19th Virginia Infantry Regiment, organized at Culpeper Court House, Virginia, in May, 1861, and consisted to ten companies by the end of the month. Companies A-F and K were raised in Charlottesville, Companies H and I were raised in Amherst County, and Company G was raised in Nelson County. It fought at First Manassas in Fifth Brigade under Colonel Philip St. George Cocke, then was assigned to General Pickett's Brigade in January, 1862. The 19th Virginia participated in the Siege of Yorktown in April, 1862. At Williamsburg, the 19th Virginia overran a battery of Federal artillery and later experienced significant casualties at Seven Pines on June 1, 1862. The 19th Virginia also took part in the Seven Days’ Battles, breaking through the Federal lines at Gaines’ Mill and standing off attacks at Frazier’s Farm. They continued service at Second Manassas and the Maryland, where they lost over half of its strength at South Mountain and Sharpsburg. The regiment, now assigned to General Richard B. Garnett’s Brigade, were present at Fredericksburg, but did not take part in the fighting. The brigade later was sent to North Carolina in March, 1863, and laid siege to the Washington, but were withdrawn to fight with Longstreet at Suffolk in May of that year. Returning to the Army of Northern Virginia in June, the 19th Virginia marched north and at Gettysburg, formed the center of General Garnett’s brigade at Pickett’s Charge on July 3, 1863. Of the 417 officers and men present, 158 were killed, wounded, or captured in 30 minutes of fighting, with most of the senior command staff killed or wounded, and the regimental colors captured at the stonewall. After Gettysburg, the 19th Virginia was assigned to the Department of Richmond and remained there till May, 1864. They participated in the Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid in March, 1864, then was assigned back to the Army of Northern Virginia in late May, 1864. The regiment then was reserves at the Battles of North Anna and involved in the Battle of Cold Harbor. They later took part in the defense of Petersburg and remained in the trenches till the breakthrough in April, 1865. The 19th Virginia took part in the fighting at Hatcher’s Run on March 31, 1865, and missed the Battle of Five Forks the next day. Because of this, the 19th Virginia was not destroyed like the other regiments of Pickett’s Division at Five Forks. The regiment evacuated Petersburg and participated in the Appomattox Campaign, where the entire regiment was captured at Sailor’s Creek on April 6, 1865. What remained continued the retreat and at the surrender of Appomattox Court House, only one officer and 29 men were present to surrender, mostly those detached during the Battle of Sailor’s Creek or those returning to take paroles after deserting on the march to Appomattox. These 30 men were all that remained of the regiment that once numbered over 800 men in the summer of 1861.
Companies of the 19th Virginia Infantry and their Formation. Company A - The Monticello Guard (from Albemarle County). Enlisted April 16, 1861, at Charlottesville, Virginia. Mustered into state service on May 12, 1861, at Camp Henry, Culpeper Court House, Virginia. Company B - The Albemarle Rifles (from Albemarle County). Enlisted on April 17, 1861, at Camp Henry, Charlottesville, Virginia. Mustered into state service on May 12, 1861, at Culpeper Court House, Virginia. Company C - The Scottsville Guard (from Albemarle County). Enlisted on April 17, 1861, at Scottsville, Virginia. Mustered into state service on May 11, 1861, at Camp Jefferson, Charlottesville, Virginia. Company D - The Howardsville Grays (from Albemarle County). Enlisted on April 19, 1861, at Howardsville, Virginia. Mustered into state service on May 11, 1861, at Camp Jefferson, Charlottesville, Virginia. Company E - The Piedmont Guards (from Albemarle County). Enlisted on May 10, 1861, at Stony Point, Virginia. Mustered into state service on May 12, 1861, at Camp Henry, Culpeper Court House, Virginia. Company F - The Montgomery Guard (from Albemarle County). Enlisted on May 25, 1861, at Charlottesville, Virginia. Mustered into state service on May 25, 1861, at Camp Jefferson, Charlottesville, Virginia. Company G - The Nelson Grays (from Nelson County). Enlisted on May 1, 1861, at Massie's Mill, Virginia. Mustered into state service on May 20, 1861, at Camp Jefferson, Charlottesville, Virginia. Company H - The Southern Rights Guard (from Amherst County). Enlisted on April 15, 1861, at Amherst Court House, Virginia. Mustered into state service on May 24, 1861, at Camp Jefferson, Charlottesville, Virginia. Company I - The Amherst Rifle-Grays (from Amherst County). Enlisted on April 29, 1861, at Buffalo Springs, Virginia. Mustered into state service on May 29, 1861, at Camp Jefferson, Charlottesville, Virginia. Company K - The Blue Ridge Rifles (from Albemarle County). Enlisted on May 20, 1861, at Hillsboro (present day Yancey Mills), Virginia. Mustered into state service on May 20, 1861, at Camp Jefferson, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Battle Flag of the 19th Virginia Infantry, captured at the stonewall during Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg, July 3, 1863. Now on display at the Museum of the Confederacy at Richmond, Virginia
Battles of the 19th Virginia Infantry Regiment Battle of First Manassas, July 21, 1861. Lieutenant Colonel John B. Strange, commanding. Siege of Yorktown, April 13-May 3, 1862 (engaged in skirmish on April 26). Colonel Armistead T. M. Rust, commanding. Battle of Williamsburg, May 5, 1862. Colonel John B. Strange, commanding. Battle of Seven Pines, June 1, 1862. Colonel John B. Strange, commanding. Battle of Gaines' Mill, June 27, 1862. Colonel John B. Strange, commanding. Battle of Frazier's Farm, June 30, 1862. Colonel John B. Strange, commanding. Battle of Second Manassas, August 30, 1862. Colonel John B. Strange, commanding. Battle of South Mountain, September 14, 1862. Colonel John B. Strange (killed), Captain John L. Cochran. Battle of Sharpsburg, September 17, 1862. 3rd Lieutenant William N. Wood, commanding. Battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862 (Present but not engaged). Lieutenant Colonel John T. Ellis, commanding. Siege of Washington, N.C., March 30-April 20, 1863. Lieutenant Colonel John T. Ellis, commanding. Siege of Suffolk, April 27-May 3, 1863. Colonel Henry Gantt, commanding. Battle of Gettysburg, July 3, 1863. Colonel Henry Gantt (wounded), Lieutenant Colonel John T. Ellis (killed), Major Charles S. Peyton (assumed command of brigade), Captain George W. Henley. Kilpatrick Raid on Richmond (Reserves), March 2-3, 1864. Captain James G. Woodson, commanding. Battle of Brook's Church, May 12, 1864. Captain James G. Woodson, commanding. Battle of North Anna, May 22-26, 1864 (Reserves). Captain James G. Woodson, commanding. Battle of Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864. Captain James G. Woodson (killed), Captain Waller M. Boyd. Battle of Petersburg, June 14-20, 1864. Captain Waller M. Boyd. Siege of Petersburg, June 18, 1864-April 2, 1865. Colonel Henry Gantt (in and out of furlough), Captain Waller M. Boyd. Battle of Gordonsville, December 24, 1864. Major Waller M. Boyd, commanding. Battle of Hatcher's Run, March 31, 1865. Major Waller M. Boyd, commanding. Fall of Petersburg, April 2, 1865. Major Waller M. Boyd, commanding. Battle of Sailor's Creek, April 6, 1865. Major Waller M. Boyd, commanding (regiment captured en masse). Appomattox Surrender, April 9, 1865. 1st Lieutenant John Y. Bragg, only commissioned officer.
Assignments Fifth Brigade, Army of the Potomac, June-October, 1861. Cocke's Brigade, Longstreet's Division, October-December, 1861. Pickett's Brigade, Longstreet's Division, Army of Northern Virginia, January-May, 1862. Pickett's Brigade, Longstreet's Division, Right Wing, Army of Northern Virginia, June-July, 1862. Pickett's Brigade (under Colonel Hunton), Kemper's Division, Right Wing, Army of Northern Virginia, July-August, 1862. Garnett's Brigade, Jones' Division, Right Wing, Army of Northern Virginia, September, 1862. Garnett's Brigade, Pickett's Division, I Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, October, 1862-July, 1863. Hunton's Brigade, Pickett's Division, I Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, August-September, 1863. Hunton's Brigade, Department of Richmond, September, 1863-May, 1864. Hunton's Brigade, Pickett's Division, I Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, June, 1864-April, 1865.