The following Confederate Army units and commanders were the initial structure on April 30, 1862 of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It contains units throughout Virginia that influenced the campaign. The Union order of battle is listed separately.
Contents
Military rank
Army of Northern Virginia
The following organization of the Army of Northern Virginia on the Peninsula was established on April 30. Prior to this organization, Confederate forces were organized ad hoc, as they arrived in theater. The divisions were grouped by their place in the Warwick Line.
Gen Joseph E. Johnston, Commanding
Maj Thomas G. Rhett, Adjutant and Chief of Staff
Staff:
Right of Position (Army of the Peninsula)
Even after its absorption into the Army of Northern Virginia, Magruder continued to style his command the "Army of the Peninsula." It was assigned responsibility for the section of the line from the James River to Dam No. 1.
MG John B. Magruder, Commanding
Cpt Henry Bryan, Adjutant
Both brigades of Toombs' Division and Griffith's Brigade and Kershaw's Brigade from McLaws' Division were old Army of the Potomac units that had been transferred to reinforce the Warwick Line. Magruder had organized his army only in two very large divisions under McLaws and Rains, and several additional regional commands. Upon the arrival of Johnston, he reorganized the divisions into four brigades, two of which, Cobb's and McLaws', remained under his direct command. The reserve brigade and forces at Williamsburg are both also from the old Army of the Peninsula. The 17th Mississippi was stationed at Leesburg and the 24th Georgia in Goldsboro, until they became early reinforcements for Magruder.
Center of Position
The center was the area between Dam No. 1 and Redoubts 4 and 5 outside Yorktown
MG James Longstreet, Commanding
Cpt Moxley Sorrel, Adjutant
Colston's Brigade was the First Brigade of the Department of Norfolk, then briefly served as part of the Army of the Peninsula, before being transferred to Longstreet's command at the end of April. Pryor's Brigade was a new organization, made up of troops from the old Army of the Peninsula plus the 14th Alabama, detached from the Department of Aquia in the winter to recover from disease in Richmond. The other brigades are from the old Army of the Potomac.
Left of Position
The responsibility of the left was at Yorktown, extending to Redoubts 4 and 5. Rains' Brigade was stationed within Yorktown itself, giving him direct command over the defensive batteries present there.
MG Daniel Harvey Hill, Commanding
Cpt James W. Ratchford, Adjutant
Rains' Brigade, the reserve detachment for Early's Division, and the units at Glouscester Point were all part of the old Army of the Peninsula. Early's, Rodes', and Featherston's Brigades were from the old Army of the Potomac.
Reserve
The reserve consisted of troops from the District of Aquia, which Smith had assumed command of from Theophilus Holmes on March 23. Smith left a single brigade under Charles W. Field in the District and brought the rest to the Peninsula.
MG Gustavus W. Smith, Commanding
Cpt John W. Riely, Adjutant
Other Troops in the Department of Northern Virginia
These troops helped shape the theater for the Peninsula Campaign.
Huger's Division (Department of Norfolk)
The bulk of troops from the Department of Norfolk were formally folded into the Department of Northern Virginia at the beginning of April, but Huger continued to refer to his command by its former name.
BG Benjamin Huger, Commanding
Huger had not completed brigading his regiments at the beginning of the campaign. Additionally, significant portions of what would become Armistead's Brigade and Blanchard's Brigade were out of theater in Richmond or North Carolina. The 12th North Carolina would be detached to join a brigade fresh from North Carolina under Lawrence O'Bryan Branch for an aborted attempt to reinforce Jackson in the Valley. They would instead be moved to outside Richmond where they would take part in the Battle of Hanover Court-House.
Aquia District
MG Gustavus W. Smith, Commanding
(absent with the Army of Northern Virginia)
Troops Around Gordonsville
Johnston had detached Ewell to maintain communication with Jackson. Ewell nominally reported to D.H. Hill, but was actually operating semi-independently. On May 17, Johnston would transfer the division to the Valley District under Jackson.
MG Richard S. Ewell
District of the Valley
MG Stonewall Jackson, Commanding
Maj Robert L. Dabney, Adjutant
Staff: