Historical Notes:
The 51st Virginia Infantry Regiment was organized at Wytheville, Virginia in August of 1861. It was composed of eleven companies from southwestern Virginia. The vast majority of these men were farmers.
The 51st earned an impressive record in many battles. It led the charge at New Market, participated in Longstreet's Knoxville Campaign, and was assigned briefly to Lee's Army of Northern Virginia while fighting around Richmond and at the bloody battle of Cold Harbor. It was also a vital part of Jubal Early's Valley Campaign and his famous raid on Washington.
Officers:
First Commander: Gabriel C. Wharton (Colonel, Brigadier General)
William T. Akers (Major)
George A. Cunningham (Major, Lieutenant Colonel)
Stephen M. Dickey (Major)
Augustus Forsberg (Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel)
David P. Graham (Major)
James W. Massie (Lieutenant Colonel)
Samuel H. Reynolds (Lieutenant Colonel)
John P. Wolfe (Lieutenant Colonel)
William A. Yonce (Major)
Assignments:
Army of the Kanawha (Aug.-Dec. 1861)
Floyd's Division, Central Army of Kentucky, Dept. #2 (Jan.-Feb. 1862)
Wharton's Brigade, Floyd's Division, Central Army of Kentucky, Dept.#2 (Feb. 1862)
Wharton's Brigade, Floyd's Division, Fort Donelson, Dept. #2 Feb. 1862)
Wharton's Brigade, Army of the Kanawha (Feb.-May 1862)
Wharton's Brigade, Army of the Kanawha, Dept. of Southwestern Virginia (May-Sep. 1862)
Wharton's Brigade, Dept. of Western Virginia (Feb.-Oct 1863)
Wharton's Brigade, Ransom's Division, Dept. of Western Virginia and East Tennessee (Oct.-Nov. 1863)
Wharton's Brigade, Ransom's Division, Dept. of East Tennessee (Nov. 1863 - Mar. 1864)
Wharton's Brigade, Dept. of Western Virginia (Mar.-May 1864)
Wharton's Brigade, Breckinridge's Division, Army of Northern Virginia (May-Jun. 1864)
Wharton's-Forsberg's Brigade, Breckinridge's-Wharton's Division, Valley District, Dept. of Northern Virginia (Jun. 1864 - Mar. 1865)
Battles:
Gauley River (Sept. 10, 1861)
Carnifax Ferry (Sept. 11, 1861)
Buffalo Mountain (Dec. 13, 1861)
Fort Donelson (Feb. 12-16, 1862)
Lewisburg and Clarksville (Feb. 18, 1862)
Mercer and Princeton (May 17-18, 1862)
Lewisburg (Aug. 28, 1862)
Kanawha Campaign (Sept. 1862)
Fayetteville (Sept. 10, 1862)
Charleston (WV) (Sept. 25, 1862)
Pikeville, KY (Apr. 15, 1863)
Hanover, VA (Jul. 1, 1863)
Chattanooga Siege (Sept.-Nov. 1863)
Knoxville Siege (Nov.-Dec. 1863)
New Market (May 15, 1864)
North Anna, Hanover Junction (May 22-26, 1864)
Totopotomoy Creek (May 30, 1864)
Cold Harbor (Jun. 1-3, 1864)
Lynchburg Campaign (Jun. 1864)
Frederick, MD (Jul. 7-8, 1864)
Monocacy (Jul. 9, 1864)
Fort Stevens (Washington, D.C.) (Jul. 11, 1864)
Rockville, MD (Jul. 13, 1864)
Kernstown (Jul. 24, 1864)
Winchester (Aug. 17, 1864)
3rd Winchester (Sept. 19, 1864)
Fisher's Hill (Sept. 22, 1864)
Harrisonburg (Sept. 23,1864)
Brown's Gap (Sept. 26, 1864)
Cedar Creek (Oct. 19, 1864)
Leetown, WV (Dec. 1, 1864)
Fisherville (Jan. 7, 1865)
Waynesboro (Mar. 2, 1865)
Ivory Creek (Mar. 3, 1865)
Charlottesville (Mar. 6, 1865)
Fort Stedman (detachment) (Mar. 25, 1865)
Union Furnace (detachment) (Mar. 27, 1865)
Rosters:
The roster of this unit contains the names of 2497 men.
Company A (Capt. Stephen M. Dickey's Company) - Grayson County
Company B (Nelson Rifles) - Nelson County
Company C
Company D ( Capt. Ezekiel Youngs Company) - Grayson County
Company E (Wythe Rifles) - Wythe County and Nelson County
Company F
Company G
Company H
Company I (Capt. John P. Wolfe's Company) - Washington County
Company K (Bland Tigers) - Bland County; however, on page 287, FHL book 975.5 M2vr v. 29 titled A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations 1861-1865 states that the company from Bland County in this regiment was Company F (Bland Tigers)
Company L (Tazewell County Company) - An eleven-piece band
Historical Notes: