25th Virginia Infantry Regiment

Confederate Regiments & Batteries * Virginia

1861
mid-June Organized at Huttonsville under Colonel George A. Porterfield, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan M. Heck and Major Albert Reger.
July Attached to Taliaferro’s Brigade, Army of the Northwest
July 11-12
Battle of Rich Mountain

Most of the regiment was surrendered at Camp Garnett after the battle. Left without a command, Colonel Porterfield took the position of Chief of Ordnance for General Loring.
October 3
Battle of Greenbrier River
November Attached to Johnson’s Brigade, Jackson’s Division, Army of the Northwest
December 13
Battle of Allegheny Mountain

The regiment lost 18 men.
1862
March 25 Major Reger resigned.
April The regiment reorganized and was joined by four companies of the 9th Virginia Infantry Battalion. Lieutenant Colonel Heck was dropped. Captain George H. Smith of Company E was elected colonel.
May Assigned to ‘Alleghany’ Johnson’s Brigade of the Army of the Northwest
May 1 Captain Patrick Duffy of Company C was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain John C. Higginbotham of Company A was promoted to major.
May 8
Battle of McDowell

The regiment lost 72 men. Colonel Smith and Major Higginbotham were wounded. Lt. Colonel Patrick Duffy took command.
May-June
Jackson’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign

Attached to Elzey’s Brigade, Ewell’s Division, Army of the Northwest

June 8-9
Battles of Cross Keys-Port Republic

The regiment lost 29 men in the two battles.
June Attached to Elzey’s, Walker’s, Early’s Brigade, Ewell’s Division, Jackson’s Command, Army of Northern Virginia
June 27
Battle of Gaines’ Mill
June 30
White Oak Swamp
July 1
Battle of Malvern Hill
August 9
Battle of Cedar Mountain

The regiment lost 1 man killed and 24 wounded. Captain Wilson Harper was wounded, and Captain Robert Lilley was cited for gallantry.
August 28-30
Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)

Colonel Smith and Major Higginbotham were wounded for the second time. Captain Robert Doak Lilley took command of the regiment and was again cited for gallantry. Colonel Smith would not return to the regiment, becoming colonel of the 1st Virginia Partisan Rangers after his convalescence.
September 1
Battle of Chantilly
September 12-15
Siege and surrender of Harpers Ferry
September 17
Battle of Sharpsburg

The regiment was commanded by Captain Robert D. Lilley. It lost 3 men killed and 20 wounded.

From the first of two markers for Early’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield:

September 16-17, 1862    No.1.

On the night of the 16th, Early’s Brigade bivouacked in the farm lane on the left of Jackson’s Division and in the Dunkard Church woods, between this point and the Church. At dawn of the 17th, the Brigade moved nearly a mile northwest to support Stuart’s Cavalry Division and some Batteries of Artillery. The Brigade was on this duty about an hour when, leaving the 13th Virginia Infantry with Stuart, it returned and formed line on the plateau east of this, perpendicular to the Hagerstown Pike and, advancing in a northerly direction, as a support to Jackson’s right, participated in a sanguinary engagement with the right of the First Army Corps, which was obliged to retire, then moved to the south along the west edge of the West Woods, and engaged the enemy near the Dunkard Church.

From the second of the two markers to Early’s Brigade at Antietam:

September 17-18, 1862    No.2.

After supporting Jackson’s Division in repulsing the right of the First Army Corps on the plateau west of the Hagerstown Pike, Early’s Brigade, moving through the West Woods and along their western edge to this point, advanced east and, in co-operation with portions of McLaws’ Division, drove the 125th Pennsylvania and 34th New York from the woods near the church. Then, wheeling to the left, supported by the Brigades of Semmes, Anderson and Barksdale, and portions of Jackson’s Division, struck the flank of Sedgwick’s Division and forced it to retire from the field. The Brigade was then reformed and withdrawn to the position occupied by it in the morning and, later in the day, moved to the northern part of the West Woods, where it remained until the night of the 18th, when it recrossed the Potomac
October 8 Lieutenant Colonel Duffy resigned. Major Higginbotham was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain John A. Robinson was promoted to major.
November Attached to Early’s Brigade, Ewell’s Division, Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
December 13
Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment lost 1 man killed and 13 wounded.
1863
January 28 Lieutenant Colonel Higginbotham was promoted to colonel. Major Robinson was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Lilley was promoted to major.
April Took part in Jones’ and Imboden’s West Virginia Raid
May 1-4
Battle of Chancellorsville
June Attached to Jones’ Brigade, Johnson’s Division, Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
July 1-4
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel John C. Higginbotham, and brought 280 men to the field. It lost 9 men killed and a around 60 wounded, missing or captured. Colonel Higginbotham was wounded, and Lt. Colonel J.A. Robinson took command. Major Lilley was again cited for gallantry.

From the marker to Jones’s Brigade at Gettysburg:

July 1. Arrived near nightfall and took position east of Rock Creek and north of Hanover road with pickets advanced to the front.

July 2. About 4 P. M. moved forward to support artillery on Benner’s Hill. Crossed Rock Creek at 6 P. M. and assailed the Union position on the summit of Culp’s Hill charging up to the Union breastworks and continuing the struggle until dark.

July 3. In line near here all day sometimes skirmishing heavily. About midnight moved with the Division and Corps to Seminary Ridge northwest of the town.

July 4. Occupied Seminary Ridge. About 10 P. M. began the march to Hagerstown.
July 12 Retreat to Virginia
August 20 Lieutenant Colonel Robinson resigned after being elected as a Virginia representative. Major Lilley was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Wilson Harper of Company K was promoted to major.
October
Bristoe Campaign
November-December
Mine Run Campaign
1864
May 5-6
The Wilderness

Major Harper was wounded. The regiment lost its regimental flag, captured on May 5 near Culpeper Mine Road by the 5th Wisconsin Regiment. The flag was returned by the U.S. War Department to the State of Virginia in 1905.
May 8-21
Spotsylvania Court House
May 10 Colonel Higginbotham was killed.
May 12 Most of the regiment was captured at the Muleshoe Salient along with the rest of Johnson’s Division
May 21 The survivors of the regiment were consolidated with the rest of Jones’ brigade under Colonel Robert H. Dungan of the 48th Virginia. These and the survivors of Steuart’s Brigade and the Stonewall Brigade were consolidated into a brigade under Brigadier General William Terry.
May 22-26
Battle of North Anna
May 31 Lieutenant Colonel Lilley was promoted to brigadier general.
June 1-3
Cold Harbor
June
Shenandoah Valley Campaign

Sent to the Shenandoah Valley as part of Early’s Army of the Valley attached to Terry’s Consolidated Brigade , Gordon’s Division, Second Corps (Maj. Gen. John Breckinridge), Army of the Valley
June 17-18
Battle of Lynchburg
June 19-21 Pursuit of Hunter
June 22 Day of rest at Salem
June 23-26 Advance into the Shenandoah Valley to Staunton
June 28-July 2 Advance from Staunton to near Harpers Ferry
July 5-6 Crossed the Potomac at Boteler’s Ford and advances to west of Frederick
July 9
Battle of Monocacy
July 10 The advance on Washington continued through an extremely hot day.
July 11-12
Battle of Fort Stevens
July 13-15 Left Washington, crossed the Potomac at White’s Ford, and marched across Loudon County.
July 16 Crossed the Blue Ridge at Snickers Gap to Berryville
July 19 Moved to Strasburg
July 24
Second Battle of Kernstown
August 8 At Bunker Hill
August 10 To Winchester
August 12 To Fisher’s Hill
August 17 Returned to Winchester and Bunker Hill.
August 22 To Charles Town
August 25-26 Feint toward Williamsport and return to Bunker Hill.
September 5 To Winchester
September 19
Third Battle of Winchester
September 22
Battle of Fisher’s Hill
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek
December
Petersburg Siege

The regiment returned from the Army of the Valley to Lee’s main army around Petersburg, attached to Terry’s Consolidated Brigade, Gordon’s Division (Brig. Gen. Clement Evans), Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia.
1865
February 5
Battle of Hatcher’s Run
March 25
Assault of Fort Stedman
April 6
Battle of Sayler’s Creek

Most of the regiment was killed of captured. No one from the 25th Virginia was at the surrender of Lee’s Army at Appomattox Court House.