Private, 26th North Carolina Infatry Regiment
(Col. Henry K. Burgwyn, Jr./ Capt. H. C. Albright)
First Brigade (Brigadier General J.J. Pettigrew)
Heth's Division (Maj. General Henry Heth)
Third Corps (Lieutenant General Amrose P. Hill)
Army of Northern Virginia (Generl Robert E Lee)
Gettysburg, July 1, 1863
The 26th North Carolina was the largest regiment in the Army of Northern Virginia and one of North Carolina's most famous units. The 26th NC served with distinction throughout the war from the coastal plains of North Carolina, to the defense of Richmond, to the invasion into Pennsylvania, throughout the siege of Petersburg, and finally at Appomattox Court House. The regiment would find its way into the epic tale of the battle of Gettysburg after its climatic clash with the 24th Michigan of the Iron Brigade on the first day of that battle as well as its tenacity in pushing to the forefront in the Pettigrew-Pickett-Trimble assault.
The 26th North Carolina Regiment was the regimiment with the largest amount of casualties on both sides during the war.
The figure uses a reduced DML nude and one of the DID Napoleonic character heads.
The hat(repainted),Springfield rifle, waterbottle and trousers are from SST. The cartridge box is from BGT, made some loops to attach directly to the belt from its own strap and had plenty left for the belt itself. BGT buckle. Haversack from DID Dick. Bayonet is from SST with BGT frog and some brass paint touch ups. Blanket roll is custom. The tin cup is form ITPT set, finally a variation onthis commons item! Shoes are from DID Bruce. Figure is based on an image on the cover of Osprey's #170.
Some more information on the 26th NC Infantry:
The regiment was raised in 1861 from central and western North Carolina, with Zebulon B. Vance as its first colonel. Vance was elected Governor of North Carolina in 1861 and command of the unit passed to 20 year old Col. Henry King Burgwyn. The 26th spent the next year defending the North Carolina coast, seeing its first action at New Burn. It then went north and fought in the Seven Days Battles before returning to the North Carolina Coast.
In 1863, it marched northwards to became attached to Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia where they were given the distinction of being not only the largest, but the best trained regiment present. General Pettigrew's Brigade was attached to the 3rd Corps led by Lieutenant General A.P. Hill.
From there the 26th North Carolina marched ever northward in Maryland and later into Pennsylvania. On July 1st 1863 the 26th North Carolina became engaged in the Battle of Gettysburg, fighting at McPherson's Ridge. The regiment lost heavily during a fight with the Iron Brigade's 24th Michigan, losing Burgwyn, the lieutenant colonel, and 588 men out of a strength of 800. The second day of Gettysburg was resting near McPherson's Ridge. On the last day of the battle, the 26th were chosen to take part in the Pettigrew/Pickett's Charge on Cemetery Ridge, losing an additional 120 men and the regimental flag was captured. The regiment lost more men than any other regiment, Union or Confederate, during the battle, including the entire Company F. However, the 26th did penetrate the federal line on Cemetery Ridge further than the troops led by General Armistead of Pickett's division.
Later in the war, the fought during the Overland Campaign and Siege of Petersburg, and remained in the Army of Northern Virginia until its surrender at Appomattox, VA .
From Heth's own report to Capt. W. N. Starke,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia on the actions on July 1, 1863:
"Pettigrew's brigade encountered the enemy in heavy force, and broke through his first, second, and third lines. The Eleventh North Carolina Regiment, Colonel Leventhorpe commanding, and the Twenty-sixth North Carolina Regiment, Colonel Burgwyn, Jr., commanding, displayed conspicuous gallantry, of which I was an eye-witness. The Twenty-sixth North Carolina Regiment lost in this action more than half its numbers in killed and wounded, among whom were Colonel Burgwyn killed and Lieutenant-Colonel Lane severely wounded. Colonel Leventhorpe, of the Eleventh North Carolina Regiment, was wounded, and Major Ross killed. The Fifty-second and Forty-seventh North Carolina Regiments, on the right of the center, were subjected to a heavy artillery fire, but suffered much less than the Eleventh and Twenty-sixth North Carolina Regiments. These regiments behaved to my entire satisfaction."
Composition at the time of Gettysburg of the First Brigade of Heth's Division in Lieut. Gen. Ambrose Hill's Third Corps:
11th North Carolina(Col. Collett Leventhorpe)
26th North Carolina( Col. Henry K. Burgwyn, Jr./ Capt. H. C. Albright)
47th North Carolina ( Col. G. H. Faribault)
52d North Carolina ( Col. J. K. Marshall/ Lieut. Col. Marcus A. Parks)
