The 7th Louisiana Infantry Regiment was a unit of volunteers recruited in

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

that fought 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 ...

. Formed in June 1861, the regiment was sent to fight in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. After fighting at

First Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run, called the Battle of First Manassas
. by

Jackson's Valley campaign and at Gaines' Mill,

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 ...

, Cedar Mountain,

Second Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

Harpers Ferry Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 269 at the 2020 United States census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac River, Potomac and Shenandoah River, Shenandoah Rivers in the ...

Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgin ...

, and Fredericksburg in 1862. The regiment fought at Chancellorsville, Second Winchester, and Gettysburg in 1863. At Rappahannock Station in November 1863, almost the entire regiment was captured. The remnant of the unit fought at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania,

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 ...

, and the Valley campaigns of 1864. It served at Petersburg starting in December 1864 and surrendered at Appomattox in April 1865.

Formation

The 7th Louisiana Infantry regiment formed at

Camp Moore Camp Moore, north of the Village of Tangipahoa near Kentwood, Louisiana, was a Confederate training base and principal base of operations in eastern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi. The base was named for Louisiana Governor Thomas Overt ...

on 5 June 1861 with 944 soldiers. Ten companies were organized, named from A to K, excluding J. The

field officer A senior officer is an officer of a more senior grade in military or other uniformed services. In military organisations, the term may refer to any officer above junior officer rank, but usually specifically refers to the middle-ranking group of ...

s were

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Harry T. Hays Harry Thompson Hays (April 14, 1820 – August 21, 1876) was an American military officer serving in the U.S. Army during the Mexican–American War and a general who served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Known as the "Lou ...

, Lieutenant Colonel Charles De Choiseul, and

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

Davidson Bradfute Penn. On 1 January 1863

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Daniel A. Wilson Jr. (Company I) was appointed

judge-advocate Judge-advocates are military lawyers serving in different capacities in the Military justice, military justice systems of different jurisdictions. Australia The Australian Army Legal Corps (AALC) consists of Australian Army, Regular and Austral ...

Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia The Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a military organization within the Confederate States Army, Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during much of the American Civil War. It was officially created and named following the Battle ...

. In May 1863 Captain Andrew S. Herron (B Company) was promoted colonel and appointed to a military court. * Key: d = died, k = killed, m = mortally wounded, p = promoted, r = resigned.

Service

1861–1862

Soon after being organized, the 7th Louisiana Infantry was ordered to travel to Virginia, where it camped near

Manassas Manassas (), formerly Manassas Junction, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of Prince William County, although the two are separate jurisdi ...

. The unit skirmished during the

Battle of Blackburn's Ford The Battle of Blackburn's Ford (also known as the Skirmish at Blackburn's Ford) took place on July 18, 1861, in the Confederate state of Virginia, as part of the Manassas campaign of the American Civil War. Union general Irvin McDowell's A ...

on 18 July 1861. At the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run, called the Battle of First Manassas
. by Confederate States ...

on 21 July, the regiment was assigned to Colonel

Jubal Early Jubal Anderson Early (November 3, 1816 – March 2, 1894) was an American lawyer, politician and military officer who served in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. Trained at the United States Military Academy, Early resigned his ...

's 6th Brigade which sustained a loss of 12 killed and 67 wounded in the battle. It took part in the attack which routed the Union army's right flank, but suffered few casualties. Shortly after the battle, the regiment transferred to the 1st Louisiana Brigade along with the 1st Louisiana Special Battalion and the 6th Louisiana, 8th Louisiana, and 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiments. In spring 1862, the 1st Louisiana Brigade participated in Jackson's Valley campaign. The brigade was commanded by Brigadier General Richard Taylor and was part of Major General Richard S. Ewell's division. At the

Battle of Front Royal The Battle of Front Royal, also known as Guard Hill or Cedarville, was fought on May 23, 1862, during the American Civil War, as part of Jackson's Valley campaign. Confederate States of America, Confederate forces commanded by Major General (CS ...

on 23 May 1862, it was lightly engaged and had only 2 casualties. Two days later at the

First Battle of Winchester The First Battle of Winchester, fought on May 25, 1862, in and around Frederick County, Virginia, and Winchester, Virginia, was a major victory in Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's Campaign through the Shenandoah Vall ...

the brigade made the decisive assault that defeated their Federal opponents. The brigade struck the Union defenders in the flank and routed them, while sustaining losses of 14 killed and 89 wounded. At the

Battle of Cross Keys The Battle of Cross Keys was fought on June 8, 1862, in Rockingham County, Virginia, as part of Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War. Together, the batt ...

on 8 June, the regiment was not seriously engaged. On the following day at the

Battle of Port Republic The Battle of Port Republic was fought on June 9, 1862, in Rockingham County, Virginia, as part of Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War. Port Republic w ...

, Major General

Thomas J. Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general and military officer who served during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the eastern thea ...

ordered Taylor's brigade toward the right flank. However, Jackson detached the 7th Louisiana to support the 5th Virginia and 27th Virginia Infantry Regiments on the left flank. The 7th Louisiana numbered about 300 men, so that the three regiments together counted 1,009 soldiers. They were ordered to attack twice that many Union soldiers. In the subsequent fire fight, the 7th Louisiana lost its flag and 159 casualties, including Colonel Hayes badly wounded and its lieutenant colonel (De Choiseul) mortally wounded. De Choiseul died of his wounds on 22 June 1862 and was replaced as lieutenant colonel by Penn, while Captain Terry (Company K) became major. After joining General

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...

's army, the 7th Louisiana fought at the

Battle of Gaines' Mill The Battle of Gaines' Mill, sometimes known as the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles which together decided the outcome of the Union's Peninsula Campaig ...

on 27 June 1862 and the

Battle of Malvern Hill The Battle of Malvern Hill, also known as the Battle of Poindexter's Farm, was fought on July 1, 1862, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, led by Gen. Robert E. Lee, and the Union Army of the Potomac under Maj. Gen. George B. ...

on 1 July. At Gaines' Mill, Taylor was ill and the brigade was led by Colonel Isaac G. Seymour. While crossing Boatswain's Swamp, the brigade became confused and then came under murderous fire and Seymour was killed. As the next brigade advanced, a retreating Louisianan called out, "Boys, you are mighty good but that's hell in there". At Malvern Hill, Ewell's division was in reserve. On 28 July, Taylor was elevated in rank to major general and transferred to lead the District of West Louisiana. Hays was promoted brigadier general on 25 July 1862. On that date, Penn was elevated in rank to colonel, Terry became lieutenant colonel, and Captain J. M. Wilson (Company C) was appointed major. Hays did not recover from his Port Republic wound until September when he finally joined the brigade. At the

Battle of Cedar Mountain The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. Union Army, Union forces under Major gener ...

on 9 August, Colonel

Henry Forno Henry Forno (April 23, 1798 – January 31, 1866) was an American military officer during the Mexican-American War and later a Confederate army officer during the American Civil War. After being wounded in action, he was transferred to command of ...

commanded the brigade which consisted of the 6th, 7th, and 8th Louisiana, as before, plus the 5th Louisiana and

14th Louisiana Infantry Regiment The 14th Louisiana Infantry Regiment was a unit of volunteers recruited in Louisiana that fought in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Formed in June 1861 as the 1st Regiment, Polish Brigade, the unit was later accepted ...

s. The brigade was lightly engaged and reported only 8 wounded. In the Battle of Kettle Run on 27 August 1862, Forno committed the 5th, 6th, and 8th Louisiana Infantry into action, but apparently not the 7th Louisiana. In the

Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

on 29–30 August, the brigades of Forno and Early were initially posted on the extreme right of Jackson's defense line. Since Ewell was wounded, his division was led by Brigadier General Alexander R. Lawton. By 4:00 pm on 29 August, the troops of Forno and Early were shifted to Jackson's center where they formed a second line. At this time, a Union attack broke through Lawton's two first line brigades and Forno's brigade helped recapture the position. The regiment fought at the

Battle of Chantilly The Battle of Chantilly (or Ox Hill, the Confederate name) took place on September 1, 1862, in Fairfax County, Virginia, as the concluding battle of the Northern Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's corps ...

on 1 September and was present at the

Battle of Harper's Ferry The Battle of Harpers Ferry was fought September 12–15, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. As Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee's Confederate army invaded Maryland, a portion of his army under Major Genera ...

on 14 September when the Union garrison surrendered. At the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgi ...

on 17 September, Colonel Henry B. Strong led Hays' brigade which was reduced to about 550 effectives. In the battle, the 7th Louisiana lost 6 killed and 63 wounded while the brigade suffered 257 casualties, Between 6:30 and 7:00 am, the 1st Louisiana brigade fought against Union troops advancing south in Miller's cornfield. Strong led the brigade into the cornfield, trying to outflank the Federal attackers. The Louisianans soon found themselves in a crossfire; Strong was killed and the brigade was forced back. At the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

on 13 December, the regiment was held in reserve.

1863

During the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Confederate General Robert E. Lee's risky decision to divide h ...

on 1–4 May 1863, Hays led the 1st Louisiana Brigade in Early's division. The brigade consisted of the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Louisiana Infantry. Colonel Penn led the 7th Louisiana and was captured during the fighting. During the

Battle of Salem Church The Battle of Salem Church, and the Battle of Banks' Ford took place on May 3 and 4 respectively, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, as part of the Battle of Chancellorsville, Chancellorsville Campaign of the American Civil War. Backgroun ...

on 4 May, the brigades of Hays and Brigadier General

Robert Hoke Robert Frederick Hoke (May 27, 1837 – July 3, 1912) was a Confederate major general during the American Civil War. He was present at one of the earliest battles, the Battle of Big Bethel, where he was commended for coolness and judgment ...

took part in an attack on the isolated Union VI Corps. The assault force broke through the Union front line, but it was routed when it encountered a second line. Hays' brigade suffered 445 casualties, including 129 captured. The 7th Louisiana lost 7 killed, 75 wounded, and 36 missing at Chancellorsville and Salem Church. At the

Second Battle of Winchester The Second Battle of Winchester was fought between June 13 and June 15, 1863, in Frederick County and Winchester, Virginia as part of the Gettysburg Campaign during the American Civil War. As Confederate Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell mo ...

on 14 June, the regiment captured two cannons in a small redoubt. The brigade fought on 1 July at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

. The 1st Louisiana Brigade, commanded by Hays, was part of Major General Early's division in

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Ewell's

. Hays' brigade went into battle with 1,295 men and sustained 334 casualties. The 7th Louisiana under Penn lost 58 casualties out of 235 men present for duty. In the evening of 2 July, Hays' and Hoke's brigades were ordered to assault the east side of Cemetery Hill. After hand-to-hand fighting, the attackers broke through the Federal defenses in several places and got among the cannons. However, a lack of support and Union reinforcements forced the Confederates to retreat. The regiment saw scant fighting during the Bristoe campaign on 9–22 October. On 7 November, the Confederate army held the south bank of the

Rappahannock River The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the enti ...

with a bridgehead on the north bank. The bridgehead was defended by the 1st Louisiana Brigade under Colonel Penn. After Union soldiers closed up to the bridgehead at noon on 7 November, Early sent Penn some reinforcements. Lee and Early met and both believed that the bridgehead was secure enough to defend itself until morning. At 5:00 pm that day, in the

Second Battle of Rappahannock Station The Second Battle of Rappahannock Station took place on November 7, 1863, near the village of Rappahannock Station (now Remington, Virginia), on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. It was between Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Jubal Ear ...

, Union Brigadier General

David Allen Russell David Allen Russell (December 10, 1820 – September 19, 1864) was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, ...

's VI Corps division stormed the bridgehead and captured the pontoon bridge before most of the Confederates could get away. Together with a minor setback at Kelly's Ford, Confederate losses numbered 2,023, against only 419 Union casualties. The 7th Louisiana Infantry had 180 men captured in the fiasco.

1864–1865

Battle of Spottsylvania by Thure de Thulstrup

In the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General (C ...

on 5 May 1864, Hays' brigade, still in Early's division, was held in reserve. When Brigadier General Leroy A. Stafford's 2nd Louisiana brigade was routed and Stafford mortally wounded, Hays' brigade filled the gap in the defensive line. Pressing forward in dense woods, Hays' brigade attacked two Union brigades and was mauled. A Virginia regiment that attached itself to Hays' right flank was practically wiped out. Hayes' aide estimated that the 1st Louisiana Brigade lost one-third of its strength. To replace Lieutenant General

A. P. Hill Ambrose Powell Hill Jr. (November 9, 1825April 2, 1865) was a Confederate States Army, Confederate General officer, general who was killed in the American Civil War. He is usually referred to as A. P. Hill to differentiate him from Confederate ge ...

, who was sick, Lee transferred Early to command the Third Corps. Lee replaced Early at division command with Brigadier General John B. Gordon. Since Hays outranked Gordon, Lee transferred Hays' brigade to Major General Edward Johnson's division. Hays was assigned to command his own and Stafford's former Louisiana brigade. Hayes was wounded at the

Battle of Spotsylvania The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 18 ...

on 10 May. His 1st Louisiana Brigade was commanded by Colonel William Monaghan while the 2nd Louisiana Brigade (Stafford's) was led by Colonel

Zebulon York Zebulon York (October 10, 1819 – August 5, 1900) was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was among a small group of Northern-born Confederate generals. Early life York was a native of Avon, Maine. His ...

. At dawn on 12 May, in a massive assault, the Union II Corps overran an entrenched salient called the Mule Shoe which was defended by Johnson's division. The Federal success was helped by fog and the misfiring of rifles caused by damp gunpowder. The Union attack captured 20 guns and 2,800 men, including Johnson. However, Gordon's division and other troops were able to seal off the breakthrough after heavy fighting. The 7th Louisiana only skirmished at the

Battle of 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 Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

on 2–3 June. After Cold Harbor, the regiment fought in the Valley campaigns of 1864. At the

Battle of Monocacy The Battle of Monocacy (also known as Monocacy Junction) was fought on July 9, 1864, about from Frederick, Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. Confederate States Army, Confederate forces under Lieut ...

on 9 July 1864, what remained of Hays' and Stafford's Louisiana brigades were consolidated under the leadership of Brigadier General York in Major General Gordon's division. The brigade fought in the

Third Battle of Winchester The Third Battle of Winchester, also known as the Battle of Opequon or Battle of Opequon Creek, was an American Civil War battle fought near Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864. Union Army Major General Philip Sheridan defeated Confed ...

on 19 September, the

Battle of Fisher's Hill The Battle of Fisher's Hill was fought September 21–22, 1864, near Strasburg, Virginia, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. Despite its strong defensive position, the Confederate army of Lt. Gen. Jubal ...

on 22 September, and the

Battle of Cedar Creek The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, was fought on October 19, 1864, during the American Civil War. The fighting took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Northern Virginia, near Cedar Creek, Middletown, and the Valley Pike. D ...

on 19 October. At Cedar Creek, the 5th, 6th, and 7th Louisiana Infantry were so reduced in strength that they were consolidated into a single unit. During the winter of 1864–1865, the 7th Louisiana served in the trenches in the

Siege of Petersburg 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 ...

. In the Appomattox campaign that ended in Lee's final surrender, the regiment was assigned to a brigade led by Colonel Eugene Waggaman, in a division under Brigadier General

Clement A. Evans Brigadier-General Clement Anselm Evans (February 25, 1833 – July 2, 1911) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Afterwards, he edited a 12-volume wor ...

, and in Gordon's Second Corps. At the surrender, only 42 men remained with the 7th Louisiana Infantry. Altogether, 1,077 men enlisted in the regiment of whom 190 were killed in action, 68 died of disease, 2 died in accidents, 1 was executed, and 1 was murdered. There were 53 deserters.

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Louisiana Confederate units navbox Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Louisiana 1861 establishments in Louisiana Military units and formations established in 1861 1865 disestablishments in Louisiana Military units and formations disestablished in 1865