52nd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: US_Civil_War North_Carolina

52nd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry completed its organization at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, North Carolina, in April, 1862. Its members were raised in the counties of Cabarrus, Randolph, gates, Chowan, Stokes, Richmond, Wilkes, Lincoln, Stanly, and Forsyth. The unit fought at Goldsboro, then moved to Virginia where it was brigaded under Generals Pettigrew, Kirkland, and MacRae. It fought with the Army of Northern Virginia from Gettysburg, had 2 killed and 25 wounded in the fight at Bristoe, and surrendered with only 6 officers and 60 men.^[1]

Contents 1 History 2 Officers 3 Formation 4 Regimental Statistics 5 Sources

History

The 52nd North Carolina Regiment was formed in 1862. Originally they where part of the Dept. of North Carolina. They where transferred to the Army of Northern Virginia just before Gen. Lee's Northern Invasion into Pennsylvania. They where assigned to Brig. Gen. J.J.Pettigrew's Brigade, Heth's Division, Hill's Corps. Pettigrew's Brigade was heavily engaged July 1st at Gettysburg against the Union I Corps. After heavy fighting and casualties, they helped forced the Union I Corps to retreat thru the streets of Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill. Pettigrew's Brigade suffered very heavy losses the first day and where held in reserve July 2nd at Gettysburg. On July 3rd, Gen. Pettigrew assumed command of Gen. Heth's division due to Gen. Heth's head wound received July 1st. The 52nd N.C., along with Gen. Pettigrew's entire division, where temporarily transferred to Lt. Gen. James Longstreet's command and where assigned the left wing position of the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble Charge at the Union center on Cemetery Hill. Suffering major casualties they where forced to retreat. They where assigned the rear guard of the Army of Northern Virginia during Gen. Lee's retreat back to Virginia. Brig. Gen. Pettigrew was mortally wounded during the retreat when fighting near Falling Waters, Maryland. The 52nd continued fighting at battles such as Bristoe, Wilderness, Battle of the Crater, Petersburg, and others for the remainder of the war and surrendered at Appomatox along with the rest of the Army of Northern Virginia in 1865. The unit surrendered 60 men and 6 officers.

Officers

Colonels James K Marshall and Marcus A Parks, Lieutenant Colonels Eric Erson and Benjamin F Little, and Major John Q Richardson.^[1]

Formation

Company A - "Cabarrus Riflemen" Cabarrus County 

Company B - "Randolph Guards" Randolph County 

Company C - "Orapeake Guards" Gates County 

Company D - "McCulloch"s Avengers" Stokes County

Company E - "Richmond Regulators" Richmond County 

Company F - "Wilkes Grays" Wilkes County

Company G - "Dry Pond Dixies"  Lincoln County 

Company H - "Spriing Hill Guards"  Lincoln County

Company I - "Stanly Rebels" Stanly County 

Company K - "Fighting Boys" - Forsyth County

Regimental Statistics

Organized on Apr 22 1862

Mustered out on Apr 9 1865

Enlisted or commissioned: 1296

Drafted: 31

Transferred in: 44

Killed or died of wounds: 115

Died of disease: 223

Prisoner of war: 602

Died while prisoner of war: 103

Disabled: 26

Missing: 2

Deserted: 29

Discharged: 103

Transferred out: 40

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} National Park Service Soldiers and Sailors Database.

• 52nd North Carolina Infantry Living History
• Wikipedia~52nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment