SEVENTH VIRGINIA INFANTRY REGIMENT


COMPANY A

"THE RICHARDSON GUARDS"



MEN OF MADISON COUNTY FIGHTING TO DEFEND THEIR

NATIVE STATE DURING "THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES" 1861-1865




PURPOSE

To honor the soldiers from Virginia from a Southern point of view via battle reenactments, living history presentations, memorial services, period music, lectures, and other similar means.



HISTORY OF COMPANY A

The 7th Virginia Infantry Regiment was formed during the months of April, May, and June of 1861.  Under the authority of Governor John Letcher and directed by Major General Robert E. Lee, volunteers were mustered from throughout Virginia, after the State of Virginia seceded from the United States.  Company A was in State service from August 1859 as a Virginia Militia Company (The Richardson’s Guards, the name coming from General William Richardson, Adjutant General of Virginia).  In October, 1859, the company was ordered by Governor Letcher to Charlestown, Virginia, for guard duty during the trials and hangings of John Brown and his accomplices.   Company A was  mustered into Confederate service on July 1, 1861, as part of the Seventh Virginia Regiment.  James Lawson Kemper of Madison County, became the first commander of the regiment.

While in Confederate service, the 7th Virginia Infantry Regiment became part of the Army of the Potomac (CS), Army of Northern Virginia, and Department of North Carolina.  Brigade commanders were Jubal Early, Ewell, A. P. Hill, and James Lawson Kemper.  When the war ended, the regiment was part of Terry’s Brigade, Pickett’s Division, Army of Northern Virginia.


CAMPAIGNS AND BATTLES DURING THE WAR

The 7th Virginia Infantry Regiment had an illustrious history and served in many bloody
campaigns throughout the war.

July 18, 1861 Blackburns Ford, near Manassas
July 16-22, 1861 Battle of First Manassas
April/May, 1862 Yorktown and Williamsburg. Rear guard for McGruder's retreat.
May 31, 1862 Battle of Seven Pines
June25-July1, 1862 Seven Days Battles, Mechanicsville, Gaines Mill, Frazier's Farm
August 30, 1862 Second Manassas
Sept. 14-17, 1862 Sharpsburg Campaign
Dec. 12-15, 1862 Fredericksburg
June/July 1863 Gettysburg
May, 1864 Drewry's Bluff (Fort Darling), Bermuda Hundred
June, 1864 Cold Harbor and actions around Petersburg/Richmond
July, '64-Mar.,'65 Various engagements around and siege of Petersburg
April 1, 1865 Five Forks
April 6, 1865 Saylor's Creek (Most of remaining regiment captured.)
April 9, 1865 Final battle and surrender at Appomattox Court House. (The regiment surrendered 22 men. Co. A had two Privates remaining.)


STATISTICS

Of 1284 men who served in the regiment throughout the war, the casualties were:

Death by disease 125
Death by wounds 135
Desertions 130
Total battle wounds 717
Total captured 336

(All historical information used was furnished by Harold R. Woodward, Jr. in his book "For Home and Honor" and was used with his kind permission.)


THE PRESENT COMPANY A

The current unit was resurrected in January, 1993.  Of the nine original members, four are still active, and the original commander continues to lead the unit.  The current membership is eighteen, including a captain, a first sergeant , three corporals, eight privates, and five new recruits.  Company A, 7th Virginia Infantry of 2003 consists mostly of members who live in Madison County, Virginia, and surrounding counties.  Many had ancestors who fought in Company A.  The group is privileged to use both homes of their famous brigade commander, Major General James Lawson Kemper, for living history programs, meetings, ceremonies, and an annual birthday celebration at the grave of the beloved general.

Company A has earned the respect of regional historians, museums, public and private schools.  Because of its continued dedication and hard work, several historical groups such as The Sons of Confederate Veterans and United Daughters of the Confederacy have requested and received full participation in numerous monument dedication ceremonies and cemetery services.  Besides participating in battle reenactments,  Company A devotes much of its time to living history presentations at surrounding schools.   Annually the unit participates in local parades (winning several prestigious awards), presents living history at Madison County’s Taste of the Mountains Festival (winning best overall presentation in 1997 and 2001) and Graves’ Mountain Lodge fall event.  The Company starred in a documentary by the BBC in 1995, filmed on the Fredericksburg Battlefield.  The premier event each year is the twenty-four hour vigil at Fairview Cemetery in Culpeper, where some five hundred Confederate soldiers are buried.  The event takes place every Confederate Memorial Day weekend..

The 7th Virginia Infantry, Company A, is a member of the Third Regiment of the Army of Northern Virginia, First Division, a large and very active reenactment organization of more than two thousand Confederate soldiers.  The company follows the event schedules of this organization.  The group stays busy during the months of March through October with five or more reenactments and a lot of living history.  If you love history and enjoy teaching and demonstrating your knowledge to others, contact us for a very rewarding hobby.

For more information contact us at  info@7thva-csa.org

You must be sixteen years of age, in good physical health, and have most weekends free.  This is a very physical activity which takes place in all types of  weather.  While it takes about $1000.00 to get all your gear, the company has extra gear and uniforms to loan new recruits for the first few events.


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