Peninsula campaign order of battle: Union

The following Union Army units and commanders were the initial structure on April 4, 1862 of the Union Department of the Potomac during the Peninsula campaign of the American Civil War. This list includes units deployed to the Virginia Peninsula, and those that remained in the Washington area.[1] The Confederate order of battle is listed separately.

Abbreviations used

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Military rank

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Army of the Potomac

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The following units were the initial organization of the Army of the Potomac on the peninsula.

MG George B. McClellan, Commanding

Headquarters and Body Guard

Provost Guard

Staff

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Col Randolph B. Marcy, Chief of Staff
Maj Granville O. Haller, Commandant of General Headquarters

Function Individuals
Adjutant

   BG Seth Williams

Inspector General

   Col Delos B. Sackett

Engineers

   BG John G. Barnard

Topographical Engineers

   BG Andrew A. Humphreys

Medical Corps

   Charles S. Tripler

Surgeons and Nurses

Quartermaster

   Maj Stewart Van Vliet

Commissary

   Col Henry F. Clarke

  • Col Amos Beckwith
  • Ltc George Bell
  • Ltc A. Parker Porter
  • Cpt Thomas Wilson
  • Cpt Brownell Granger
  • Cpt William H. Bell
  • Cpt John H. Woodward
  • Cpt W.R. Murphy
Ordnance

   Cpt Charles P. Kingsbury

  • Lt Thomas G. Baylor
  • Other unnamed officers
Provost-Marshal

   BG Andrew Porter

Judge Advocate

   Col Thomas T. Gantt

  • Unnamed officers
Signal Corps

   Maj Albert J. Myer

  • Unnamed officers
Telegraphic Office

   Maj Thomas Eckert

  • Mr. A. Harper Caldwell
Balloon Corps

   Professor Thaddeus S.C. Lowe

  • Lowe's Aeronauts
Personal Staff

II Corps

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BG Edwin Sumner, Commanding
 Ltc Joseph H. Taylor, Adjutant

Division Brigade Regiments and others

First Division


     BG Israel B. Richardson

First Brigade


   BG Oliver O. Howard

Second Brigade

   BG Thomas Francis Meagher

Third Brigade


   BG William H. French

Artillery
  • Batteries A & C, 4th U.S. Artillery: Cpt Francis N. Clarke
    • Six Napoleons
  • Battery G, 1st New York Artillery: Cpt John D. Frank
    • Six 10-lb Parrotts
  • Battery B, 1st New York Artillery: Cpt Rufus D. Pettit
    • Six 10-lb Parrotts
  • Battery A, 2nd New York Artillery:[3] Cpt William H. Hogan
    • Six 10-lb Parrotts

Second Division
     BG John Sedgwick

First Brigade


   BG Willis A. Gorman

Second Brigade

   BG William Wallace Burns

Third Brigade


   BG Napoleon J.T. Dana

Artillery

Cavalry reserve

Unbrigaded

N.B. The Third Division under BG Louis Blenker was detached in early April and transferred to the Mountain Department

III Corps

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BG Samuel P. Heintzelman, Commanding
  Cpt Chauncey McKeever, Chief of Staff

Division Brigade Regiments and others

First Division
     BG Fitz John Porter

First Brigade


   BG John H. Martindale

Second Brigade


   BG George W. Morell

Third Brigade


   BG Daniel Butterfield

Artillery


  Cpt Charles Griffin

Second Division
     BG Joseph Hooker

First Brigade


   BG Henry Morris Naglee

Second Brigade

   BG Daniel Sickles

Third Brigade  ("2nd New Jersey Brigade")

   Col Samuel H. Starr

Artillery


  Cpt Norman J. Hall

  • Battery H, 1st U.S. Artillery: Cpt Norman J. Hall
    • Four 10-lb Parrotts, two 12-lb howitzers
  • 4th New York Independent Battery: Cpt James E. Smith
    • Six 10-lb Parrotts
  • 6th New York Independent Battery: Cpt William M. Bramhall
    • Six 3-inch ordnance guns
  • Battery D, 1st New York Artillery: Cpt Thomas W. Osborn
    • Four 3-inch ordnance guns

Third Division
     BG Charles Smith Hamilton

First Brigade


   Col Charles D. Jameson

Second Brigade


   BG David B. Birney

Third Brigade


   BG Hiram G. Berry

Artillery


  Cpt James Thompson

Cavalry reserve

Unbrigaded

Porter's Division was combined with Sykes' Division of the Reserve Corps and McCall's Division of the First Corps to form the Fifth Corps (Provisional) on May 18, 1862.

IV Corps

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BG Erasmus D. Keyes, Commanding
  Ltc Charles C. Suydam

Division Brigade Regiments and others

First Division
     BG Darius N. Couch

First Brigade


   Col Henry Shaw Briggs

Second Brigade


   BG Lawrence P. Graham

Third Brigade


   BG John J. Peck

Artillery
  • Battery C, 1st Pennsylvania Artillery: Cpt Jeremiah McCarthy
    • Four 10-lb Parrotts
  • Battery D, 1st Pennsylvania Artillery: Cpt Edward H. Flood
    • Four 10-lb Parrotts
  • Battery E, 1st Pennsylvania Artillery: Cpt Theodore Miller
    • Four Napoleons
  • Battery H, 1st Pennsylvania Artillery: Cpt James Brady
    • Four 10-lb Parrotts

Second Division
     BG W.F. "Baldy" Smith

First Brigade


   BG Winfield Scott Hancock

Second Brigade

      BG William T.H. Brooks

Third Brigade


   BG John Davidson

Artillery


  Cpt Romeyn B. Ayres

  • Battery F, 5th U.S. Artillery: Cpt Romeyn B. Ayres
    • Four 10-lb Parrotts, two Napoleons
  • 3rd New York Independent Battery: Cpt Thaddeus P. Mott
    • Four 10-lb Parrotts, two Napoleons
  • Battery E, 1st New York Artillery: Cpt Charles C. Wheeler
    • Four 3-inch ordnance guns
  • 1st New York Independent Battery: Cpt Terance J. Kennedy
    • Six 3-inch ordnance guns

Third Division
     BG Silas Casey

First Brigade


   Col William W.H. Davis

Second Brigade


   BG William High Keim

Third Brigade


   BG Innis N. Palmer

Artillery


  Col Guilford D. Bailey

  • 7th New York Independent Battery: Cpt Peter C. Regan
    • Six 3-inch ordnance guns
  • 8th New York Independent Battery: Cpt Butler Fitch
    • Six 3-inch ordnance guns
  • Battery A, 1st New York Artillery: Cpt Thomas H. Bates
    • Six Napoleons
  • Battery H, 1st New York Artillery: Cpt Joseph Spratt
    • Four 3-inch ordnance guns
Cavalry Reserve Unbrigaded
  • 6th New York Cavalry (Cos. F & H): ?

W.F. Smith's Division was combined with Franklin's Division of the First Corps to form the Sixth Corps (Provisional) on May 18, 1862.

Reserves

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Division Brigade Regiments and others

Cavalry
     BG Philip St. George Cooke

First Brigade


   BG William H. Emory

Second Brigade


   Col George A.H. Blake

Artillery


     Col Henry J. Hunt

Horse Artillery Brigade


   Ltc William Hays

Second Brigade


   Ltc George W. Getty

Third Brigade


   Maj Albert Arndt

  • Battery A, 1st New York Artillery Battalion: Cpt Otto Diedrich
    • Six 20-lb Parrotts
  • Battery B, 1st New York Artillery Battalion: Cpt Adolph Voegele
    • Four 20-lb Parrotts
  • Battery C, 1st New York Artillery Battalion: Cpt John Knieriem
    • Four 20-lb Parrotts
  • Battery D, 1st New York Artillery Battalion: Cpt Edward Grimm
    • Six 32-lb howitzers

Engineers

Volunteers


   BG Daniel Phineas Woodbury

Regulars


   Cpt James Chatham Duane

  • Co. A, U.S. Engineers: Lt Chauncey B. Reese
  • Co. B, U.S. Engineers: Lt Charles E. Cross
  • Co. C, U.S. Engineers: Lt Orville E. Babcock
Artillery Siege Train


  

Infantry

Regulars


   BG George Sykes

Sykes' Division was combined with Porter's Division of the Third Corps and McCall's Division of the First Corps to form the Fifth Corps (Provisional) on May 18, 1862.

Other Troops from the Department of the Potomac

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The following troops were part of the Department of the Potomac in March and April 1861, but were detached to maintain defense of the Potomac River line.

I Corps

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On April 4, the First Corps was renamed the Department of the Rappahannock, with authority to include the District of Columbia, Maryland between the Potomac and Patuxent, and Virginia between the Blue Ridge and the Fredericksburg & Richmond Railroad.

MG Irvin McDowell, Commanding
  Ltc Edmund Schriver, Chief of Staff

Unattached cavalry

Sharpshooters

Division Brigade Regiments and others

First Division
     BG William B. Franklin

First Brigade

 

   BG Philip Kearny until Apr 30
BG Georg W. Taylor

Second Brigade


   BG Henry Slocum

Third Brigade


   BG John Newton

Artillery


  Cpt Edward R. Platt

  • Battery D, 2nd U.S. Artillery: Cpt Edward R. Platt
    • Six Napoleons
  • Battery A, Massachusetts Artillery: Cpt Josiah Porter
    • Four 10-lb Parrotts, two 12-lb howitzers
  • Battery A, New Jersey Artillery: Cpt William Hexamer
    • Four 10-lb Parrotts, two 12-lb howitzers
  • Battery F, 1st New York Artillery: Brady or Cpt William R. Wilson?
    • Four 3-inch ordnance guns

Second Division
     (Pennsylvania Reserves)
     BG George A. McCall

First Brigade


   BG John F. Reynolds

Second Brigade


   BG George Meade

Third Brigade


   BG Edward Ord

  • 6th Pennsylvania Reserves: Col William Sinclair
  • 9th Pennsylvania Reserves: Col Conrad F. Jackson
  • 10th Pennsylvania Reserves: Col John S. McCalmont
  • 12th Pennsylvania Reserves: Col John H. Taggart
Skirmishers
Artillery


  Cpt Truman Seymour

  • Battery C, 5th U.S. Artillery: Cpt Truman Seymour
    • Six Napoleons
  • Battery A, 1st Pennsylvania Artillery: Cpt Hezekiah Easton
    • Four Napoleons
  • Battery B, 1st Pennsylvania Artillery: Cpt James H. Cooper
    • Six 10-lb Parrotts
  • Battery G, 1st Pennsylvania Artillery: Cpt Mark Kern
    • Six 12-pounders

Third Division
     BG Rufus King

First Brigade

   BG Christopher C. Augur

Second Brigade


   BG Marsena R. Patrick[5]

Third Brigade

   BG John Gibbon

Artillery

McCall's Division transferred to the Peninsula and was combined with Porter's Division of the Third Corps and Sykes' Division of the Reserve Corps to form the Fifth Corps (Provisional) on May 18, 1862. Franklin's Division transferred to the Peninsula and was combined with W.F. Smith's Division of the Fourth Corps to form the Sixth Corps (Provisional) on May 18, 1862.

V Corps

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On April 4, the Fifth Corps was renamed the Department of Shenandoah with authority over Maryland between the Blue Ridge and Flintstone Creek, Virginia between the Blue Ridge and the modern-day border with West Virginia.

MG Nathaniel P. Banks, Commanding
  Cpt Louis H. Pelouze, Acting Assistant Adjutant General

Unattached Infantry

  • 28th Pennsylvania: Col John W. Geary
  • 4th Regiment Potomac Home Brigade (Maryland): ?
Division Brigade Regiments and others

First Division
     BG Alpheus S. Williams

First Brigade


   Col Dudley Donnelly

Second Brigade


   BG John Joseph Abercrombie

Third Brigade


   Col George Henry Gordon

Artillery


  Cpt Clermont L. Best

  • Battery F, 4th U.S. Artillery: Cpt Clermont L. Best
    • Six Napoleons
  • 1st Maryland Battery (Independent Battery F, Pennsylvania Artillery): Cpt Robert B. Hampton
    • Four 10-lb Parrotts
  • 2nd Maryland Battery (Independent Battery C, Pennsylvania Artillery): Cpt James Thompson
    • Four 10-lb Parrotts
  • Battery F, 1st Pennsylvania Artillery: Cpt Ezra W. Matthews
    • Six 3-inch ordnance guns
  • Battery M, 1st New York: Cpt George W. Cothran
    • Six 10-lb Parrotts
  • Independent Battery E, Pennsylvania Artillery: Cpt Joseph E. Knapp
    • Six 10-lb Parrotts
  • 15th Independent Battery, New York Artillery: Cpt Henry J. McMahon
    • Six 3-inch ordnance guns

Second Division


     BG James Shields

First Brigade

   Col Nathan Kimball

Second Brigade


   Col Jeremiah C. Sullivan

Third Brigade


   Col Erastus B. Tyler

Artillery


  Cpt Joseph C. Clark

Cavalry

Unbrigaded


  

Shields' Division was transferred to the Department of the Rappahannock on May 10, 1862

District of Washington

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BG James S. Wadsworth, Commanding

Regiments and others Camp Location
1st New Jersey Cavalry: Col William Halstead Alexandria City
4th Pennsylvania Cavalry: Col James H. Childs East of the Capitol
10th New Jersey: Col William Bryan Bladensburg Road
104th New York: Col John Rohrbach Kalorama Heights
1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery: ? Fort Cass (Alexandria Co.)
New York Artillery (three batteries): ?
Depot of New York Light Artillery: ? Camp Barry
2nd District of Columbia: Col Charles M. Alexander Washington City
26th Pennsylvania: Col William F. Small G Street Wharf
26th New York: Col William H. Christian Fort Lyon (present-day Huntington)
95th New York: Col George H. Biddle Camp Thomas
  • 94th New York: Col Henry K. Viele
  • Detachment of 88th Pennsylvania: Maj George W. Gile
Alexandria City
91st Pennsylvania: Col Edgar I. Gregory Franklin Square Barracks (Franklin Square)
4th New York Heavy Artillery: Col T.D. Doubleday
112th Pennsylvania: Col Charles Angeroth Fort Saratoga
76th New York: Ltc John D. Shaul Fort Massachusetts (Washington Co.)
59th New York: Col William L. Tidball Fort Pennsylvania (Tenleytown)
Detachment of 88th Pennsylvania: ? Fort Good Hope
99th Pennsylvania: Col Peter Fritz Fort Mahon
2nd New York Light Artillery: ?
Kendall Green (present-day Gallaudet University)
  • Dickenson's Light Artillery (16th Independent New York Battery)
  • 86th New York: Col Benajah P. Baily
  • Detachment of 88th Pennsylvania: Col George P. McLean
East of the Capitol
Fort Washington (present-day Fort Washington, Maryland)
Fort Corcoran (present-day Rosslyn)


Railroad Guards
  Col Dixon S. Miles

  • 6th New York Cavalry (Cos. A, B, C, E, G, I, K, & M dismounted): Col Thomas Devin
  • 10th New York Cavalry (dismounted): Col John Lemmon[8]
  • 11th New York Cavalry (dismounted): Col James B. Swain
  • 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry (dismounted): Col Richard Butler Price

Troops Around Baltimore

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On March 22, the Middle Department was created with authority over Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia, as well as the Maryland counties of Cecil, Hartford, Baltimore, and Anne Arundel. Dix remained in command.

MG John A. Dix, Commanding
  Maj Daniel Tompkins Van Buren, Chief of Staff and Acting Assistant Adjutant General

Type of Units Regiments and others

Cavalry

Artillery

Infantry

Department of Virginia

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The Department of Virginia constituted an area 60 miles from Fort Monroe. McClellan had received permission to absorb it into his army as a division of the First Corps, but it was rescinded shortly after he arrived on the Peninsula.

MG John E. Wool, Commanding
    

Location Regiments and others
Fort Monroe


   Maj Joseph Roberts

Camp Hamilton


   Col Max Weber

Camp Butler


   BG Joseph K. F. Mansfield

Fort Wool


   Ltc Gustave B. Helleday

References

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  • Troops of the Army of the Potomac sent to the Peninsula in March and early in April, 1862 The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. United States War Department. Series I, Volume V, Chapter XXIV, pp. 19–32. (1881)
  • Additional Aides-de-Camp The New York Times. January 11, 1862.
  • Carter, Robert Goldwaithe (1978) [1913]. Four Brothers in Blue: A Story of the Great Civil War from Bull Run to Appomattox. University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-8061-3185-3.


  1. ^ Multiple commander names indicate command succession of command during the battle or the campaign.
  2. ^ The custom of the time was to attach the suffix "junior" to the younger living family member of the same name, not keep it consistent.
  3. ^ Later renamed 14th Independent Battery New York Artillery
  4. ^ In May the 90-day regiment would be mustered out and then mustered in as the 82nd New York, a three-year regiment
  5. ^ McClellan lists these units as being part of the New York State Militia, since all had previously served as ninety-days regiments with different numbers. But by March, they had all been mustered in as three-years regiments with these unit numbers.
  6. ^ No such battery is recorded outside of McClellan's official report. Ohio did not form a 4th Regiment of Artillery.
  7. ^ Listed by McClellan as present at the time of the Peninsula campaign, though it had already departed for Florida
  8. ^ Listed by McClellan as present at the time of the Peninsula campaign, though it was actually in Gettysburg at the time and would not join the Department of the Potomac until August.
  9. ^ Companies A, B, C, and D of the New York Mounted Rifles were all that had been recruited. Companies E and H were added in August, and Companies I through M were added in September.