5th Regiment Virginia Militia
March 1, 1813
Norfolk, March 1st, 1813.
Brigade Orders.
The Commander in Chief orders Brigadier General Taylor in addition to the command already given of the forces destined for the protection of Norfolk and its vicinity, to take command of the detachment order for the defense of Hampton. He will organize and dispose of the whole force under his command as to him may seem proper.
By order of the Commander in Chief.
(Signed) Charles Fenton Mercer.
Aid de camp.
Pursuant to the authority given in the above orders, General Taylor adopted the following plan of organization.
There shall be three regiment, Number One, Two, and Three, the first Regiment to consist of the following companies to be stationed for the present near Fort Norfolk.
Capt. Critchlow’s Artillery.
Capt. Henley & Capt. Servants, Rifle (as flankers)
Capts. Green, Collier, Hopkins, Nat. Collins A. S. Brockenborugh, and Edward James, Infantry of the line.
Col. James Clark, Majors Wiley Campbell and Gawin S. Corbin are assigned to the first regiment.
The second regiment to consist of the following companies to be stationed for the present, at Norfolk.
Capt. William A. Rogers Artillery.
Capts. Edmund Taylor & Hamilton Shield Rifle as (Flankers) Captains Alexander Taylor and Spencer Gunn’s Lt.
Infantry Capts Blackwell Foster, Richard Graves, John C. Cohorn, Ezekiel Powell, Robert Courtney and John Thompson's Infantry of the line.
Cols. William Sharp, Major Archibald, Richard and James Maurice are assigned to the Second Regiment.
The Third Regiment to consist of the following companies to be stationed at present at Portsmouth.
Capt. Richard Corbin's Artillery.
Capt. Samuel Marshall & Henry W. Willis's Rifle and Lt Infantry (as flankers)
Capt. John Simmons and Nehemiah Freeman’s Light Infantry, Capt. John Read, Hardy Crop, Armistead Burwell, Arthur Lee, Fulman Laws, and Lieut. Littleberry Burgis’ Infantry of the line.
Col. Frances M. Boykin, Majors William C. Deale and Wiley Parker are assigned to the third Regiment.
The Cavalry will remain separate corps, under the command of the oldest Captains until the arrival of Major Byrd’s Cooper's Calvary and Pryer’s Artillery are for the present, attached to the command at Hampton, till further orders, the troops now at Hampton (to-wit) Pryer’s Artillery, Cooper's Calvary, Servant’s Rifleman, Brown & Shields Lt. Infantry and Colliers’ Infantry of the line; are placed under the command of Major Corbin at Hampton.
Capt. Corbin's Artillery will march, at 10 o'clock tomorrow to Fort Nelson, to replace Capt. Critchlow's Artillery which will march, at the same hour to Fort Norfolk to replace Capt. Roger’s artillery, which in turn will march at the same hour, to the barracks of Capt. Corbin's Company in Norfolk. The Rifle and Lt. Infantry and Captain Green's Company will march tomorrow at 10 o'clock to the stations assigned to their respective Regimens and report themselves to the officer Commanding. The troops ordered to March will take with them all their baggage. Commandant of the troops near Fort Norfolk and of the Depots of Norfolk and Portsmouth will form such of the men now under their command as, by the organization of the army have fallen to the two colonels into two detachments to be placed each under the command of a proper officer, who will march with them at 10 o'clock and report to the commanding officer of the Regiment to which they will belong.
The General has heard that some discontent has been shown in the camp at the plan of organization adopted for the Army, and that a few misguided individuals have made it a pretext for disgracefully directing the soldiers who can abandon the standard of his country in the moment of danger, and in a few miles of the enemy, is not animated by that feeling wgicg can alone render an army capable and victorious. The troops ought to believe that their commander is too deeply interested in the character and fate of the army to adopt any measure which is not intended to promote their honor and glory, with which his own are inseparably connected - all his hopes of unity and distinction hang on this army. Their glory or disgrace will be shared by him. If he were not bound to his troops by every feeling of confidence and attachment, his interest alone would guarantee his pursuing no measure injurious to them. That complained of he has no doubt, will on its development give a vigour and efficiency to to the army, which will convince the misguided themselves that it ought to have been adopted, and that the army will owe its future fame and distinction, when an opportunity shall be offered of meeting the enemy.
The general would be unworthy to conduct the gallant spirits which compose this army if he would be driven by the discontent and complaint of a few individuals, from measures of vital moment, deliberately adopted with what confidence would the army in the day of Battle rely on a commander who had not firmness to resist the unreasonable importunities of his own troops? How can the troops confide in his courage or conduct in the Field if he surrenders in the camp the wholesome authority which the laws have given him? The officer who has met resolution to maintain his authority will disgrace his army before the enemy. Should any one in the army have persuaded himself that the general will yield to insubordination, he wishes them to understand that such are the least likely means to change his measures, and that he is determined to maintain at every hazard, the subordination and obedience to the army. He will not however dishonor the brave men whom he commands by believing that each such an opportunity exists, on the contrary, he knows that each officer, noncommissioned officer and soldier will vie with each other in repelling the fowl calumny which the enemies of a free government have attempted to affix. They will prove to the world that freeman at the call of their beloved country will most readily submit to the necessary restraints of military life. The General directs this order to be read distinctively at the head of each Company at the evening parade this day, he directs also, that the 6th, 7th, 8th, 20th, 21st and 23rd Articles of war be read.
By order of the Brigadier
(signed) James Maurice, Brig. Insp.
Brigade Orders:
The commandants of Regiment will furnish the Brigade Inspector with the returns of the strength of their Regiment of the description of the troops composing the same - and of their arms, ammunition, accoutrements and camp equipage.
By order of the Brigadier
(signed) James Maurice, Brig. Insp.
More Orders
Source of Information
Virginia Regiment, 5th. Regimental order book, 1813. Accession 38140. Organization records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 21 - 26.