42nd Regiment, Virginia Infantry - Confederate

Brief History
The 42nd Regiment, Virginia Infantry organized at Staunton, Virginia, in July, 1861, recruited its members in Henry, Floyd, Bedford, Campbell, Roanoke, Patrick, and Franklin counties. Of the 265 engaged at Gettysburg, twenty-one percent were killed, wounded, or missing. Only 1 officer and 44 men surrendered. The field officers were Colonels Jesse S. Burks, Andrew J. Deyerle, John E. Penn, and R.W.Withers; Lieutenant Colonels Daniel A. Langhorne, William Martin, and Samuel H. Saunders; and Majors P.B. Adams, Henry Lane, and Jesse M. Richardson.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Company A (Henry Volunteers) - many men from Henry County

Company B (Floyd Guards) - many men from Floyd County

Company C (Buford Grays) - many men from Bedford County

Company D (Campbell-Lee Guards) many men from Campbell County

Company E ( Dixie Grays) - many men from Roanoke County

Company F ( Leatherwood Fencibles) - many men from Henry County

Company G ( Second Company of Volunteers) - many men from Henry County

Company H (Patrick Henry Volunteers) - many men from Patrick County

Company I (Campbell Guards) - many men from Campbell County

Company K (Franklin Invincibles) - many men from Franklin County

The information above is from 42nd Virginia Infantry by John Chapla

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier or sailor. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in Virginia in the Civil War and United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865.


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Virginia in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Virginia, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Chapla, John D. 42nd Virginia Infantry. (Lynchburg, Virginia : H.E. Howard, c1983),


 * Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia. New York, NY: Facts on File, 1992- 1995. (FS Library book, Ten Volumes.) This gives organization information for each unit and its field officers, assignments, and battles. It also lists sources further reading. Volume 5 is for Virginia.


 * Wallace, Lee A. A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations, 1861-1865. Lynchburg, Virginia: H. E. Howard, 1986. (FS Library book .) This gives brief historical sketches of each regiment and lists officers, company names, and commanders.