37th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, CSA

Date: 17 Oct 2022 [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

The 37th North Carolina Infantry Regiment was organized at at Camp Fisher in High Point, near Greensboro. It was under the command of Colonel Charles Cochrane Lee (West Point Class of 1856), Lieutenant Colonel William M. Barbour and Major John G. Bryson. The regiment was originally issued flintlock muskets, which they refused. They were replaced with smoothbore muskets that were not much better.

• Company A – “Ashe Beauregard Riflemen” – Ashe County – Captain John Hartsog
• Company B – “Watauga Marksmen” – Watauga County – Captain Jonathan Horton
• Company C – “Mecklenburg’s Wide Awakes” – Mecklenburg County – Captain James M. Potts
• Company D – “North Carolina Defenders” – Union County – Captain John B. Ashcraft
• Company E – “Watauga Minute Men” – Watauga County – Captain William Y. Farthing
• Company F – “Western Carolina Stars” – Wilkes County – Captain Charles N. Hickerson
• Company G – “Alexander Soldiers” – Alexander County – Captain James Reid
• Company H – “Gaston Blues” – Captain William R. Rankin
• [Company I] – “Mecklenburg Rifles” – Mecklenburg County – Captain John K. Harrison
• Company K – “Alleghany Tigers” – Alleghany County – Captain John Ross

Assigned to the District of the Pamlico, Department of North Carolina.

Battles

1862

• New Bern (Colonel Lee commanded the brigade while Lieutenant Colonel William M. Barbour took command of the regiment. The Federal attack caused a militia unit to rout, breaking the Confederate line. Outflanked and in danger of being cut off, the regiment burned its baggage and retreated towards Kinston. It lost 1 man killed, 6 men wounded and 2 missing.)
• Hanover Court House, Slash Church (Companies D & E were cut off and most of the men captured while on picket duty. Company B was detached guarding wagons. The remining seven companies along with the 18th North Carolina became engaged in a short range firefight with Federal forces. By the time the Confederates retreated from the overwhelming Federal force the regiment suffered 26 men killed, 61 wounded and 167 men captured. Lieutenant George Gilreath of Company F was killed. In Company G three out of four Robinett brothers were killed.)
• Seven Days Battles (The regiment lost 11 men killed, 114 men wounded, and 13 missing.)
• Beaver Dam Creek (Mechanicsville) (The regiment lost 3 men wounded, and 1 captured.)
• Gaines’ Mill (First Cold Harbor) (The regiment lost 10 men killed, 45 men wounded, and 1 captured. Captain James M. Potts of Company C was wounded and resigned. Lieutenant Isham Hartsog of Company A was killed. Lieutenant Calvin Carlton of Comany B was mortally wounded. Lieutenants William Alexander of Company A, Jordan Cook of Company B, Aaron Bost of Company D, William Beard of Company F and Joel Brown and George Cochran of Company G were wounded.)
• Frayser’s Farm (Colonel Lee was killed by an artillery shell while leading an attack. Lieutenant Colonel Barbour took over command. The regiment lost 6 men killed, 21 men wounded, and 3 captured. Lieutenant Josoeph E. Griffin of Comany D was wounded.)
• Malvern Hill (The regiment lost 1 man killed, and 2 men wounded. Lieutenant Colonel Barbour was promoted to colonel.)
• Cedar Mountain (The regiment repulsed a Federal cavalry charge in “confusion worse confounded.” It lost 3 men killed and 13 wounded.)
• Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) (The regiment lost 13 men killed and 75 wounded.)
• Battle of Ox Hill (Chantilly) (The regiment lost 5 men killed and 18 wounded. Captain Walter Lenoir and Lieutenants William Goodman and Thomas L. Norwood of Company A were wounded.)
• Harpers Ferry
• Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam) (The regiment was commanded by Major William G. Morris. It left Harpers Ferry early in the morning for a forced march to Sharpsburg, where Lee was already desperately fighting. The regiment arrived in the afternoon on the Federal flank. It was fortunate that most of its fight was from behind a stone wall, losing only eight men wounded. General Branch was killed while conferring with Hill and his brigadiers. Colonel James Lane of the 28th North Carolina took command of the brigade.)
• Shepherdstown Ford (The regiment assisted in throwing back McClellan’s attempted attack across the Potomac. It lost six men wounded to Federal artillery fire.)
• Battle of Fredericksburg (The regiment was posted to the left of the swamp at the foot of Prospect Hill where Federal troops forced their way into the gap in the Confederate line. It refused its flank and fought until it was out of ammunition, when it fell back. It lost 19 men killed and 92 wounded and 31 captured.)

1863

• Battle of Chancellorsville (Lost 1 officer and 35 enlisted men killed and 19 officers and 175 enlisted men wounded, with 8 missing. This was considered the regiment’s bloodiest battle.
• Battle of Gettysburg (The regiment brought 379 men to the field and lost 14 killed, 102 wounded, 111 captured and 7 missing.)
• Hagerstown
• Falling Waters (Heth’s Division served as the rear guard, and the regiment was one of the last to cross the pontoon bridge. It lost 2 men captured.)
• Bristoe Campaign
• Bristoe Station
• Mine Run Campaign
• Kelly’s Ford
• Battle of Kelly’s Ford

1864

• Battle of the Wilderness (The regiment lost 17 men wounded, 28 captured and 1 missing.)
• Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (The regiment helped seal the break in the Confederate lines at the Mule Shoe on May 12. Moved farther to the right of the line, it fought the 17th Michigan and 51st Pennsylvania regiments and overran a federal battery, capturing two Federal flags but losing its own and Colonel Barbour, who was captured. The regiment lost 4 officers and 18 enlisted men killed, 3 officers and 30 enlisted men wounded, and 2 officers and 38 enlisted men missing.)
• North Anna (Jericho Mills) (The regiment lost 1 enlisted man killed.)
• Battle of Cold Harbor (Wilcox’s division moved to the right flank of the army but was not engaged in the great Federal assault on the 3 June.)
• Grant’s First Assault on Petersburg (Wilcox’s Division remained around Cold Harbor until the Grant’s assault was well underway, then was moved to the area around Globe Tavern.)
• Jerusalem Plank Road (Helped stop the Federal movement to cut the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad.)
• Gravel Hill (The regiment lost 1 man killed, 9 men wounded and 17 captured.)
• Fussell’s Mill (Colonel Barbour was wounded in the leg. The regiment lost 1 man killed, 4 men wounded and 10 captured.)
• Reams’ Station (After a first attack was turned back a second attack was successful, taking many prisoners and capturing nine cannon. The regiment lost 2 men killed, 10 men wounded and 1 captured.)
• Jones’ Farm & Squirrel Level Road (Colonel Barbour was wounded in the right hip, this time mortally. He died in Petersburg the next day. Major Jackson L. Bost took over the regiment. The regiment lost 3 men killed, 8 men wounded and 1 captured.)
• Belfield (Failed to cut off raiding Federal Infantry on the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad. Many of the men marched barefoot in the snow but never caught up to the Federals, and returned to their camp at Hatcher’s Run.)

1865

• Hatcher’s Run (The regiment reported around 375 men present for duty.)
• Final Assault on Petersburg & Battery Gregg (The Federal attack overwhelmed the regiment’s line, stretched so thin that the men were spaced 10 feet apart. The regiment was driven from a series of positions until it reached Battery Gregg. It lost its colors to the 37th Massachusetts. It lost 5 men killed, 6 wounded and 174 captured. Captains W. T. Nicholson, Hudson and Petty, and Lieutenants Tankersley and Ross were killed.)
• Jetersville and Amelia Court House (Skirmished with pursuing Federals. One man was wounded and two captured.)
• Farmville
• Appomattox Court House (The regiment surrendered 10 officers and 98 enlisted men under the command of Major Jackson L. Bost.)