40th Regiment, Virginia Infantry - Confederate

Brief History
The 40th Regiment, Virginia Infantry completed its organization in May, 1861. After serving in the Aquia District, the unit was assigned to General Field's, Heth's, and H.H. Walker's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. Many were captured at Sayler's Creek and only 7 men were included in the surrender on April 9, 1865. Field officers were Colonel John M. Brockenbrough; Lieutenant Colonels Fleet W. Cox, Arthur S. Cunningham, and Henry H. Walker; and Majors Edward T. Stakes and William T. Taliaferro.

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                           Many men from Northumberland County

Company B                           Many men from Richmond and Lancaster County

Company C                           Many men from Northumberland County

Company D (Farmer's Fork Grays) many men from several counties

Company E                           Many men from several counties

Company F                            Many men from several counties

Company G                            Many men from Northumberland County

Company H                            Many men from Lancaster County

Company I                               Many men from Lancaster County

Company K (Capt. Fleet W. Cox) - Many men from Northumberland County

The information above is from 40th Virginia Infantry, by Robert E. L. Krick

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.


 * Dunaway, Wayland F. (Wayland Fuller). Reminiscences of a Rebel. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1990),


 * Sherrill, Sandra P. The Confederate memorial of Lancaster County, Virginia, erected in 1872 by the Ladies Memorial Society. ([Lancaster, Virginia? : Mary Ball Washington Museum?, 199-?]),.


 * 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.