30th Battalion, Virginia Sharpshooters (Clarke's) - Confederate

Brief History
30th Battalion Sharpshooters was organized in August, 1862, with six companies. After the Battle of Waynesborough, it disbanded. Lieutenant Colonel J. Lyle Clarke and Major Peter Otey were in command.

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 (Captain Stephen Adams' Company) - many men from Raleigh Court House

Company B (Captain Napoleon Bonparte French's Company) - many men from Mercer County

Company C (Captain Lewis Addison Vawter's Company) many men from Union, Monroe County, West Virginia

Company D (Captain Charles Erastus Vawter's Company)

Company E ( Captain Richard Curzon Hoffman's Company) - many men from Washington and Carroll Counties

Company F (Captain Lenox C. Armstrong's Company) - many men from Roane County, (West) Virginia

The information above is from 30th Battalion Virginia Sharpshooters, by Michael West.

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.


 * Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia. New York, NY: Facts on File, 1992- 1995. (Family History 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. (Family History Library book .) This gives brief historical sketches of each regiment and lists officers, company names, and commanders.