12th Virginia Infantry Regiment, CSA - Clifton's Collectibles Genealogy

Confederate States of America

Great Seal of the Confederate States of America1st National CSA FlagCommonwealth of Virginia FlagBattleflag of the Army of Northern VirginiaSeal of the Commonwealth of Virginia

12th Virginia Infantry Regiment

Confederate Army Infantry Officer 12th Virginia Infantry was organized in Norfolk, Virginia in May 1861. The 4th Battalion Virginia Volunteers formed the nucleus of the regiment with members coming from Petersburg, Richmond Hicksford, and Norfolk. The regiment was assigned to General Mahone's and Weisiger's Brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia. The 12th participated in many conflicts, from Seven Pines to Cold Harbor, then was involved in the Petersburg siege south of the James River and the Appomattox Campaign.  The regiment  totaled 691 men in June 1862 and sustained 23 casualties at Oak Grove, 69 at  Second Manassas, 39 during the Maryland Campaign, 1 at Fredericksburg, and 86 at Chancellorsville.

Of the 348 officers and men engaging  in the Battle of Gettysburg, four percent were disabled. The regiment surrendered 12 officers and 177 men.  The field officers were Colonels Everard M. Field and Patrick A Weisiger, Lt. Colonels John R. Lewellen and Fielding L. Taylor; and Majors Edgar L. Brockett, Richard W. Jones and John P. May.
Below are some of the officers involved in the destiny of the 12th Virginia Infantry
Major John P. May
Major John P. May
 Colonel David A. Weisinger
Colonel David Weisinger		 Brig. General William Mahone
Brig General William Mahone		 Gen Rivhstf H. Anderson
Lt. Gen. Richard H. Anderson
 Lt. General James Longstreet
Lt. Gen. James Longstreet		 General Robert Esward Lee
General Robert Edward Lee
Enfield

Regimental Organization
Once these units were integrated into the 12th regiment they each had letter designations, which We are using the May 1862 designations here.

1st Nat. Flag button Company A, formerly the Petersburg City Guard, 4th Battalion light  infantry, original enlistment 19 April 1861, reorganized 1 May 1862, with Captain John P. May commanding. Later, Charles E. Waddell.promoted to captain.

1st Nat. Flag button Company B, formerly  the Petersburg Grays, Company A, light infantry, original enlistment 19 April 1861, reorganized 1 May 1862, with Captain John Lyon. Later, Robert R. Bowden, then, Thomas P. Pollard.

1st Nat. Flag button Company C, originally the Petersburg New Grays, Company B, light infantry, enlistment 19 April 1861 with reorganization  on 1 May 1862 Captain Thomas H. Hood, then, Louis L. Marks, next, Stephen G. White.

1st Nat. Flag button Company D, formerly the Lafayette Guard, Petersburg, light infantry enlisted 19 April 1861. Reorganized 1 May 1862, Conscripts from Patrick County supplemented this roster. Captain William A. Jarvis commanding. Then, James P Critz, James E. Tyler.

1st Nat. Flag button Company E, first was known as the Petersburg Riflemen, light infantry, enlisting 19 April 1861 then reorganized 1 May 1862, with Captain Danial Dodson, then Robert Banks and next, John R. Patterson.

1st Nat. Flag button Company F,  originally  the Hufer Grays, were from Hicksford, now Emporia in Greenville County. The also were organized in April of 1861, reorganizing 1 May 1862

1st Nat. Flag button Company G, known as the Richmond Grays, were Company A, 1st regiment, Virginia Volunteers, enlisting  19 April 1861. They detached when the 1st Regiment Virginia Volunteers were accepted into Confederate States service.  The company was accepted in the 12th Regiment when was reorganized 1 May 1862.  Records may be mixed up here as some records indicate this company still being in the 1st Regiment. Captain was Wyatt M Elliott, then Jacob V. Crawford, Edwin White Branch and Robert Mayo, Jr.
1st Nat. Flag button Company H, was originally known as the Norfolk Junior Volunteers, from Norfolk, formerly Captain Fergusson's Company, 6th Regiment Virginia Volunteers, organized 1862, enlisted 19 August 1861 for a year mustered while in State service as the 6th Regiment and was accepted into Confederate States service as Company H, 12th Regiment; Captain Finley F. Fergusson. Thomas F Owens was elected captain in April 1862.

1st Nat. Flag button Company I, formerly known as the Hargrove Blues, Dinwiddie County (1st) enlisted 11 June 1861, reorganized in May 1862, then detached from the 12th Regiment as per S.O. 382, A&IGO, dated 5 June 1862; served as an unattached company until assigned as Company H (2nd) , 9th Regiment, Virginia Infantry, as per S. O. 382, A&IGO, dated 28 November 1863. records indicated the company belonged to the 12th Regiment until the time the regiment  reorganized. Captains were Arthur M Goodwyn then Archibald B. Goodwyn.

 3rd National Flag burtton  Company I (2nd) known as Richard W. Jones' Company, enlisted 22 February 1862 for the war, and mustered on 30 April 1862 as an attached to the regiment ; substituted for Company I (1st) as per S. O. No. 129, A&IGO., dated June 5, 1862.

1st Nat. Flag button Company K, formerly  Archer's Rifles, Petersburg, organized 4 May 1861 and reorganized 1 May 1862. Captains were Fletcher H. Archer and Lewellyn T. Clements.
Captain John Pegram May promoted to Major; killed in action 30 August 1862
Lt. Colonel Fielding Lewis Taylor was mortally wounded in action at Crampton's gap, Antietam in Sharpsburg, Maryland 11 September 1862
Captain Edwin White Branch killed in action 1 August 1863
Soldier with familial connections
Name  Rank Recruited From Date and Source Company
CS Cartridge Belt Buckle Clifton, Andrew Martin Private Patrick County 15 March 1862
Film 382 Roll 11		 D
Bugle
Andrew Martin with wife Martha Jane Boyd Clifton
Andrew Martin Clifton with his wife
Martha Jane Boyd Clifton

Andrew Martin Clifton was born 30 March 1839, in Price, Rockingham County, North Carolina. His parents were John Robert "Jack" and Alice Grogan Clifton.  Andrew married Martha Jane Boyd in Patrick County on 24 June 1858.

Martha Jane Boyd was born 22 February 1844, in Patrick County, Virginia. Her parents were Heron Boyd and Sarah "Sally" Cockram Boyd.

Andrew Martin and Martha Jane had eight children: John G., Andrew Jackson, William Robert, Nancy Harriett, Emory Dean, Lupert Morton, Leahvannie and Mary.

Martha Jane Boyd Clifton died in Vesta, Patrick County, Virginia, 17 August 1922. Andrew Martin Clifton died 22 December 1930, also in Vesta.
            Andrew Martin and Martha Jane Boyd Clifton are interred at the
          New River Privative Baptist Church Cemetery
          Road 636
          Patrick County, Virginia

            Picture of the cemetery stone courtesy of  Elizabeth Mitchell		h
Andrew M and Martha J. Boyd Cemetery Stone

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References:
Units Of The Confederate States Army By Joseph H. Crute, Jr.  1987 Durwent Books Midlothian, Virginia
12th Virginia Infantry  By William D. Henderson 1974 H. E. Howard Lynchburg, Virginia
Website: The 12th Virginia Infantry
and other Internet sources


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Revised 1 July 2011.