The 32nd Virginia Infantry Regiment was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

raised in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

for service in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. It fought mostly with the

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was a field army of the Confederate States Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed agains ...

. The 32nd Virginia was formed in May, 1861, by consolidating Montague's and Goggin's Infantry Battalions. Its members were from Hampton and Williamsburg and the counties of

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...

, James City, and York. Three companies were accepted into service as artillery and were transferred to the 1st Virginia Artillery. After its reorganization in May, 1862, the unit operated with only seven companies. The field officers were Colonels Benjamin S. Ewell and Edgar Burwell Montague; Lieutenant Colonels John B. Cary and William Royall Willis; and Majors James M. Goggin, Baker P. Lee, Jr., and Jefferson Sinclair.

Engagements

At the

Battle of Williamsburg The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the first pitc ...

two companies fought under General Pryor, then the regiment was attached to General Semmes' and Corse's Brigade. It participated in many conflicts from the Seven Days' Battles to Fredricksburg, moved with Longstreet to

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

, and later served in the Department of Richmond and in North Carolina. Returning to Virginia it was active at Drewry's Bluff and

Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Army, Union Lieuten ...

, took its place in the Petersburg trenches north and south of the James River, they saw action on the Chickahominy (May 1864), at

(June), on the

Petersburg Campaign The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg, it was not a c ...

(to April 1865), and ended the war at Appomattox. The regiment reported 1 wounded at Savage's Station, had 2 killed and 4 wounded at

Malvern Hill Malvern Hill stands on the north bank of the James River in Henrico County, Virginia, USA, about eighteen miles southeast of Richmond. On 1 July 1862, it was the scene of the Battle of Malvern Hill, one of the Seven Days Battles of the American ...

, and sustained 72 casualties of the 158 engaged at Sharpsburg. Some were captured at Sayler's Creek, and 5 officers and 42 men were included in the surrender.

Constituent Units

32nd originally consisted of just two companies in 1859, the Wythe Rifles of Hampton and the Williamsburg Junior Guard. Colonel Benjamin S. Ewell grew the regiment into five infantry and four artillery companies. The artillery companies were eventually reassigned. On May 22, 1862, Edgar Burwell Montague was elected Colonel, Captain William Royall Willis of the Wythe Rifles (Co. A) was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and the regiment was reorganized as follows:

Wythe Rifles

Company A.

Williamsburg Junior Guard

Company C.

Hampton Greys

Company E.

Nelson Guards

Company F.

Warwick Beauregards

Company H (2nd). Volunteer unit under Capt. (Dr.) Humphrey Harwood Curtis, Jr., three lieutenants, four sergeants, four corporals, 67 privates and a drummer boy. Organized at

Endview Plantation Endview Plantation (Harwood Plantation) is an 18th-century plantation, including a park and historic home now operated by the independent city of Newport News, Virginia, located on Virginia State Route 238 in the Lee Hall community. History E ...

Warwick County, Virginia Warwick County was a county in Southeast Virginia that was created from Warwick River Shire, one of eight created in the Virginia Colony in 1634. Located on the Virginia Peninsula on the northern bank of the James River between Hampton Roads ...

. in May 1861.

York Rangers

Company I (2nd). Below is a roll call (date unknown): * Capt. - Jefferson Sinclair * 1st Lieut. -Wm. J. Stores * 2nd Lieut. - Robert Willis * 3rd Lieut. - Henry Sinclair (Brother to Jefferson) Privates: * Amory, John * Ayers, Henry * Barrow, Albert (Captured in Yorktown, sent to Fort Delaware) * Boutwell, Wm * Banting, Joseph * Bassett, W.E. * Briggs, Benj. * Burt, Wm. * Buchanan, Elijah * Bunting, Wirt * Cox, G.B. * Cox, Elias * Cox, George * Carmines, Kenneth * Cain, Thomas * Candy, Thomas * Cratzer, Edgar * Crockett, Addison * Davis, Charles * Dawson, Humphrey * Dawson, Robert * Elliott, Seaton * Foster, Elijah * Firth, Thomas * Forrest, Robert * Forsythe, Thomas * Freeman, Henry * Glover, Charles * Goffigan, W.E. * Gordon, J. * Gordon, Wm. * Hansford, Louis * Haskins, John Robert (Musician, Drummer, of the Cumberland County Va. Haskins's) * Haskins, William Creed (older brother of John Robert Haskins) * Hopkins, George * Hopkins, Frank * Halls, Jim * Halloway, Wm. (Captured at Yorktown. Sent to Fort Delaware) * Howard, J.T. * Herbert, Thomas * Hugett, J. * Hunt, Benj. * Hunt, Wm. * Insley, Jas. * Insley, Wm. * Moreland, Alphonso * Moreland, Darius * Moore, E.B. * Moore, Wm. * Moore, Merrett * Mason, George * Patrick, Robert * Patrick, Wm. * Payne, Reiley * Peek, E.K. * Poole, Alex * Poole, Robert * Presson, Robert * Presson, John * Quimby, Wm. * Rowe, Benj. * Sheilds, Arthur * Treen, Wm. * Traynam, W.H. * Vernam, Henry * Vernam, Wm. * Vixon, Wm. * Watson, George * White, J. * White, Robert * White, Wise * Williams, Charles * Wynne, Frank Lee * Wynne, Edmund Thomas * Wynne, Richard Henry

Lee Guards

Company K (2nd).

References

*{{USGovernment, url=http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/regiments.cfm, title=Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, agency=National Park Service
Antietam.aotw.org
Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Virginia 1861 establishments in Virginia Military units and formations established in 1861 1865 disestablishments in Virginia Military units and formations disestablished in 1865