Orders of Battle

[Saddletank]

Hi all

I am looking to begin writing some scenarios and I was wondering what Union troops, if any were stationed around the Shenandoah Valley or southern Maryland in the spring and early summer of 1863. Stuff that was almost but not quite in the path of Lee's advance to Gettysburg, maybe a little further west.

If anyone has any orbat data, or knows where I can get same, for such forces so I can convert for SoW use, I'd be very grateful.

[Chamberlain]

Saddletank

Have you tried Google ?



Chamberlain

[KG_Soldier]

http://www.angelfire.com/va3/valleywar/ ... ester.html

[Saddletank]

Saddletank

Have you tried Google ?



Chamberlain

With Google succinctly structuring the search string is key; in this case I couldn't find the magic combination of words that unlocked the information I sought.

Thanks Soldier, I'll take a look at that link.

[Jack ONeill]

Tank,

Nafzinger's OOB's for the ACW are still available thru the Combined Arms Research Library Digital Library. Just do a seasrch for it under Nafzinger's Orders of Battle. His research is impressively complete.

Jack B)

[Saddletank]

I'm aware of Nafzigers resources online, I just don't know where to look in them.

[Damned Black Hat]

Tank,

Nafzinger's OOB's for the ACW are still available thru the Combined Arms Research Library Digital Library. Just do a seasrch for it under Nafzinger's Orders of Battle. His research is impressively complete.

Jack B)

Does that include company unit strengths and/or muster rolls? I'd love to be able to make OOBs for smaller early engagements such as Ball's Bluff and Dranesville in company level, but I've yet to find detailed enough records.

[Hancock the Superb]

For me to answer the question, I need to understand it correctly:

You wish to create an order of battle which has every company, district, and department in the eastern theater in early 1863 so you can create some fictional battles.

First: Go out and buy yourself the official records of the war of the rebellion.

Second: Go out and buy yourself Dyers' Compendium.

Third: Go out and buy yourself Sifakis' Compendium.

Fourth: Go to Google and research the hell out of what you learned from the above sources.

Optional Fifth: Go out and buy regimental histories of the regiments in each district.

Sixth: Go to the National Archives and buy yourself the neccessary microfilm rolls.

Finally: Create your order of battle.

Sound difficult? It is. It takes years of research to create a good order of battle, which accurate representations of troops in terms of weapons, numbers, and experience. It will be difficult at first to even figure out which regiments were in a department because things get changed over time. I found several sources which indicated that the 100th PA was in the Shenandoah Department in 1862. This was incorrect, and the correct regiment was the 110th. It turns out that each source had copied what the previous had said; the first one being a typo! Figuring out which Confederate troops were where is even more difficult, because a lot of the war records were burned when Richmond fell.

I hope this helps!

[2nd Texas Infantry]

Shenandoah during Lee's advance to Gettysburg. Most of the Federal forces were captured by Ewell and Early June 13 - 15th 1863 at Winchester, the last agressive feat performed by Ewell during the war. That battle would have been a better Gettysburg expansion over a hypothetical Pipe Creek in my opinion. The maps could have been used for two other monumental battles as well. Other than those 4500 captured Federals under Milroy and Schenk (I believe), there wasnt too much more in the Lower Valley. The Official Records War of the Rebellion is the best all encompasing source for the OOB's. Strengths and units and locations are abound in the 2 -3 Volumes covering the valley in 1863.

[Beef Stu]

i believe the Union 8th corps occupied that area.

The Eighth Corps proper was created by General Orders No. 84, July 22, 1862, which designated the troops under Major-General John E. Wool as the Eighth Corps. These forces were stationed in Maryland, at Annapolis, Baltimore, Harper's Ferry, along the Baltimore & Ohio R. R., east of Cumberland, and along the railroad from Harper's Ferry to Winchester, Va.

that's when it was created . pretty sure they were there the rest of the war. I know they were involved with Sheridans campaign through the valley.