HISTORICAL NOTES:

This unit was organized at Portland, Cameron, Grafton, Wheeling, Morgantown and Greenland, W. Va., July 16 to December 3, 1861. For much of the war, it was a part of the famed "Gibraltar Brigade" in the Army of the Potomac. It was famed primarily for two major actions, a determined charge on the Sunken Road at Antietam and a late evening counterattack on East Cemetery Hill at Gettysburg that helped push back an attack by the Louisiana Tigers.

. It was initially attached to the Railroad District of West Virginia, and provided guard duty for the railroads against Confederate raiders.

The 7th fought in the 1862 Valley Campaign in Nathaniel Banks' V Corps, seeing action in a number of small engagements before fighting in the Battle of Port Republic in late May. It was assigned to the II Corps and would remain in that organization for the rest of the war. A part of Nathan Kimball's brigade during the September 1862 Maryland Campaign, the 7th Virginia took part in the attack on the Sunken Road ("Bloody Lane") at Antietam. Following the battle, the regiment helped garrison Harper's Ferry until the end of October, when it marched through the Loudoun Valley to Falmouth, Virginia. The 7th next saw action at the Battle of Fredericksburg in the II Corps assault, and participated in the ill-fated Mud March.

In late April and early May 1863, the 7th West Virginia participated in the Chancellorsville Campaign. In June, the regiment marched northward into Pennsylvania during the Gettysburg Campaign and took a defensive position on Cemetery Ridge on July 2. In the evening, along with the 4th Ohio and 14th Indiana, it was sent to help stop the attack of Jubal Early on Cemetery Hill. In the autumn of that same year, the 7th participated in the Mine Run and Bristoe campaigns.[1]

In February 1864, the 7th was engaged in fighting at Morton's Ford, and then took part in the Overland Campaign, including the Battle of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania, where it was involved in the attack on the Salient or "Bloody Angle." For the bulk of the year, the regiment was active during the Siege of Petersburg.

In early 1865, the 7th fought at the Battle of Hatcher's Run and then the fall of Petersburg. It subsequently marched in pursuit of the retreating Army of Northern Virginia during the Appomattox Campaign. The regiment marched in the Grand Review in Washington, D.C. on May 23 before being transported to Louisville, Kentucky.

The Regiment lost during service 9 Officers and 133 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 154 Enlisted men by disease. Total 300.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Attached to Railroad District, West Virginia, to January, 1862. 1st Brigade, Landers' Division, Army Potomac, to March, 1862. 1st Brigade, Shields' 2nd Division, Banks' 5th Army Corps and Dept. of the Shenandoah, to May, 1862. 1st Brigade, Shields' Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock, to June, 1862. Kimball's Independent Brigade, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to September, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army Potomac, to March, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Army Corps, to June, 1865.

OFFICERS:

Joseph Snider
Jonathan Lockwood SERVICE:

Moved to Romney, W. Va., and duty there until January 10, 1862. Skirmish at Romney, Mill Creek Mills, October 26, 1861. Expedition to Blue's Gap January 6-7, 1862. Hanging Rock, Blue's Gap, January 7. At Paw Paw Tunnel until March 4. Advance on Winchester March 4-15. Battle of Winchester March 23. Cedar Creek March 25. Woodstock April 1. Edenburg April 2. Columbia Furnace April 16. Occupation of Mt. Jackson April 17. March to Fredericksburg, Va., May 12-22. Ravenswood May 15. March to Front Royal May 25-30. Front Royal May 30. Expedition to Luray June 3-7. Forced march to Port Republic June 8-9. Battle of Port Republic June 9 (Reserve). Moved to Alexandria June 29, thence to Harrison's Landing June 30-July 2. Haxall's, Herring Creek, Chickahominy Swamp, July 3-5. Moved to Alexandria, thence to Centreville August 16-29. Plains of Manassas August 29-30. Germantown September 1. Maryland Campaign September 6-22. Battles of South Mountain, Md., September 14; Antietam September 16-17. Moved to Harper's Ferry, W. Va., September 22, and duty there until October 30. Reconnaissance to Leesburg October 1-2. Advance up Loudoun Valley and march to Falmouth, Va., October 30-November 18. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. Duty at Falmouth until April. "Mud March" January 20-24. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va., July 5-24. Duty on line of the Rappahannock until September. Advance from line of the Rappahannock to the Rapidan September 13-17. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Auburn and Bristoe October 14. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Kelly's Ford November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Robertson's Tavern November 27. Mine Run November 28-30. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7, 1864. Morton's Ford February 6-7. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May 3-June 15. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Laurel Hill May 8; Spotsylvania May 8-12; Po River May 10; Spotsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient or "Bloody Angle" May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23, 1864, Demonstration north of the James July 27-29. Deep Bottom July 27-28. Demonstration north of the James August 13-20. Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, August 14-18. Ream's Station August 25. Poplar Springs Church September 29-October 1. Yellow House October 1-3. Hatcher's Run October 27-28. Raid on Weldon Railroad December 7-12. Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5-7, 1865. Watkins' House March 25. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Boydton and White Oak Roads March 30-31. Crow's House March 31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Sailor's Creek April 6. Farmville and High Bridge April 7. Clover Hill, Appomattox Court House, April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Washington, D. C, May 1-12. Grand Review May 23. Moved to Louisville, Ky., June. Mustered out July 1, 1865.

ROSTERS:

Field Staff and Band
Company A
Company B
Company C
Company D
Company E
Company F
Company G
Company H
Company I
Company K
Company Unknown
 BIBLIOGRAPHY:

REFERENCES:

  • Dyer, Frederick H. - Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
  • Lang Theodore F. - Loyal West Virginia
  • Wikipedia
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