The 57th 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 57th Virginia was organized in September 1861, by adding five independent companies to the five companies of E.F. Keen's Battalion. The 57th was composed mainly of men from Albemarle, Botetourt, Buckingham, Franklin, Henry, Pittsylvania, and Powhatan counties. The unit was assigned to General Armistead's, Barton's, and Steuart's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It participated in many conflicts from the Seven Days' Battles to Gettysburg, served in North Carolina, then saw action at Drewry's Bluff and Cold Harbor. The 57th continued the fight in the Petersburg trenches north of the James River and around Appomattox. It reported 113 casualties at Malvern Hill and lost more than sixty percent of the 476 engaged at Gettysburg. There were 7 killed, 31 wounded, and 3 missing at Drewry's Bluff, and many were disabled at Sayler's Creek. On April 9, 1865, the unit surrendered 7 officers and 74 men. Its commanders were Colonels

Lewis A. Armistead Lewis Addison Armistead (February 18, 1817 – July 5, 1863) was a career United States Army officer who became a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. On July 3, 1863, as part of Pickett's Charge during ...

, George W. Carr, David Dyer, Clement R. Fontaine, Elisha F. Keen, and John Bowie Magruder; Lieutenant Colonels Waddy T. James, William H. Ramsey, and Benjamin H. Wade; and Majors Garland B. Hanes, David P. Heckman, and Andrew J. Smith.Sublett, Charles W. ''57th Virginia Infantry''. H. E. Howard, 1985

References

*{{USGovernment, url=http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/regiments.cfm, title=Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, agency=National Park Service 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

See also

References