Definition
The 7th Louisiana Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry unit raised in Louisiana that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865).
Overview
Organized at Camp Moore on 5 June 1861, the regiment initially numbered 944 men divided into ten companies (A–K, omitting J). After brief training, it was dispatched to Virginia, where it fought in the Eastern Theater. The regiment participated in numerous major engagements, including the First Battle of Bull Run, the Valley Campaign of 1862, the battles of Gaines’ Mill, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and the Overland Campaign of 1864. In November 1863, most of the regiment was captured at the Second Battle of Rappahannock Station; a reduced remnant continued to fight in the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, the Shenandoah Valley campaigns, and the Siege of Petersburg. The unit surrendered with the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House on 9 April 1865.
Etymology/Origin
The regiment’s designation follows the Confederate practice of numbering state‑raised infantry units sequentially. “7th Louisiana” indicates it was the seventh infantry regiment organized by the state of Louisiana for the Confederate cause. The term “Infantry Regiment” denotes a standard infantry formation of roughly 1,000 men organized into companies.
Characteristics
- Allegiance: Confederate States of America (Louisiana)
- Branch: Confederate States Army, Infantry
- Size: Approximately 944 men at formation; strength varied throughout the war due to casualties and captures.
- Commanders: Notable leaders included Colonel Harry T. Hays (later brigadier general), Lieutenant Colonel Charles De Choiseul (killed in 1862), and Colonel Davidson Bradfute Penn.
- Brigade Assignment: Primarily served in the 1st Louisiana Brigade (also known as Taylor’s or Hays’ Brigade).
- Engagements: Fought in over thirty battles, notably Blackburn’s Ford, First Bull Run, Front Royal, First Winchester, Cross Keys, Port Republic, Gaines’ Mill, Malvern Hill, Cedar Mountain, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Second Winchester, Gettysburg, Rappahannock Station (capture), Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, Cedar Creek, and the final actions at Petersburg and Appomattox.
- Casualties: Of the 1,077 men who served, the regiment suffered 190 killed or mortally wounded, 68 died of disease, plus a few other deaths.
Related Topics
- Confederate Army infantry organization
- 1st Louisiana Brigade (Taylor’s/Hays’ Brigade)
- List of Louisiana Confederate units
- Major battles of the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War
- Camp Moore, Louisiana (training site for Confederate units)
- Surrender at Appomattox Court House
The 7th Louisiana Infantry Regiment exemplifies the contributions and heavy losses experienced by state‑raised Confederate units in the Eastern campaigns of the Civil War.