32nd Virginia Infantry

On July 1st, 1861 the 32nd Virginia was accepted into Confederate service. It had been formed for local defense at Hampton, Va by B. S. Ewell from several local militia units. They served in the defense of the Peninsula through to the Spring of 1862, when they were engaged in response to the Federal Peninsula Campaign.

On May 22nd Captain Willis of the Wythe Rifles (Co. A) was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Benjamin S Ewell, having never actually lead the regiment in battle left to join Johnston's staff and Edward Edgar Burwell Montague was elected Colonel.

Willis led the Regiment at Seven Pines and in the Seven days, while Colonel Montague was ill with typhoid. At that time the Regiment was re-assigned to Semmes' Brigade. Colonel Montague returned to Command in July.

The 32nd were position at Brownsville just behind Cramptons Gap on the 14th but were not engaged. They marched all night and arrived on the battlefield at Sharpsburg on the morning of the 17th. They were rushed to the left of the Confederate line about 9am as reinforcements as the remnants of Hood's Division fell back after their assault. The 32nd, with the rest of the Brigade, attacked north along the Hagerstown Pike from near the Dunker Church, and were successful in pushing the Federal infantry back to Poffenberger's Farm and their artillery, but suffered high casualties in doing so. After withdrawing to the West Woods for ammunition and rest, the Regiment was posted behind the Sunken Road near the Confederate Center for the afternoon, under long-range artillery fire, but not dirctly engaged.

Initial Strength: 158; Killed in Action (KIA): 15; Wounded (WIA): 57; Captured (POW): 8;
Losses, % of Initial Strength: 50.6%

Detail Map #4: Greene's High-Water Mark in the West Woods (9am-noon)
Detail Map #5: Sedgwick is Flanked in the West Woods (9-10am)

Tablet #357: McLaws' Division, Longstreet's Command - 16 Sep, 11 AM to 18 Sep, 9 PM
Tablet #359: Semmes' Brigade, McLaws' Division - 17 Sep, 6 AM to 18 Sep, 9 PM

The Regiment then served at Fredericksburg (thru Feb 1863), and was assigned as Provost Guard at Petersburg, through October 1863. They saw action on the Chickahominy (May 1864), at Cold Harbor (June), on the Petersburg Campaign (to April 1865), at Sailor's Creek, and finally Appomattox.

See a [formerly] really nice unit history [now mostly broken] at the 32nd Virginia reenactors site, a source for much of the information on this page.