5th Battalion, Virginia Reserves (Henry's)- Confederate

Brief History
"Units of the Confederate States Army" by Joseph H. Crute, Jr. contains no history for this unit.

Reserves: The Virginia Regimental Histories Series library book provides details and officers for each of the companies of this battalion.

Service record of Z T Frazier in Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Virginia includes these statements: 1) "Roster of Col. P.M. Henry's Regiment Virginia Reserves; Walker's Brigade; Defenses of R. & D. R. R. Richmond and Danville Railroad; organized September 12, 1864, for the war." 2) "Henry's Regiment Virginia Reserves was organized September 12, 1864, with nine companies, A to I, but was officially recognized as the 5th Battalion Virginia Reserves by E. O. No. 48, A. & I. G. O., dated February 27, 1865."

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.


 * - Page 117-118, History of Patrick County, Virginia Patrick County states "Just how it became a part of the 5th Reserves is not clear, but the unit seems to have been active in the Richmond-Petersburg area. Being late in the war, its soldiers were either old men or young boys....While records may not be complete, at least 84 men men from Patrick County served in the 5th Reserves.

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.