The Essex & middlesex battalion Of Virginia Volunteers formed on August 16th 1861, and commanded by Major William N. Ward, consisted of nine companies. on the transfer of eight of these companies, (later becoming Companies A,B,C,D,E,F,G, & H of the 55th four of which were nominally designated companies of the 57th Regiment of virginia Volunteers) the 55th Virginia Regiment of Volunteer Infantry would be formed. the regiment was raised in the tidewater country bordering the Rappahannock River. when fully formed, nine of it's twelve companies would come to join two counties, Essex and Middlesex; the remainder coming from Lancaster, Spotsylvania and Westmoreland counties. two companies of the 55th were raised in 1859, a further six, following the fall of Fort Sumpter. The companies of the Essex & Middlesex Battalion that were to make up the initial roll call of the 55th regiment of Volunteer were as follows. For ease I have listed their final company designation when fully formed.

Company A Essex Artillery Company B Middlesex Artillery Company C Middlesex Southerners Company D Essex Davis Rifles Company E Westmoreland Grays Company F Essex Sharpshooters Company G Essex Grays Company H Middlesex Rifles Company I Company J Company K Company L Company M Alexander's Virginia Artillery

Click here for more information on the individual companies.

The service of the 55th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

The regiment served in a brigade of Virginians which contained the 40th and 47th Virginian Regiments, and the 22nd Virginia Battalion. They earned a solid reputation as part of A.P. Hill's famous "Light Division" and served in almost every major campaign of the Army of North Virginia, which had Robert E. Lee at it's head.

The regiment was present at key moments during the civil war and witnessed the last meeting between Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson, and the shootings of both Jackson and Union General Phil Kearney.

They participated gallantly in many major engagements including: -

Games Mill June 27th 1862 Mechanicsville June 28th 1862 Cedar Mountain August 9th 1862 Groveton August 28th - 29th 1862 2nd Manassas (Bull Run) - August 30th 1862 Oxhil - September 1st 1862 Sheperdstown - September 14th 1862 Harpers Ferry - September 12th - 15th 1862 Fredricksburg - December 13th 1862 Chancellorsville - May 1st - 4th 1863

2nd Manassas

During the Chancellorville Campaign, the 55th suffered the blow of their loss of their Colonel, Fransis Mallroy. William Christian of Coy C was appointed Colonel, and served as such until resigning in May 1865

Gettysburg - July 1st - 3rd 1863

Wilderness May 5th - 6th 1964

Together with participation in defense of the lower Rappahnnock area during the first year of the war, the rearguard action at Falling Waters during the retreat from Gettysburg, the fight on the Plank Road at Mine Run, the campaign in the Shenandoap valley during the Winter of 1863 - 64 and the fight at the Weldon Railroad in August 1864.

In 1865 one visitor to the regiment noted: -

"Their pinched and withered faces ... which character rises a strong man whose experience the ageing influence properly belonging to a life time have been compressed within the compass of a few years. their hair and beards are dry and harsh, their skin of the peculiar reddish - gray which comes of the combined effect of exposure and insuffient nutrition, and feverish light in their sullen eyes tell more eloquently still of daily hunger which is never quite appeased"

At the start of the regiments final campaign on 3rd April 1865, the regiment numbered 435, of which 200 where fit for duty. The regiment surrendered with the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court house on the 9th April 1865 with just 22 men to represent it.

Gettysburg.

The regimental Roster of the 55th Virginian Regiment of Volunteer infantry

The roster, contained in the Virginian regimental Histories Series lists the 1,322 men who served with the 55th.
Of these: -

9 died of natural causes
131 where discharged or transferred (including86 men of Coy B when it moved after being converted to artillery) prior to the commencement of active campaigning in the Spring of 1862.
of the remaining: -

1,182 saw active service.
108 were killed in action
29 died at the hands of the enemy
171 died of disease
2 were executed for desertion
57 were incapitated by wounds
95 discharged for reasons of ill health
25 were discharged having finished their term of service
41 were transferred to other units
8 obtained substitutes
12 officers resigned or where dropped
199 men deserted. 52 of those desertions occurred after mid Feb. 1865, when the war was obviously lost.

Surviving records reveal that during the war, members of the 55th received no fewer than 327 none fatal wounds, this figure in reality would be much higher. the 55yh is particularly remembered for a series of articles on aspects of a soldiers life written by a member of Coy C named Alan Redwood, who was a competent artist. His illustrations appear in many publications about the war, and bear his initials A.C.R.