1st Maryland Infantry Regiment (C.S.A.)

Confederate Regiments & Batteries * Maryland

1861
April 19 Companies A (Captain Bradley T. Johnson) & B (Captain C.C. Edelin) were mustered in at Point of Rocks. These were the first of six companies who formed the Maryland Battalion at Harpers Ferry.
Colonel Francis J. Thomas (West Point Class of 1844) was originally appointed to command the regiment, although several company commanders strongly objected.
June 8 Colonel Thomas was relieved. He would instead be appointed Chief of Ordnance for the Army of the Shenandoah on General Joseph E. Johnston’s staff. He was killed at the Battle of Manassas leading stragglers back into the fight.
Captain Bradley Johnson assumed temprary command of the regiment.
June 15 Confederate forces evacuated Harpers Ferry and moved south to Bunker Hill. The regiment’s sick proceeded to Winchester by rail.
June 16 Moved to Camp Defiance at Stephenson’s Station.
June 18 The battalion was designated as the 1st Maryland Infantry Regiment for a term of 12 monts service.Arnold Elzey (West Point Class of 1837) was appointed Colonel. He was the recent commander of the Augusta, Georgia Arsenal. George Hume Steuart (West Point Class of 1848) became lieutenant colonel. He was the son of a major general from the war of 1812 and was a captain in the U.S. Army when he resigned on April 16. Bradley T. Johnson of Company A was appointed major.

  • Company A – “Frederick Volunteers” – Captain W.W. Goldsborough and Lieutenants George R. Shellman, Charles Blair, and George M.E. Shearer.
  • Company B – “Baltimore Rifles” – Captain Columbus C. Edelin and Lieutenants James Mllin, Thomas Costello and Joseph Griffin.
  • Company C – Captain E.R. Dorsey and Lieutenants S.H. Stewart, R.C. Smith and William Thomas
  • Company D – Captain James R. Herbert and Lieutenants George Booth, Nicholas Snowden and Willie Key Howard.
  • Company E – Captain Harry McCoy and Lieutenants John Lutz, Joseph Marriott and John Cushing. Harry McCoy sonn resigned and would be replaced by Edmund O’Brien.
  • Company F – Captain Louis Smith and Lieutenants Joseph Stewart, William Broadfoot and Thomas Holbrook.
  • Company G – “Garrison Forest Rangers” – Captain Willie C. Nicholas and Lieutenants Alexander Cross and John Deppich.
June 24 The regiment arrived at Camp Bee, one half mile northwest of Winchester on Apple Pie Ridge, and was brigaded with the 10th Virginia and 13th Virginia and the 3rd Tennessee as the 4th Brigade under Colonel Elzey as senior colonel.
June 25 Two additional companies – Company H, Captain William H. Murray and Company I, Captain M.S. Robertson, joined the regiment at Winchester.
July 1 Marched to Bunker Hill and went into camp there.
July 2 Marched to Darksville and formed line of battle there on the extreme right of the Confederate line.
July 7 After waiting in vain for the advance of Patterson’s army, the Confederate forces returned to Winchester.
July 18 Marched to Berry’s Ferry on the Shenandoah River, reacing it just before dawn.
July 19 After breakfast, forded the Shenandoah and marched over Ashby’s Gap to Piedmont Station, arriving after dark in a thunderstorm.
July 20 Began boarding the train at Piedmont Station, finishing well after midnight. Brigadier General E. Kirby Smith by reason of seniority took command of the brigade, which consisted of Colonel Gibbons’ 10th Virginia, Colonel AP. Hill’s 13th Virginia, and Colonel Vaughn’s 3rd Tennessee as well as the 1st Maryland.
July 21

Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)

Arrived early in the morning and was ordered to Bald Hill. Brigadier General Smith was shot from his horse early in the battle, and Colonel Elzey resumed command. Elzey successfully charged and broke up the Federal flank and the brigade of Oliver O. Howard. General Beauregard hailed Elzey as “the Blucher of the day” and Colonel Elzey was promoted on the field to brigadier general by President Jefferson Davis. The regiment lost one man killed and six wounded.
August 18 Captain McCoy of Company E resigned and First Lieutenant E. O’Brien was promoted to Captain of Company E.
August 27-28 Skirmish at Mason’s Hill.
September 4 Lieutenant Colonel Steuart was promoted to colonel and Captain E.R. Dorsey of Company C was appointed major.
Winter The regiment went into winter quarters at Centerville.
1862
March 6 Colonel Steuart was promoted to brigadier general. Lieutenant Colonel Bradley T. Johnson was promoted to colonel and took command of the regiment.
April Moved to the Rappahannock River and assigned to Ewell’s Brigade.
May 22

Battle of Front Royal

The 1st Maryland, C.S.A. met the 1st Maryland U.S.A. in combat.
May 25

Battle of Winchester
June 8

Battle of Cross Keys

Brigadier General Steuart was badly wounded in the shoulder by a canister ball that would take him out of action for almost a year.
June 26

Battle of Gaines’ Mill
July 1

Battle of Malvern Hill
August 17 The 1st Maryland Infantry Regiment mustered out at Richmond at the end of its term of service. Many of its men joined the 2nd Maryland Infantry Regiment.