51st Virginia

51st Infantry Regiment, Virginia Volunteers

During the Civil war, Virginia contributed many regiments, batallions and batteries to the Confederate Army. One unit, the 51st Regiment Virginia Volunteers, composed of eleven companies from south western Virginia.

Two months after the first battle of Bull Run, the 51st was organized at Wythervill, Va. In 1861-1862, the regiment, as part of General John B Floyd´s brigade, fought unsuccessfully to defend Kanawha Valley and Fort Donelson. After reorganization in 1862, the regiment took part in a second attempt to gain control of the Kanawha Valley. In May 1864, the regiment led the charge against the Federals at New Market that immortalized the V.M.I - cadets. After serving briefly in the Army of Nothern Virginia at Hanover and Cold Harbor, the 51st assisted in the defens of Lynchburg.THe unit also participated in the 1864 Shenandoa Campaign and threatened Washington but ultimately suffered defeat by General Phil Sheridan´s Federal forces.

The men of the 51st adapted to several types of warfare. In the Kanawha Valley, "bushfighting" was necessary. At Fort Donelson and Cold Harbor, open trenches required great stamina. The rapid marches and offensive type of war under General Early demanded courage and conditioning.

The 51st fought the "forgotten war". Separated from the Army of Nothern Virginia, it received little attenion. Yet, the men fought on different battlefields with the same determination and for the the same principles.

In December 1864, Wharton´s Brigade, later called "Forsbergs Brigade", consisted of the 45th and 51st regiments and the 30th batallion.

High ranked officers of the regiment:
Brig.Gen Gabriel C Wharton
Colonel Augustus Forsberg, from July 1863 commander of the 51st and "Forsbergs Brigade".

"Resolved, that whilst ardently desirous of peace and it´s attendant blessings, we are convinced that we are dealing with a crafty, cruel and merciless foe, whom we distrust so much, that, were he to come with the Bible in one hand, we would look for the dagger in the other; and we know that while he puffers us peace, he plans for our destruction".

(Resolution of Forberg´s Brigade)


Colonel Augustus Forsberg

Ludvig Augustus Forsberg was born in Örebro, Sweden, on January 13, 1831 as the third son of Fredrik Wilhelm and Karin Lind Forsberg. There were six sons and three daughters and Augustus and his youngest brother Reinhold, were the only ones to marry.

Augustus got his engineer´s exam at Fort Waxholm and served as a lieutenant in the Engineering Corps of the Swedish Army in 1852 when his physicianrecommended an ocean voyage to nurse his health. A Swedish architect supervising the construction of the U.S Government building at Columbia, South Carolina had written to the Swedish Royal Academy, asking them to recommend a young man as his assistant. The position was tendered to lieutenant Forsberg and he, having secured a furlough from the Swedish Army, sailed for America and never returned to his native land again. He later established an office as architect in Baltimore, Maryland, and also worked for the U.S Government in Washington D.C as a topographical draftsman. After the war he settled in Lynchburg, Virginia where he served as City Engineer for many years. He died in July, 1910.