Historical Notes:
Hampton Legion was organized by Wade Hampton during the spring of 1861. It contained a cavalry and infantry battalion, but they did not serve together. The cavalry battalion fought in the Seven Days' Battles and in the summer of 1862 merged into the 2nd South Carolina Cavalry Regiment. The infantry battalion was active at First Manassas and later was assigned to Wade Hampton's, Hood's, and Jenkins' Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It was involved in various conflicts from Seven Pines to Sharpsburg, moved to North Carolina, then served with Longstreet at Chickamauga and Knoxville. Crute states that in May, 1864, the unit was reorganized, mounted, and united with the 2nd South Carolina Cavalry Regiment, but that is not correct. The unit was designated Fitzhugh Lee's Cavalry Battalion and continued the remainder of the war in Virginia. It harassed Federal supply depots throughout northern Virginia, and fought in several actions during the lengthy Siege of Petersburg.
What was left of the Hampton Legion infantry surrendered with General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House in early April 1865.
Officers:
(COMMANDING OFFICERS)
LT. GENERAL WADE HAMPTON (Legion)
Wounded First Manassas
Promoted Brigadier General (5/23/62)
Wounded Gettysburg
Promoted Major General (8/3/63)
Promoted Lt. General (2/15/65)
MAJOR GENERAL MATTHEW BUTLER (Mounted)
Promoted Colonel, Second S.C. Cavalry (8/62)
Lost Right Foot (6/63)
Promoted Brigadier General (9/1/63)
Promoted Major General (9/19/64)
BRIGADIER GENERAL MARTIN W. GARY (Infantry)
Promoted Brigadier General (5/19/64)
BRIGADIER GENERAL THOMAS M. LOGAN (Infantry)
Wounded during the Seven Days Battles
Promoted to Brigadier General (2/65)
LT. COLONELS
BENJAMIN I. (J.) JOHNSON
(Killed in Action 6/12/61)
First Manassas
JAMESB. GRIFFIN
Lt. Colonel (6/21/61)
Injured by Lightning (10/61)
Dropped at Reorganization
BRIGADIER GENERAL MARTIN GARY
ROBERT B. ARNOLD
Lt. Col. (5/19/64)
Surrendered the unit at Appomattox.
MAJORS
LT. GENERAL STEPHEN DILL LEE (Artillery)
Promoted to Brigadier General (11/06/62)
Promoted to Major General (8/3/63)
Promoted to Lt. General (6/23/64)
MAJOR GENERAL MATTHEW C. BUTLER (Mounted)
BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES CONNER (Infantry)
Promoted to Colonel, 22nd N.C. following Seven Pines
Wounded in leg, Seven Days Battle
Promoted to Brigadier General (6/1/64)
Wounded in leg, Cedar Creek
BRIGADIER GENERAL MARTIN W. GARY (Infantry)
JAMES B. GRIFFIN
J. HARVEY (HERVEY) DINGLE, JR.
Killed in Action at Sharpsburg, with the Legion flag in his hand.
ROBERT B. ARNOLD
BENJAMIN E. NICHOLSON
Wounded at First Manassas and Darbytown Road
Paroled at Augusta, Ga.
Staff:
T.G. Barker (Adj.)
T.C. Beggs (Capt. Commissary.)
J.S. Buist (Capt. Asst. Surgeon.)
J.T. Darby (Major/Surgeon.)
C.L. Goodwyn (AQM)
W.P. Green (Asst. Surgeon.)
S.L. Hammond (Lt.)
Richard Johnson (Capt.)
W.B. Johnson (Chaplain)
B.W. Taylor (Capt. Asst. Surgeon.)
W. Taylor (Asst. Surgeon.) Assignments:
W. Hampton's, Hood's, and Jenkins' Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. Battles:
1st Manassas (21 JUL 1861)
Yorktown Siege (APR - MAY 1862
Eltham's Landing (7 MAY 1862)
Seven Pines (31 MAY - 1 JUN 1862)
Seven Days Battles VA (25 JUN - 1 JUL 1862)
Gaines Mill VA (27 JUN 1862)
2nd Manassas VA (28 - 30 AUG 1862)
South Mountain VA (14 SEP 1862)
Sharpsburg VA (17 SEP 1862)
Fredericksburg VA (13 DEC 1862)
Wauhatchie (28 - 29 OCT) 1863
Knoxville Siege GA (NOV - DEC 1863)
Petersburg Siege VA (JUN 1864 - APR 1865)
New Market Heights (29 SEP 1864)
Ropers' Farm (30 SEP 1864)
Sayler's Creek (6 APR 1865)
Appomattox Court House VA (9 APR 1865) Roster:
The roster of this unit contains the names of 196 men.
Company A - James Connor (Capt./Major) Charleston Washington Light Infantry Company B - M.W. Gary (Capt./Col.) Edgefield Watson Guards
Company C - Wm.T Lesesne (Capt.) Clarendon Manning Guards
Company D - * W.H. Austin (Capt.) Anderson Gist Rifles
Company E - T.S. Adams (Capt.) Greenville Bozeman Guards
Company F - J.S. Austin (Capt.) Anderson/Greenville Davis Guards
Company G - E.S. Carson (Capt.) Sumter Clarmont Rifles
Company H - L.C. Mccord (Capt.) Statewide/Orangeburg S.C. Zouves
Company I - D.L. Hall (Capt.) From The Old Fourth After Sharpsburg
Company K - J.H. Bowen (Capt.) From The Old Fourth After Sharpsburg
*Well's biography of Hampton lists McFie as having an original company of the Hampton Legion Mounted Unit, as well as Meighan. This unit is seen designated both B and D.
Bibliography for Research: U. S. Government Printing Office.Official Records of the American Civil War Davenport, IA. Eastern Digital Resources.
DVD - $35.00 COMBO - $50.00 SAVE $30 when you purchase The Civil War in South Carolina bundle which includes The South Carolina Civil War Soldiers Index - a $15 value and Confederate Military History - South Carolina Volume - a $15 value and A Guide to South Carolina Civil War Research.
SAVE $35 when you purchase All the Battles, Dyers Compendium, and Foxs Regimental Losses together. This bundle also includes the 1800 Days Index to All the Battles - a $15 value.
Historical Notes:
