The Fourth Alabama Painting by Don Troiani

Third Brigade, Army of the Shenandoah

Private H S Harris, Company B, 6th North Carolina State Troops

Private H S Harris, Company B, 6th North Carolina State Troops

Sixth North Carolina State Troops

Mustered in Confederate service on 3 July, 1861, and arrived at Manassas Junction at 8 AM on 21 July, 1861

COLONEL C F FISHER
Colonel C F Fisher was appointed colonel at Company Shops, North Carolina, by a special military board on 23 May, 1861.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL C E LIGHTFOOT
Lieutenant Colonel W T Dortch resigned prior to the regiment leaving for Virginia, on the death of of Governor Ellis, by reason of his office in the legislature and was replaced by Major C E Lightfoot.

MAJOR R F WEBB
Major C E Lightfoot was promoted to lieutenant colonel prior to the regiment leaving for Virginia and was replaced by Captain R F Webb, Company B, on 11 July, 1861.

Company A Jackson Rangers: CAPT. S S KIRKLAND
Captain R M McKinney was assigned to the 15th North Carolina State Troops as colonel before the regiment was fully organised.
Company B Flat River Guard: CAPT. W K PARRISH
The company was organised at Hillsboro, Orange County. Captain R F Webb was promoted to major prior to the regiment proceeding to Richmond, Virginia, and was replaced by First Lieutenant W K Parrish.
Company C Orange Greys: CAPT. W G FREELAND
The company was organised at Hillsboro, Orange County.
Company D: CAPT. S MCD TATE
The company was organised at Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, on 28 May, 1861.
Company E: CAPT. I E AVERY
Company F Hawfield River Boys: CAPT. J W WILSON
First Lieutenant R N Carter commanding on 21 July, 1861, as Captain J W Wilson was too ill for duty.
Company G: CAPT. J A CRAIGE
Company H Caswell Boys: CAPT. A A MITCHELL
Company I Cedar Fork Rifles: CAPT. R W YORK
The company was organised at Cedar Fork, Wake County, North Carolina, and was originally known as the Wake Riflemen.
Company K Flat Bottom Boys or North Carolina Greys: CAPT. J W LEA

Sources

"The regiment was assigned to General Bee's Brigade, and we were soon hurried out and given a place on the extreme left of the line of battle which General Johnston had formed to meet the expected attack from the enemy."

"We safely reached Manassas Junction on the morning of the 21st. Disembarking there, we could hear the firing of guns – the battle had begun – and we marched off hurriedly in the direction of the firing."

"He, with the two rear companies, was by some means separated from the balance of the regiment as it was marching into battle. I saw him (Lieutenant Colonel C E Lightfoot), and these two companies in the rear, after the battle had ended."

Histories of the several regiments and battalions from North Carolina, in the Great War 1861–'65, written by members of the respective commands and edited by Walter Clark (Lieutenant Colonel, 17th North Carolina State Troops)

"In addition, there arrived at Manassas about noon, and on the battle-field between two and four o'clock, Fisher's Sixth Carolina, 634, and Kirby Smith's brigade (afterward led by Elzey), of 1,700 men and 2 guns; and also Hill's Virginia Regiment, 550."

The army in the Civil War, Volume 1: The outbreak of rebellion, by John G Nicolay, private Secretary to President Lincoln

The bloody sixth, by Richard W Iobst

Roster of North Carolina troops in the War Between the States during the years 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864 and 1865, Volume 1, by John W Moore

Notes

The 6th North Carolina State Troops was organised at Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, on 16 May, 1861, and was ordered to Camp Alamance, Company Shops, Alamance County, North Carolina, on the North Carolina railroad on 1 June, 1861. The regiment was mustered in Confederate service on 3 July, 1861, and was ordered to Richmond, Virginia, via Weldon, North Carolina, and Petersburg, Virginia, on 8 July, 1861. The 6th North Carolina State Troops was detained at Raleigh, North Carolina, as Companies B and C, under the command of Major C E Lightfoot, were detailed as escort to the body of Governor J W Ellis and arrived at the depot of the North Carolina Railroad at Raleigh, North Carolina, at 10 AM on 10 July, 1861. The regiment was ordered to proceed to Richmond, Virginia, on 11 July, 1861, and arrived in the morning on 12 July, 1861. The 6th North Carolina State Troops was immediately ordered to proceed by railroad to Winchester, Virginia, in the evening and remained at Camp Pickens, Manassas Junction, until the morning on 14 July, 1861. The regiment arrived at Strasburg, Virginia, the same day and was ordered to Winchester, Virginia, on 15 July, 1861.

At 1 AM on 18 July, 1861, the War Department at Richmond, Virginia, ordered General J E Johnston to proceed with the Army of the Shenandoah to Manassas Junction and join the Army of the Potomac, under the command of Brigadier General P G T Beauregard.

The 6th North Carolina State Troops arrived at Piedmont Station, Virginia, at 10 PM on 19 July, 1861, and as a reward for repairing the railroad procceeded to Camp Pickens, Manassas Junction, at 7 PM on 20 July, 1861. The regiment arrived at Camp Pickens, Manassas Junction, at 8 AM on 21 July, 1861, and reported to General J E Johnston's headquarters at the Lewis House, Portici, at 2 PM the same day. After the first battle of Manassas the 6th North Carolina State Troops remained on the battlefield until 24 July, 1861, and was ordered to proceed to Camp Bee, near Camp Pickens, Manassas Junction. The regiment was ordered to Camp Jones, near the Orange & Alexandria railroad, Bristoe Station, Virginia, on 3 August, 1861.

Captain B E Bee, 10th United States Infantry, was the senior captain at Fort Laramie, Dakota Territory, and resigned his commission on 3 March, 1861. Captain B E Bee was assigned to the 1st South Carolina Regular Infantry, as lieutenant colonel and on 17 June, 1861, Lieutenant Colonel B E Bee was commissioned a brigadier general.

On 8 May, 1861, ten regiments of North Carolina State Troops, numbering 1st through 10th, were organised to serve during the civil war. Two days later, thirteen regiments of volunteers for twelve months' service were authorised, numbering 1st through 8th and 10th through 14th. On 14 November, 1861, Special Order No.222, Adjutant and Inspector General's Office, Richmond, Virginia, authorised the original ten regiments of state troops to keep their numbering and the volunteers to be redesignated and all units were subsequently referred to as North Carolina State Troops.

On 25 July 1861, the Army of the Shenandoah was reorganised and the regiment was assigned to the Third Brigade, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, under the command of Brigadier General W H C Whiting.