21st Virginia Infantry

21st Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Flag of Virginia, 1861
Active	July 1861 – April 1865
Country	Confederacy
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Role	Infantry
Engagements	American Civil War:Jackson's Valley Campaign-Seven Days' Battles-Second Battle of Bull Run-Battle of Antietam-Battle of Fredericksburg-Battle of Chancellorsville-Battle of Gettysburg-Battle of Cold Harbor-Siege of Petersburg-Battle of Sayler's Creek
Disbanded	April 1865

The 21st Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia.

The 21st Virginia was organized in June and mustered into Confederate service in July, 1861, at Fredericksburg, Virginia. Most of the men were recruited in the city of Richmond and the counties of Charlotte, Mecklenburg, Cumberland, and Buckingham. Company B was known as the Maryland Guard and recruited among Southern sympathizers in the border state.

After participating in Lee's Cheat Mountain and Jackson's Valley campaigns, the unit was assigned to J.R. Jones's and W.Terry's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It took an active part in many conflicts from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor, then fought with Early in the Shenandoah Valley and the Appomattox Campaign.

This regiment reported 60 casualties at First Kernstown and in May, 1862, totaled about 600 effectives. It lost 37 killed and 85 wounded at Cedar Mountain, had 3 killed and 9 wounded at Second Manassas, and reported 4 killed and 40 wounded at Chancellorsville. Of the 236 engaged at Gettysburg about twenty percent were disabled. Only 6 officers and 50 men surrendered.

The field officers were Colonels William Gilham, John M. Patton, Jr., and William A. Witcher; Lieutenant Colonels Richard H. Cunningham, Jr., and William P. Moseley; and Majors William R. Berkeley, Alfred D. Kelly, John B. Moseley, and Scott Shipp.

References

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document "Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, National Park Service".