An Order of Battle for the Siege

The phrase "order of battle" is typically used to describe what units were present in a military force. For a campaign as long as the siege of Richmond and Petersburg, of course, the units present would change as formations would be sent to other theatres of the war. For example, the Federal VI Corps and much of the Army of the Potomac cavalry was sent to the Shenandoah Valley in July and August of 1864, to return in March, 1865.

What we give here is an accurate OB (order of battle) for the siege of Richmond and Petersburg. An online OB can be found in Volume IV of the Battles and Leaders series, valid for December 31st, 1864.

A word about the enumeration of units: During the war, both sides spelled out the numeric designation of their infantry corps, i.e., both sides talked about "Second Corps" and so forth. When the United States Army began adopting Roman numerals for designating corps formations in World War Two, historians began retro-fitting this practice to their writings on the Civil War. Even though it is anachronistic to do this, I have followed this practice on this website, as it helps distinguish between the units on the separate sides. Thus "Second Corps" will always refer to the Confederate formation, and "II Corps" to the Federal formation (except, perhaps, when quoting directly from a report or document of the time). The Confederates almost always identified divisions and brigades with the name of the permanent commander, i.e., Heth's Division, Doles's Brigade, and so forth.

(The OB is under construction.)

Federal forces:

Army of the Potomac

II Corps

First Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Second Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Third Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

V Corps

First Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Second Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Third Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

VI Corps

First Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Second Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Third Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

IX Corps

First Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Second Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Third Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Cavalry Corps

First Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Second Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Third Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Army of the James

X Corps

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

XVIII Corps

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Cavalry division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Confederate forces

Army of Northern Virginia

First Corps

First Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Second Corps

First Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Third Corps

First Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Fourth Corps

First Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Cavalry Corps

First Division

First Brigade

Second Brigade

Third Brigade

Department of Richmond