Roster of Company G
53rd Virginia Infantry, CSA

Company “G,” 53rd Virginia Regiment, was organized in Pittsylvania County and entered the Confederate service in the summer of 1861, with the Rev. W.S. Penick as captain and Ross Carter, 1st Lieutenant. After serving a few months, Captain Penick resigned and Lieutenant Carter was appointed Captain and served two years, when, on account of ill health, he retired from active service and was succeeded by R. Avery Mustain as captain, who served in that capacity until the end of the war. During the latter part of the war, when the forces had become decimated, different commands were combined, and so, though originally a Pittsylvania company, Company “G” was later composed of men from many different counties. The following roster represents the men in the company during the last two years of the war:

Officers:

Privates:

To Mr. Scott Carter,

Dear Mr. Carter:

Doubtless you will wish to know how so many men from Dinwiddie county were serving in Company “G”.

White's Artillery was from Dinwiddie County and was stationed on James River as heavy artillery. We served through the first Maryland Campaign, and after the Sharpsburg fight our company officers claimed their enlistment in heavy artillery. Our company was disbanded and put back in the 53rd. Regiment; some in Company “G” and some in Company “C”.

I was orderly sergeant about 18 months. We lost a lot of men at Gettysburg. I don't remember their names.

Hope this list will be of some service to you in making out the company roll. It is the best I can do from a memory of fifty years.

Yours respectfully,

E.A. Wills,

Last orderly sergeant of Co. “G”, 53rd. Va. Regiment.

Notes

• From a file prepared by Mattie S. Meadows, March 26, 1937, available online at the Library of Virginia's Virginia Historic Inventory.
• The original was in the possession of Belle Ragsdale Carter, widow of Scott Carter, of Chatham. Their home is described by Mattie Meadows as “…on north side of street in West Chatham, Va. Only one street in west Chatham, not named or numbered.” Scott Carter was the brother of Ross Carter, who served as captain of G Company, 53rd Virginia Infantry, and who lived at a house on property across the street from Scott and Belle.
• Electronic formatting is by Jonathan Mitchell.
• Research assistance was provided by Henry Mitchell and Sarah Mitchell.

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Copyright © 2006 Patricia B. Mitchell.