Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 14.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

As might have been expected from the hasty collection of such bodies of citizen soldiery, with so little organization and under entirely inexperienced officers, there was not due diligence exercised by our pickets. This called forth an order from General Lee on the subject on the 20th June.¹ But the wonder is not that such raw troops should have been at the first unwary, but rather that they were so seldom taken by surprise. The truth, however, is that up to this time there had been but little general organization. The army was, for the most part, a mere collection of volunteer companies, in which the captains were the authorities, under but little regimental control and without even brigade organization.

The first brigade organization was made on the 20th June, and as it may be said to be the commencement of the organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, I give it in full.²

General orders no. 20.

headquarters Army of the Potomac, Manassas Junction, Va., June 20, 1861.

The following is announced as the organization of the First Corps of the Army of the Potomac, which, for convenience, will be the designation of the troops of this command:

I. The First Brigade will consist of Gregg's, Bacon's, Kershaw's and Cash's regiments South Carolina volunteers, Brigadier-General M. L. Bonham commanding.

II. The Second Brigade, commanded by Brigadier-General R. S. Ewell, Provisional Army of the Confederate States, will be formed of Seibel's and Rodes's regiments of Alabama volunteers, and Seymour's regiment of Louisiana volunteers.

III. The Third Brigade will consist of Jenkins's regiment of South Carolina volunteers and Featherston's and Burt's regiments of Mississippi volunteers, Brigadier-General D. R. Jones, Provisional Army Confederate States, commanding.

IV. The Fourth Brigade, Colonel G. H. Terrett, Provisional Army of Virginia, commanding, will be formed of Moore's, Garland's and Corse's regiments of Virginia volunteers.

V. The Fifth Brigade will consist of Cocke's, Preston's and Withers's regiments of Virginia volunteers, Colonel P. St. George Cocke, Virginia volunteers, commanding.

VI. The Sixth Brigade, Colonel J. A. Early, commanding, will be formed of Early's and Kemper's Virginia volunteers and Sloan's regiment of South Carolina volunteers.