Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/205

 Reunion of Virginia Division, A. N. V. Association. 199

VII. The several commanders of brigades thus announced will organize their general and personal staff as far as practicable without delay, and will make the necessary returns and reports direct to these headquarters.

VIII. In the absence of the special brigade commanders, the senior colonel will assume command of the brigade.

By order of Brigadier-General Beauregard.

Thomas Jordan, Acting Assistant- Adjiita7tt- General.

On this, the first brigade organization, which was made on the 20th June, it appears that the First corps of the Army of the Potomac con- sisted of eight regiments of Virginians, six of South Carohnians, two of Alabamians, two of Mississippians, and one of Louisianians. If General Jackson could observe with pride, when giving up the command of the Stonewall brigade, that it had been the first brigade in the army of the Shenandoah, surely South Carolina may be proud of the fact that the first brigade of the First corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a brigade of South Carolinians.

There does not appear at the time to have been any regular division organization of the army.

The style of the Army of Northern Virginia was not adopted until the armies, as they were called, of the Potomac, of the Valley, of the Rappahannock, of the Peninsula, of Norfolk, converging upon Rich mond, in June, 1862, united there first under General Joseph E. Johnston, and then under General Lee. But on the 22d Oc- tober, 1 86 1, an order (No. 15) was issued from the Adjutant- General's office establishing the department of Northern Vir- ginia. This was to be composed of the Valley district, the Poto- mac district and the Acquia district. General Joseph E. Johnston was assigned to the command of the department of Northern Vir- ginia; General Beauregard to the command of the Potomac district; Major-General T. H. Holmes to the command of the Acquia district, and Major-General T. J. Jackson to the command of the Valley dis- trict. Under this order, the troops were for the first time formed into divisions. Its last clause indicated an important policy of the govern- ment in the organization of the Confederate armies — that is, the brigading of the regiments by States. This policy no doubt added greatly to esprit de corps of the brigades. It was distinctive of the organization of the Confederate army, and was not adopted in the Federal. In a subsequent order (No. 18), 15th November, i86i, that of the 22d October was modified, so as to extend this principle to divisions as well as brigades, but the extension of the principle