51st Virginia Infantry The 51st Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War . It fought mostly in Tennessee and western Virginia with help of William Elkins ( 1812 - 1870 ) . The 51st Virginia was formed in August 1861 , with eleven companies . Company L was later assigned to the 23rd Virginia Infantry Battalion . Its members were recruited in the counties of Patrick , Wythe , Nelson , Bland , Floyd , and Grayson . During the war it started in General Floyd ' s and G . C . Wharton ' s Brigade . The 51st served in the Army of the Kanawha , moved to Tennessee , and after fighting at Fort Donelson marched to Nashville with 274 men . Later it was sent to western Virginia , saw action at Carnifex Ferry , then returned to Tennessee where it was involved in the Knoxville Campaign . The unit went on to fight in numerous conflicts in the Shenandoah Valley and disbanded around April 15 , 1865 . It reported 9 killed , 43 wounded , and 5 missing at Fort Donelson , and 3 killed and 16 wounded at Fayetteville . Only a handful remained after the Battle of Waynesboro . The field officers were Colonels Augustus Forsberg and Gabriel C . Wharton ; Lieutenant Colonels George A . Cunningham , James W . Massie , and John P . Wolfe ; and Majors William T . Akers , Stephen M . Dickey , D . P . Graham , D . S . Hounshell , and William A . Yonce . Unit History . In June 1861 , D . Lee Ross mustered a company of local citizens on his farm in Patrick County , VA . 97 men volunteered and elected D . Lee Ross as Captain , and William T . Akers , Abner J . Harbour and C . F . Ross , as Lieutenants . Around the same time , Capt . Granville P . Conner organized the Patrick " Blackhawk " company near Davis ' Shop in Patrick County and along with Lt . William G . Price , began drilling the unit in preparation for joining the Confederate Army . On July 24 , the units left Patrick County and set out for Christiansburg where they boarded the VA & TN RR to Camp Jackson in Wytheville in order to enlist in the Confederate Army originally as companies C and F of the 51st Regiment , Virginia Volunteers commanded by Colonel Gabriel C . Wharton , VMI class of 1847 The 51st was originally made up of 11 companies ( A - L ) ; Co . L from Tazwell was assigned to the 23rd Battalion Virginia Infantry in January 1862 and remainder of the 51st was reorganized in May 1862 : Co . A , Capt . John P . Wolfes Co . ; formerly called Co . I ; enlisted July 16 , 1861 , for one year ; reorganized May 20 , 1862 . Captains : John P . Wolfe ( to Major , 1863 ) , Daniel Hoge Bruce . Co . B , Wharton Grays ; formerly called Co . H ; enlisted July 31 , 1861 for one year ; joined regimental August 14 , 1861 ; reorganized May 6 , 1862 . Captains : David Pierce Graham ( to Major , 1863 ) , William Hanson Tate ( killed May 15 , 1864 ) , David S . Allison ( died in service ) . Co . C , Wythe Rifles ; Wythe County ; formerly called Co . E ; enlisted July 20 , 1861 , for one year ; reorganized May 3 , 1862 . Captains : William H . Cook , William A . Yonce ( to Major , April 23 , 1864 ) , Jehiel F . Umbarger . Co . D , Capt . D . Lee Ross Co . ; formerly called Co . C ; enlisted June 14 , 1861 , for one year ; reorganized May 5 , 1862 . Captains : David Lee Ross ( to April 1862 ) , William T . Akers ( to Major , 1864 ) , Rufus J . Woolwine . Co . E , Nelson Volunteers ; Nelson County ; formerly called Co . B ; enlisted July 1 , 1861 , for one year ; reorganized May 7 , 1862 . Captains : John Turner Dillard ( to April 1862 ) , Thomas J . Graves ( resigned 1862 ) , Austin J . Graves ( resigned 1863 ) , Josephus Mills . Co . F , Bland Tigers ; Bland County ; formerly called Co . K ; enlisted June 26 , 1861 , for one year ; reorganized May 20 , 1862 . Captains : Samuel H . Newberry ( not re - elected ; reappointed May 29 , 1863 ) , William G . Repass ( resigned February 6 , 1863 ) . Co . G , Floyd Game Cocks ; ( also known as Floyd Game Bucks ) , Floyd County ; enlisted June 29 , 1861 , for one year ; reorganized July 1 , 1861 . Captain : James William Henry . Co . H , Capt . Granville R . Conners Co . ; formerly called Company F ; enlisted July 2 , 1861 , for one year ; reorganized May 23 , 1862 . Captains : Granville R . Conner ( to April 1862 ) , William G . Price ( wounded ; captured ) . Co . I , Capt . Ezekiel Youngs Co . ; formerly known as Co . D ; enlisted June 28 , 1861 , for one year ; reorganized May 23 , 1862 . Captains : Ezekiel Young , Calvin H . Senter ( resigned , 1862 ) , William C . Bourn ( wounded , 1864 ) Co . K , Capt . Stephen M . Dickeys Co . ; formerly called Co . A ; enlisted June 24 , 1861 , for one year ; reorganized May 6 , 1862 . Captains : Stephen Mills Dickey ( to Major , May 26 , 1862 ) , William A . Cooper ( resigned , January 25 , 1865 ) . References . 51st Virginia Infantry . com