Confederate Army of the Shenandoah

The Army of the Shenandoah was an army of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Major General Kenton Harper of the Virginia Militia organized about two thousand volunteers at Harpers Ferry by April 21, 1861. Brig. General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson of the Virginia Militia took control of the militia elements on April 28. On May 24, leadership then passed to Gen. Joseph E. Johnston as the Virginia Militia came under the control of the Confederate States Army. Numbers had reached 10,654 men by the end of June. By then the army consisted of four brigades and cavalry.

Gen P.G.T. Beauregard, commanding the Confederate Army of the Potomac at Manassas, Virginia, requested assistance from Richmond, Virginia (the Confederate capital) to deal with a large advancing Union army, the first invasion of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Union General Robert Patterson had been ordered to prevent Johnston's assistance of Beauregard. He fought several small skirmishes and battles with the Army of the Shenandoah including a fight with Jackson's brigade at the Skirmish of Falling Waters. Beginning July 18, Johnston successfully avoided interference from Patterson and moved his troops by railroad to Manassas. The troops arrived in time to support Beauregard in the First Battle of Manassas on July 21. Manassas was the only major action of the Army of the Shenandoah. Soon after the battle, the army was joined with Beauregard's Army of the Potomac under the command of Johnston. Later the combined Army of the Potomac was renamed the Army of Northern Virginia, which was led by Johnston until his wounding at the Battle of Seven Pines after which Robert E. Lee took command.

Order of Battle at Manassas

Army of the Shenandoah: General Joseph E. Johnston

• First Brigade: Brigadier General Thomas J. Jackson (W)
  • 2nd Virginia Infantry - Colonel J.W. Allen
  • 4th Virginia Infantry - Colonel J.F. Preston
  • 5th Virginia Infantry - Colonel K. Harper
  • 27th Virginia Infantry - Lieutenant Colonel J. Echols
  • 33rd Virginia Infantry (8 Cos.) - Colonel A.C. Cummings
  • Rockbridge Artillery - Captain J. P. Brockenbrough
• Second Brigade: Colonel Francis Bartow (K)
  • 7th Georgia - Colonel L.J. Gartrell (W)
  • 8th Georgia - Lieutenant Colonel W.M. Gardner (W)
  • 1st Kentucky Battalion, Maj Thomas Claiborne
  • Pope's Kentucky Battalion, Major Jon Pope
  • Wise Artillery - Lieutenant John Pelham
• Third Brigade: Brigadier General Barnard E. Bee (K)
  • 4th Alabama - Colonel E. Jones (K), Colonel States Rights Gist
  • 2nd Mississippi - Colonel W.C. Falkner
  • 11th Mississippi - (Cos. A&F) - Lieutenant Colonel P.F. Liddell
  • 6th North Carolina - Colonel C.F. Fisher (K)
  • Staunton Artillery - Captain John D. Imboden
• Fourth Brigade: Brigadier General Edmund Kirby Smith (W), Colonel Arnold Elzey
  • 1st Maryland Battalion - Lieutenant Colonel George H. Steuart
  • 3rd Tennessee - Colonel J.C. Vaughn
  • 10th Virginia - Colonel S.B. Gibbons
  • Culpeper Artillery - Lieutenant R. F. Beckham
• Not Brigaded:
  • 1st Virginia Cavalry - Colonel J.E.B. Stuart
  • Thomas Artillery - Captain P.B. Stanard

References

• CivilWarHome.com - Army of the Shenandoah
• Manassas Battlefield History
• NPS - Army of the Shenandoah Order of Battle Source text for Order of Battle in this article (text is public domain since NPS is US federal government)