Albums: 53rd Virginia Infantry Regiment: JEM Genealogy

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53rd Virginia Infantry Regiment

The 53rd Infantry Regiment was organized in December, 1861, by consolidating Tomlin's and Montague's Battalions, and Waddill's Infantry Company. Many of the men were recruited in Halifax, New Kent, Charles City, and Pittsylvania counties. It was assigned to General Armistead's, Barton's, and Steuart's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. The unit was active from Seven Pines to Gettysburg, served in North Carolina, then fought at Drewry's Bluff and Cold Harbor. Later it participated in the long Petersburg siege north of the James River and the Appomattox Campaign. This regiment contained 468 effectives in June, 1862, lost 31 of the 128 engaged at Malvern Hill, and reported 11 casualties during the Maryland Campaign. Of the 435 who saw action at Gettysburg more than thirty percent were disabled, and there were 3 killed, 33 wounded, and 3 missing at Drewry's Bluff. Many were captured at Sayler's Creek, and 6 officers and 74 men surrendered on April 9, 1865. The field officers were Colonels William R. Aylett, John Grammar, Jr., Carter L. Stevenson, and Harrison B. Tomlin; Lieutenant Colonels Rawley W. Martin, Edgar B. Montague, John C. Timberlake, and George M. Waddill; and Majors Henry Edmundson and William Leigh.

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53rd Virginia Infantry Regiment History

53rd Virginia Infantry
Captured in Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1863.

Give Them Cold Steel Boys! By Don Troiani
Pickett's Charge was a bloodbath. While the Union suffered 1,500 casualties, the Confederates had over 6,000. Over 50% of the men sent across the fields were killed or wounded. Pickett's division alone, out of about 5,500 men, lost 224 killed, 1,140 wounded, and 1,499 missing/captured. Pickett's three brigade commanders and all thirteen of his regimental commanders were casualties. Kemper was wounded, Garnett killed, and Armistead mortally wounded.

Abram Fackler was at Gettysburg with Company I of the 53rd Virginia Infantry Regiment, "The Chatham Greys" of General Lou Armistead's Brigade of Pickett's Division. The sergeant of Company I was Sgt. Robert Tyler Jones, the grandson of former president James Tyler. Seventy-five yards from the stone wall at Gettysburg General Louis Armistead screamed over the sounds of battle to Colonel Rawley W. Martin and said "colonel, we can not stay here" Colonel "Billy Martin screamed back "then sir, we must go foreward. The Don Troiani painting of the battle of Gettysburg is an accurate depiction showing General Armistead leading his men to the stone wall with his hat on the tip of his sword, look close and behind him you will see the fluttering battle flags of the 53rd and 57th Virginia. For a few brief seconds in history, The "Chatham Greys" held the stone wall... and Sgt Robert Tyler Jones fell, Colonel Whitehead fell, Colonel R.W. "Billy" Martin fell with a shattered leg, General Louis Armistead was mortally wounded by the cannon.... and our boys grudgingly retreated.