16th Virginia Infantry Regiment

Confederate Regiments & Batteries * Virginia

1861
May 17 Organized under Colonel Raleigh Colston, Lieutenant Colonel Charles A. Crump and Major John C. Page.
July Lieutenant Colonel Crump was appointed colonel of the 26th Virginia Infantry. Henry T. Parrish took over as Lieutenant Colonel of the 16th.
  Assigned to the Department of Norfolk
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 Pegram’s Artillery Battery.
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. Holliday, who was captured by men from the 4th Vermont Infantry.
September 17
Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)
November 10 Major Holladay was exchanged and returned to the regiment.
December 13
Battle of Fredericksburg

Commanded by Major Francis D. Holliday
December 15 Encamped at Salem Church
1863
January Ordered to the fords of the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers.
April 28 Ordered to fall back as Hooker crossed the Rappahannock. Placed in line of battle at Zoan Church on the Plank Road.
March 16 Major Holladay resigned, Major Whitehead was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain John T. Woodhouse of Company G was promoted to major.
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 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 rerired to the Invalid Corps.
April Retreat from Petersburg
April 9
Appomattox Court House

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