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The following Confederate States Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5–7, 1864) of the American Civil War. The Union order of battle is listed separately. Order of battle compiled from the army organization May 5–6, 1864, the army organization at beginning of the Campaign, the army organization during the Campaign and the reports.

Abbreviations used

Military rank

• Gen = General
• LTG = Lieutenant General
• MG = Major General
• BG = Brigadier General
• Col = Colonel
• Ltc = Lieutenant Colonel
• Maj = Major
• Cpt = Captain

Other

• (w) = wounded
• (mw) = mortally wounded
• (k) = killed in action
• (c) = captured

Army of Northern Virginia

Gen Robert E. Lee

General Staff:

• Chief Engineer: MG Martin L. Smith
• Chief of Artillery: BG William N. Pendleton
• Assistant Adjutant General: Ltc Walter H. Taylor
• Aide de Camp: Ltc Charles Marshall
• Aide de Camp: Maj Charles S. Venable

First Corps

LTG James Longstreet (w)
MG Charles W. Field
MG Richard H. Anderson

Second Corps

LTG Richard S. Ewell

General Staff:

• Assistant Adjutant General: Ltc Alexander S. Pendleton
• Assistant Adjutant General: Maj Campbell Brown
• Assistant Inspector General: Col Abner Smead
• Engineer: Maj Benjamin H. Greene
• Aide de Camp: Lt Thomas T. Turner
• Chief of Ordnance: Ltc William Allan
• Medical Director: Dr. Hunter H. McGuire
• Quartermasters: Maj John D. Rogers and Maj A. M. Garber
• Commissaries and subsistence: Maj Wells J. Hawks and Cpt J. J. Lock

Third Corps

LTG Ambrose P. Hill

Cavalry Corps

MG J.E.B. Stuart

Strengths

The following table shows total strengths of each of the major formations at the start of the battle.

First Corps

Second Corps

Third Corps

Cavalry Corps

Total Army of Northern Virginia

Notes

1. Multiple commander names indicate command succession of command during the battle or the campaign.
2. Gordon C. Rhea, The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, The Order of Battle
3. Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 1, pages 1021–1027
4. F. Ray Sibley, Jr., The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1, The Army of Northern Virginia, pages 66-76
5. Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 1, pages 1162–1168
6. Pickett's Division (Kemper's, Hunton's, Barton's and Corse's Brigades) was detached in the Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia (see: Gordon C. Rhea, The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, pages 341-342; Gordon C. Rhea, To the North Anna River: Grant and Lee, May 13–25, 1864, The Order of Battle; F. Ray Sibley, Jr., The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1, The Army of Northern Virginia, page 284/Note 54)
7. ^ Assigned to command of the First Corps on May 7, 1864 (see: Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 2, page 967)
8. Brigadier General Kershaw was not assigned to permanent command of McLaws' old Division until June 4, 1864 (see: Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 3, page 873). Kershaw was promoted to Major General on June 1, 1864 with date of rank from May 18, 1864 (see: John H. Eicher and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands, page 331).
9. Brigadier General Evander M. Law was under arrest and absent from the battle.(see Charles E. Boyd, The Devil's Den: A History of the 44th Alabama Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Confederate States Army, 1862-1865, page 99.)
10. Gregg's was wounded on May 6, 1864 but did not leave the field (see: John H. Eicher and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands, page 267)
11. Until the army went into the Richmond-Petersburg lines, Lamkin's Battery served as Sharpshooters (see: F. Ray Sibley, Jr., The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1, The Army of Northern Virginia, page 285/Note 84; Pendleton's report)
12. For composition of Ewell's staff see: Ewell's report
13. Hoke's Brigade (6th, 21st, 54th and 57th North Carolina Regiments and the 1st Battalion North Carolina Sharpshooters) detached in the Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia (see: Ewell's report; Official Records, Series I, Volume LI, Part 2, page 885)
14. The 43rd North Carolina was detached with Hoke's Brigade in the Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia (see: F. Ray Sibley, Jr., The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1, The Army of Northern Virginia, page 288/Note 156; Sketch of the 43rd Regiment, North Carolina troops, pages 11-15; Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXIII, pages 1202 and 1321; Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 3, pages 80 and 175; Official Records, Series I, Volume LI, Part 2, page 885). Gordon C. Rhea in The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, The Order of Battle and the Official Records lists the 43rd North Carolina in Daniel's Brigade.
15. The 21st Georgia was detached with Hoke's Brigade (see: Ewell's report; Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXIII, pages 1202 and 1321; Official Records, Series I, Volume LI, Part 2, page 885)
16. The 61st Alabama was assigned on February 12, 1864 in place of the 26th Alabama (see: Battle's report; Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXIII, pages 1176). The 26th Alabama was reported on May 12, 1864 at Macon, Georgia (see: Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVIII, Part 4, page 704). Gordon C. Rhea in The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, The Order of Battle and the Official Records lists the 26th Alabama instead of the 61st Alabama in Battle's Brigade.
17. Johnston's Brigade arrived on May 6, 1864 from Hanover Junction (see: Ewell's report; Gordon C. Rhea, The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, page 410)
18. Gordon C. Rhea in The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, The Order of Battle lists this Brigade in Early's Division, but the Brigade was not transferred to Early's Division until May 8, 1864 (see: Ewell's report; Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 2, page 974; Official Records, Series I, Volume LI, Part 2, pages 902-903)
19. The Artillery of the Second Corps was organized into two Divisions on April 7, 1864 (see: Pendleton's and Long's report; Jennings C. Wise, The Long Arm of Lee, Volumen 2: Chancellorsville to Appomattox, pages 738-739; Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXIII, page 1267)
20. The 10th Georgia Battalion was assigned to Wright's Brigade before the Battle of the Wilderness (see: Alfred C. Young III, Lee's Army during the Overland Campaign: A Numerical Study, pages 162-163 and 306)
21. ^ For Lang in command see: F. Ray Sibley, Jr., The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1, The Army of Northern Virginia, page 72
22. Brigadier General Joseph R. Davis was absent sick (see: 2nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment, Chapter 6; Gordon C. Rhea, The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, page 193)
23. ^ The 1st Confederate Battalion and the 26th Mississippi joined Davis' Brigade before the Battle of the Wilderness (see: Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXII, part 3, pages 672, 674 and 676; Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXIII, page 954; F. Ray Sibley, Jr., The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1, The Army of Northern Virginia, page 291/Note 230; 2nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment, Chapter 5, Note 113). Gordon C. Rhea in The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, The Order of Battle and the Official Records lists none of the two commands.
24. Archer's and Walker's Brigade were consolidated under Brigadier General Walker (see: Gordon C. Rhea, The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, The Order of Battle; F. Ray Sibley, Jr., The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1, The Army of Northern Virginia, page 292/Note 250)
25. Gordon C. Rhea in The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, The Order of Battle and the Official Records lists Butler's Brigade (4th, 5th and 6th South Carolina Cavalry) in Hampton's Division, but the first elements from Butler's Brigade arrived not before May 20, 1864 (see: Gordon C. Rhea, To the North Anna River: Grant and Lee, May 13–25, 1864, page 197 and The Order of Battle; Gordon C. Rhea, Cold Harbor: Grant and Lee, May 26-June 3, 1864, pages 16, 66, 67 and 111; F. Ray Sibley, Jr., The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1, The Army of Northern Virginia, page 295/Note 251).
26. Gordon C. Rhea in The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, The Order of Battle, F. Ray Sibley, Jr. in The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1, The Army of Northern Virginia, page 75 and the Official Records lists the 7th Georgia Cavalry in Young's Brigade, but the 7th Georgia Cavalry was not assigned until June 7, 1864 (see: Eric J. Wittenberg, Glory Enough For All, page 14)
27. Gordon C. Rhea in The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864, The Order of Battle, F. Ray Sibley, Jr. in The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1, The Army of Northern Virginia, page 75 and the Official Records lists the 20th Georgia Cavalry Battalion in Young's Brigade, but the 20th Georgia Cavalry Battalion was not ordered to join the Army of Northern Virginia until May 25, 1864 (see: Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 3, pages 831-832). The 20th Georgia Cavalry Battalion arrived on May 28, 1864 (see: Gordon C. Rhea, Cold Harbor: Grant and Lee, May 26-June 3, 1864, page 67) and was assigned to Young's Brigade on June 7, 1864 (see: Eric J. Wittenberg, Glory Enough For All, page 14).
28. Brigadier General Young was not present, Colonel Wright (Cobb's Legion) was in command (see: Eric J. Wittenberg, Glory Enough For All, page 14; Official Records, Series I, Volume XXXVI, Part 2, page 961)
29. Brigadier General Williams C. Wickham was in Richmond, Virginia on May 4, 1864, and was not back in command of his brigade until May 9, 1864 (see: F. Ray Sibley, Jr., The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1, The Army of Northern Virginia, page 296/Note 358)
30. Alfred C. Young III, Lee's Army during the Overland Campaign: A Numerical Study, pages 232 and 244-246

See also

• Spotsylvania Court House Confederate order of battle
• Cold Harbor Confederate order of battle

References

• Boyd, Charles E. The Devil's Den: A History of the 44th Alabama Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Confederate States Army, 1862-1865. Birmingham, AL: Banner Press, 1987. OCLC 1002154102.
• Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J. Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
• Rhea, Gordon C. The Battle of the Wilderness May 5–6, 1864. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1994. ISBN 0-8071-3021-4
• Rhea, Gordon C. To the North Anna River: Grant and Lee, May 13–25, 1864. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2000. ISBN 0-8071-3111-3
• Rhea, Gordon C. Cold Harbor: Grant and Lee, May 26-June 3, 1864. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2002 ISBN 978-0-8071-3244-9
• Sibley, Jr., F. Ray, The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1, The Army of Northern Virginia, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, 1996. ISBN 0-942597-73-7
• U.S. War Department, The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880–1901.
• Wise, Jennings C., The Long Arm of Lee, Volumen 2: Chancellorsville to Appomattox, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London, 1991 ISBN 0-8032-9734-3
• Wittenberg, Eric J. Glory Enough For All: Sheridan's Second Raid and the Battle of Trevilian Station. Washington, DC: Brassey's, Inc, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8032-5967-6
• Young, Alfred C., III. Lee's Army during the Overland Campaign: A Numerical Study. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2013. ISBN 978-0-8071-5172-3.

• American Civil War orders of battle