Confederate Regiments & BatteriesVirginia


1861
May 17 The 16th Virginia Infantry Regiment was organized under the command of Colonel Raleigh Colston, Lieutenant Colonel Charles A. Crump and Major John C. Page. 
May-June Assigned to the Department of Norfolk
July Lieutenant Colonel Crump was appointed colonel of the 26th Virginia Infantry. Henry T. Parrish took over as Lieutenant Colonel of the 16th.
December 24 Colonel Colston was promoted to brigadier general.
1862
January 6 Lieutenant Colonel Parrish was promoted to colonel, Major Page was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Francis D. Holladay of Company B was promoted to major.
March 18 Company K became the Petersburg Light Artillery.
March 26 Company H became the Norfolk Light Artillery Blues.
May

During the army reorganization Company I became the Manchester Artillery. The regiment would continue through the war with only seven companies.

Colonel Parrish was dropped, was reinstated after contesting the results of the election, then dropped again a week later. Major Page was also dropped. Captain Joseph H. Ham of Company F was elected lieutenant colonel.

The 6th, 12th, 16th and 41st Virginia Infantry Regiments were brigaded under Brigadier General William Mahone

May 9 Evacuated Norfolk and marched to Petersburg. The Norfolk garrison was attached to the Army of Northern Virginia as Huger’s Division.
June The regiment reported 516 men.
July 1
Battle of Malvern Hill

The regiment lost 91 men. Captain John Woodhouse was wounded.

July 14 Major General Richard Anderson took over Huger’s Division.
August 28 At Salem, Virginia. Charles Crump, who had transferred to the 26th Virginia to be its colonel and been dropped in the army reorganization, rejoined the 16th Virginia as colonel.
August 30
Second Battle of Manassas

The 16th Virginia lost 154 men. Colonel Crump was killed. Lieutenant Colonel Ham was wounded. He was promoted to colonel after the battle, and Captain Richard O. Whitehead of Company A was promoted to major.

September 14

Battle of South Mountain

Commanded by Major Francis D. Holladay. Major Holladay and 116 men from the regiment were captured by First Lieutenant George Hooker of the 4th Vermont Infantry at Crampton’s Gap. The story is on the Medal of Honor Recipients wayside marker in Crampton’s Gap.

September 17

Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

There were two War Department tablets for Andrson’s Division at Antietam. From the first (currently missing):

Anderson’s Division crossed the Potomac at Blackford’s Ford about sunrise on the 17th and, marching through the fields west and north of Sharpsburg reached this road about 9 A.M. Armistead’s Brigade was sent to the support of McLaws on the left. Parham’s Brigade, reduced to 40 men, was consolidated with Pryor’s. The Division formed line perpendicular to this road. Its left at this point, its right in the ravine about 300 yards east of Piper’s stone barn. It advanced in support of D. H. Hill’s Division to the cornfield northeast of this and, after a stubborn contest, in which it suffered severely, was obliged to retire to the cover of the stone walls on the road. Late in the day it resumed a part of its original position and checked the advance of the enemy.

From the second tablet, at the Sunken Road:

Anderson’s Division comprising the Brigades of Cumming, Wright, Pryor, Mahone, Featherstone and Armistead crossed the Potomac at Blackford’s Ford about daybreak and between 8 and 10 A. M. arrived upon this part of the field. Armistead’s Brigade was sent to the support of McLaws in the Dunkard Church Woods and the other five Brigades were disposed in the Apple Orchard and on open ground either side of it, between this and Piper’s Lane. The Division advanced in support of a part of D.H. Hill’s Division, then heavily engaged and after a stubborn contest in which portions of the Division reached this point, it was repulsed with heavy loss and fell back to Piper’s Lane and the Hagerstown Pike.

September 14-19 Lafayette Guild, Medical Director of the Army of Northern Virginia, reported 5 men wounded from the regiment in the five days from the Battle of Boonsboro (South Mountain), through Sharpsburg (Antietam), and up to Shepherdstown Ford.
November 10 Major Holladay was exchanged and returned to the regiment.
December 13
Battle of Fredericksburg

Commanded by Major Francis D. Holladay

December 15 Encamped at Salem Church
1863
January Ordered to the fords of the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers.
March 16 Major Holladay resigned, Major Whitehead was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain John T. Woodhouse of Company G was promoted to major.
April 28 Ordered to fall back from the fords as Hooker crossed the Rappahannock. Placed in line of battle at Zoan Church on the Plank Road.
May 1-4
Battle of Chancellorsville

Commanded by Lt. Colonel Whitehead

May 30 The regiment, along with the rest of Anderson’s Division, was transferred to the newly-formed Third Army Corps under Lieutenant General A. P. Hill
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The 16th Virginia Infantry Regiment was commanded by Colonel Joseph H. Ham and brought 270 men to the field in 7 companies. It lost 2 men killed, 15 men wounded and 5 men missing. Major Woodhouse was wounded.

Mahone’s Brigade had the lowest casualty rate of any Confederate brigade at Gettysburg. It had been positioned to join Longstreet’s attack on the afternoon of July 2 but Mahone refused requests for support by Wright and Posey, claiming he had other orders. It was intended to support Early’s evening attack on Cemetery Hill but the attack failed before Mahone could join. And although fresh and unblooded the brigade was overlooked for Pickett’s charge on July 3 while far more seriously damaged brigades were included.

From the War Department marker for Mahone’s Brigade on the Gettysburg battlefield:

July 2. Arrived and took position here in the forenoon under orders to support the artillery. A strong skirmish line was sent out which was constantly engaged and did effective service.

July 3. Remained here in support of the artillery. Took no active part in the battle except by skirmishers.

July 4. In line here all day. At dark began the march to Hagerstown.

1864
May 5-6
Battle of the Wilderness

Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Richard O. Whitehead.

May Colonel Ham was wounded
May 12-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
June 3
Battle of Cold Harbor
June 18 The regiment reached Petersburg and spent two days near Battery 33 on the Dimmock Line.
June 22-23 Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road
June 24 In trenches near the Wilcox farm south of Petersburg
July 30
Battle of The Crater

Major Woodhouse was wounded in the foot and leg. There is a monument to Mahone’s Brigade at the Crater on the Petersburg National Battlefield.

August 1 Assigned to Weisinger’s Brigade, Mahone’s Division, Third Corps, Army of the Potomac
August 18-21 Battle of Globe Tavern
August 25
Battle of Ream’s Station

Colonel George T. Rogers commanded the 6th Virginia.

October 27
Battle of Boyden Plank Road (Burgess Mill)

Colonel Ham and Major Whitehead were wounded

December Warren’s Raid
1865
February 6
Battle of Hatcher’s Run

The regiment attacked near Dabney’s Stream Saw Mill.

March 8 Major Woodhouse retired to the Invalid Corps.
April Retreat from Petersburg
April 9
Appomattox Court House

The 16th Virginia Infantry Regiment surrendered 10 officers and 114 enlisted men.