton, where, having lost more than half its numbers, it was relieved by Wofford’s Brigade of Hood’s Division and withdrawn to the fields southwest of the Dunkard Church.

(September 17, 1862.)

On the night of September 16, Hays’ Brigade bivouacked in the woods northwest of the Dunkard Church. Soon after daylight on the 17th, with about 550 men, it moved through the woods, crossed the Hagerstown Pike 120 yards north of the Church and advanced eastward to fill a gap between the Brigades of Lawton and Trimble, but was halted and, after a short wait in the open field northeast of the Church was ordered to the support of Lawton’s Brigade, then fiercely engaged about 150 yards south of this point. It advanced beyond Lawton’s line, penetrated the Cornfield, and came under an enfilading fire from several Union Batteries, and from Infantry in front and on the left, west of the Pike, by which its force was reduced by more than half. It was obliged to fall back out of the Cornfield to the high ground about 70 yards south of this, where it was relieved by Wofford’s Brigade, of Hood’s Division and thence withdrawn to the fields southwest of the Dunkard Church. Of the 550 engaged, 323 were killed or wounded.
October 5 The 14th Louisiana transferred from Harry Hays’ 1st Louisiana Brigade to Starke’s Brigade in Jackson’s Division, exchanging for the 9th Louisiana
December 13
Battle of Fredericksburg

Commanded by Captain Henry M. Verlander. The regiment was inreserve during the battle, but took part in skirmishing on the next day.
1863
May 1-3
Battle of Chancellorsville

Took part in Jackson’s flank attack.
June 14-15
Battle of Stephenson’s Depot (Second Battle of Winchester)

The brigade helped cut off the retreat of Union General Milroy’s army from Winchester, turning it into a rout and completely destroying Milroy’s army. The regiment captured 300-400 men from the 67th Pennsylvania INfantry Regiment.
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Lt. Colonel David Zable and brought 281 men to the field. It lost 15 men killed, 50 wounded and an unknown number of missing or captured in attacks on Culp’s Hill.

From the War Department marker for Nicholl’s Brigade at Gettysburg on Culp’s Hill:

July 1. Arrived near nightfall and took position east of Rock Creek north of Hanover road and on the right of the Division.

July 2. About 6 P. M. changing to left of Jones’s Brigade crossed the creek attacked Union forces on Culp’s Hill drove in their outposts and reached and held a line about 100 yards from their breastworks against which a steady fire was maintained for hours and some vigorous but unsuccessful assaults made.

July 3. At dawn the Brigade reopened fire and continued it for many hours then retired to line near the creek whence about midnight it moved with Division and Corps to Seminary Ridge.

July 4. Occupied Seminary Ridge. About 10 P. M. began the march to Hagerstown.
October 9-22
Bristoe Campaign
November 27
Battle of Payne’s Farm

The regiment lost 27 casualties.
1864
May 5-6
Battle of the Wilderness
May 12
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

Most of the men engaged were captured in the defense of the Mule Shoe.
May 31 Colonel York was promoted to brigadier general. Lieutenant Colonel David Zable was promoted to colonel
June 1-3
Battle of Cold Harbor
June 1864
Early’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign

Assigned to Stafford’s Brigade (Colonel Eugene Waggaman commanding) of Brigadier General Zebulon York’s Consolidated Louisiana Brigade in Gordon’s Division of the Army of the Valley
July 9
Battle of Monocacy

Commanded by Colonel David Zable
September 19
Third Battle of Winchester
September 21-22
Battle of Fisher’s Hill
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek
October The ten regiments of the Louisiana brigade were reorganized as a battalion of six companies with less than 500 men, although it would continue to be referred to as a brigade. Colonel Raine Peck (at 6’3″ and 300 pounds known as “Big Peck”) was given command of the brigade. The 14th Louisiana and the 1st Louisiana were consolidated into a single company.
November 24 Major Toler was dropped.
December The regiment left the Army of the Valley and returned to the Petersburg defences with the remnants of the Second Corps
1865
January-March
Siege of Petersburg
February 5-7
Battle of Hatcher’s Run
February 18 Colonel Peck promoted to brigadier general and transferred to the Western Theater. Colonel Eugene Waggaman of the 10th Louisiana was given command of the brigade of 400 men
April 9
Appomattox Court House

The 14th Louisiana Infantry Regiment surrendered 2 officers and 25 men. The entire Louisiana Brigade of ten regiments only mustered 373 men.