5th North Carolina Infantry Regiment

Confederate Regiments & Batteries > North Carolina

5th North Carolina State Troops

1861
May 8 Organized at Halifax, North Carolina under Colonel Duncan K. McRae, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph P. Jones and Major John Badham.
May 16 Accepted into state service.
July 13 Mustered into Confederate service.
July 15 Moved by rail to Richmond. Colonel McRae and Major Badham remained in Weldon due to illness.
July 18 Moved in the evening by rail to Manassas.
July 19 Companies A-H of the regiment reached Manassas and were assigned to Longstreet’s Brigade of the Army of the Potomac. The 5th North Carolina was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jones as Colonel McRae was absent sick. Major Badham was also absent sick and Chaplain James Sinclair was appointed acting major. The regiment moved to Blackburn’s Ford.
July 21
Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)

Stationed at Blackburn’s Ford on Bull Run. The regiment was not engaged but was under artillery fire.
July 24 Moved to Centreville and assigned to the Sixth (Early’s) Brigade of the First Corps of the Army of the Potomac.
August 23 Moved to Camp Ellis near Fairfax Station.
October 24 Lieutenant Colonel Jones resigned.
1862
March 6 Major Badham was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Peter J. Sinclair of Company A was promoted to major.
March 26 Major General Daniel H. Hill took command of the First Division.
April The regiment reported 460 men.
May 4 Camped two miles west of Williamsburg.
May 5
Battle of Williamsburg

The 5th North Carolina was commanded by Colonel D.R. McRae. It was ordered to Williamsburg and marched to the Campus of the College of William and Mary in a light rain. Moved around 3 p.m. to the left flank of Longstreet’s line. Moved into the open into heavty artillery fire and attacked Hancock’s Union brigade along with the 24th Virginia. The attack came within 20 yards of the Federal line before it was forced to withdraw due to heavy casualties. Lieutenant Colonel Badham was killed, Major Sinclair was wounded and Captains Thomas Garrett and John W. Lea were wounded and captured.

After the battle Major Sinclair was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Willliam J. Hill of Company B was promoted to major effective to this date.
May 31-June 1
Battle of Seven Pines

The regiment had 180 men on the field.
June Assigned to Garland’s Brigade, D.H. Hill’s Division
June 27-July 1
Seven Days Battles

The regiment lost 10 men killes, 22 wounded, and 4 missing.
June 27
Battle of Gaines Mill

Lieutenant Colonel Sinclair was wounded.
September 15
Battle of South Mountain

Colonel Duncan McRae temporarily took command of the brigade when General Garland was killed. Captain Thomas Garrett took command of the regiment. The regiment is honored on the North Carolina monument at Fox’s Gap.
September 17
Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

Colonel Duncan McRae was wounded but remained with his command. Captain Thomas Garrett was wounded in the foot.
November Assigned to Iverson’s Brigade of D.H. Hill’s Division in Jackson’s Second Corps. Captain Lea was exchanged and returned to the regiment.
November 13 Colonel McRae resigned, officially due to his wound, but after being passed over for promotion.
December 3 Lieutenant Colonel Sinclair resigned due to “personal difficulties in the regiment.” This may be related to his brother James having been dropped as colonel due to cowardice at New Berne and deserting to become a Federal chaplain. Major Hill was promoted to lieutenant colonel but declined the promotion.
1863
January 16 Captain Thomas Garrett of Company F was promoted to colonel.
February 2 Captain John W. Lea was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
May 1-4
Battle of Chancellorsville

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Garrett. The regiment lost 4 men killed and 37 wounded. Colonel Garratt, Lieutenant Colonel Lea and Major Hill were wounded.
June 5 Major Hill was captured at his home in Gatesville, North Carolina while on wounded furlough.
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Captain Speight B. West until he was wounded on July 1.
Major John S. Brooks was also wounded on July 1, and  Captain Lewis T. Hicks took command for the remainder of the battle. It brought 473 men to the field. It lost 64 men killed, 125 wounded and 100 missing in the disastrous charge on Oak Ridge on July 1. Captain Benjamin Robinson was also wounded.
July Brigadier General Iverson was relieved of command of the brigade after the disaster at Gettysburg. The regiments of the brigade were under the temporary command of Brigadier General Stephen Dodson Ramseur.
July Brigadier General Iverson was relieved of command of the brigade after the disaster at Gettysburg. The regiments of the brigade were under the temporary command of Brigadier General Stephen Dodson Ramseur.
August Colonel Garrett returned from convalescent leave and resumed command of the regiment.
October
Bristoe

The regiment lost 16 men.
November – December
Mine Run

The regiment lost 3 men.
1864
May 5-6
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8 The regiment, with Johnston’s Brigade, transferred to Early’s Division.
May 12
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

Colonel Garrett was killed, having remarked before the battle that he would either “come out of the fight a brigadier-general or a dead colonel.” His promotion to brigadier general arrived the day after his death. Lieutenant Colonel John W. Lea was promoted to colonel and Major Hill, still a Federal prisoner, was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
June 1
Battle of Cold Harbor

Captain John M. Gilchrist killed
June 4-13

Colonel Toon was temorarily promoted to brigadier general and took over the brigade from the wounded Brigadier General Johnston, and Brigadier General Stephen Dodson Ramseur took over the division from Major General Early. The Second Corps was then detached to the Shenandoah Valley as the Army of the Valley.

The regiment was attached to Toon’s Brigade of Ramseur’s Division of the Army of the Valley.
June 17-18
Battle of Lynchburg
June 19-21 Pursuit of Hunter
June 26 At Stanton
June 30 At New Market
July 1 Marched through Winchester
July Brigadier General Johnston resumed command of the brigade.
Juy 5-6 Crossed the Potomac at Boteler’s Ford
July 9
Battle of Monocacy
July 11-12
Battle of Fort Stevens
July 24
Second Battle of Kernstown
September 19
Third Battle of Winchester

Colonel Lea was wounded.
September 21-22
Battle of Fisher’s Hill
September 22 Brigadier General John Pegram took over the division from General Ramseur, who transferred over to take command of the division of the late General Rodes.
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek
December The division left the Shenandoah Valley and rejoined Lee’s main army in the Richmond defences.
1865
February Lieutenant Colonel Hill was exchanged.
February 23 Brigadier General Bryan Grimes was promoted to major general and given permanent command of the division.
February 26 Brigadier General Pegram was killed and Brigadier General Robert Johnston took over the division. Colonel John W. Lea took over the brigade until the end of the war.
April 9
Appomattox Court House

The regiment was commanded by Captain J.M. Taylor and surrendered 7 officers and 76 enlisted men, 48 of whom were armed.