The regiment was assembled at Garysburg, North Carolina, in May, 1861, with slightly more than 1,300 men. Its companies were recruited in the following counties: New Hanover, Wilson, Surry, Carteret, Duplin, Guilford, Sampson, Craven, Jones, and Pamlico.

After serving in the Department of North Carolina the unit moved to Virginia where it was assigned to G. B. Anderson’s, Ramseur’s, and Cox’s Brigade. It took an active part in the difficult campaigns of the army from the Seven Days’ Battles to Cold Harbor, fought with Early in the Shenandoah Valley, and ended the war at Appomattox.

The regiment sustained 116 casualties during the Seven Days’ Battles, 50 at Sharpsburg, 21 at Fredericksburg, and 214 at Chancellorsville. Of the 243 engaged at Gettysburg, twenty-five percent were disabled, and there were 2 killed and 2 wounded at Bristoe. Only 6 officers and 48 men surrendered.

The field officers were Colonels William P. Bynum, John P. Cobb, William R. Cox, and Charles C. Tew; Lieutenant Colonel Walter S. Stallings; and Majors John Howard, Daniel W. Hurtt, and J. Turner Scales.

This company, known as the "Guilford Guards", was organized in Guilford County and enlisted at Greensboro and Hillsdale in Guilford County during the period July 23-24, 1861. The company offered its service to the State of North Carolina and was mustered in at Raleigh on September 20, 1861 as the 2nd Company E of the 2nd Regiment, North Carolina State Troops.

The first Company E was withdrawn from the regiment when the regiment received marching orders on July 13, 1861, because is was not sufficiently organized or trained for the campaign that was anticipated. The company transferred to the 7th North Carolina, which was being formed at that time, and became Company E of that regiment.

The 2nd Company E was ordered to Hyde County, North Carolina, and Fort Hall, soon after it was mustered in. It joined the regiment sometime during the period of November-December, 1861.

The roster below comes from NC Troops. Listed with each man is his rank and the fate that had befallen him by the end of the War.

Key to Abbreviations used in the roster below:

DOD – Died of disease

DOW – Died of wound

DIH – Died in hospital

DIH/D - Died in hospital from disease

DIH/W - Died in hospital from wound

POW – Prisoner of War

OA – Oath of Allegiance

Morehead, John H. – Transfer to 45th NC, 04/03/1862

Gorrell, Henry Clay – KIA 06/21/1862, Williamsburg Road, VA

Scales, James Turner – Promoted to Major and transferred to Regimental Field and Staff, 08/30/1864

Fraley, John T. - 2nd Lieutenant – DOW, 05/15/1864, Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA,

Hobson, James M. - 1st Lieutenant – POW, OA, Fort Delaware, 06/10/1865

Hobson, John M. - 2nd Lieutenant – POW, OA, Johnson’s Island, 06/18/1865

Morehead, Joseph M. - 2nd Lieutenant – Resigned for medical reasons, January 1862

Adams, Asa – Private – Deserted December 1861

Adams, James – Private – Paroled at Greensboro, NC, 05/11/1865

Adcock, B. F. – Private – Transferred to CS Navy, 04/05/1864

Autry, Rayford – Private – POW, OA, Hart’s Island, New York Harbor, 06/21/1865

Babiston, Perdee – Private - POW, OA, Hart’s Island, New York Harbor, 06/18/1865

Baggot, Naylor – Private – KIA, 05/03/1863, Chancellorsville, VA

Baines, James F. – Sergeant – KIA, 10/19/1864, Cedar Creek, VA,

Bass, B. D. – Private – Died 03/26/1863

Baynes, Eaton – Private – DOD, 08/09/1864

Bell, William – Private – Paroled at Greensboro, NC, 5/13/1865

Benson, Thomas E. – Private – DIH, 02/01/1863, Guinea Station, VA

Booth, John T. – Sergeant - Present or accounted for through October, 1864

Booth, Robert – Private – Died at home in Guilford County, 10/10/1862

Brasswell, C. R. – Private – Paroled at Goldsboro, 05/18/1865

Brower, D. F. – Private – DOD, 10/20/1862, Richmond, VA

Bullard, Love – Private – DOD, 11/01/1862, Sampson County

Bullard, Thomas – Private – KIA, Chancellorsville, 05/03/1863

Burke, James – Private – KIA, 05/12/1864, Spotsylvania Courthouse

Cain, John J. – Private – Deserted 06/26/1863 in Pennsylvania

Carter, Harrison – Private – Died in Camp, 09/25-27/1863, near Winchester, VA

Carter, Henry – Private – Present or accounted for through October, 1864

Chunn, Thomas – Private

Coble, David P. – Private – Died, March 1862, Fredericksburg, VA

Cody, Murphy – Private – POW, OA, Hart’s Island, New York Harbor, 06/17/1865

Coffey, Michael – Private – POW, OA, Point Lookout, 06/24/1865

Colly, Luther R. – Sergeant – Paroled at Appomattox Courthouse, VA, 04/09/1865

Copeland, C. S. – Private – DOW/DOD, 09/03/1862

Core, William – Private – Wounded, Malvern Hill, VA, 07/01/1862 and discharged

Crutchfield, Algelin S. – Private – Deserted to the enemy, 07/10/1864

Dillon, Jonathan – Private – POW, OA, Elmira Prison, Elmira, NY Prison, 05/17/1865

Dorothy, James – Private – Captured near Fredericksburg, VA, 05/04/1863. Took OA to "remain within any of the loyal states."

Dudley, John – Private – POW, Paroled, Point Lookout, 02/13/1865

Dunbar, Solomon – Private Transferred to 17th NC, 09/30/1861

Duncan, James A. – Corporal – POW, OA, Newport News, 06/30/1865

Ellington, Armistead – Private – KIA, 06/27/1862, Gaines Mill, VA

Estis, William – Private – DIH/D, 11/16/1862, Richmond, VA

Faircloth, Evans – Private – DOD, 09/24/1862, Boonsboro, MD

Farrington, Loton, W. – Private – Discharged by reason of infection of the lung, 11/02/1863

Fitts, Henry – Private – AWOL after September 1864

Fitts, John H. – Private - DOD, October 1862, Winchester, VA

Fitzgerald, Thomas F. – Private – DOD, February 1862, Aquia Creek, VA

Fitzgerald, William F. – Private – KIA, 07/01/1862, Malvern Hill, VA

Foster, Samuel – Private – AWOL from January 1863 – October 1864; captured & paroled at Anderson, SC, 05/08/1865

Foulkes, James – Private – Shot for desertion, 09/16/1865

Fowler, D. B. – Private – DOD, 10/31/1862, Winchester, VA

Fowler, Warren – Private – Retired to Invalid Corps, 12/01/1864; Paroled at Greensboro, NC, 05/04/1865

Fraley, Milas J. – Private – Died in Camp, 03/17/1863, Fredericksburg, VA

Garrett, Henry J. – Private – POW, OA, Hart’s Island, New York Harbor, 06/17/1865

Gorrell, Ralph – Private - Present or accounted for through October, 1864

Gray, Wesley – Private – DOW, July 1862

Gronell, B. – Private – Paroled by Pres. Jefferson Davis 08/03/1864 for service in Winder’s Legion

Hackett, Leaven W., – Sergeant – Paroled at Appomattox Courthouse, VA, 04/09/1865

Hair, John C. – Private – DOD, date unknown

Hall, Loftin – Private - Present or accounted for through October, 1864

Hanhill, Henry G. – Private – Paroled at Fairfax Courthouse, VA, 10/19/1862 and forwarded to the Provost Marshall, Washington, DC

Harris, Washington – Sergeant – DIH/D, 07/16-17/1862, Petersburg, VA

Hawley, Reddick – Private

Heath, E. A. J. – Sergeant – DOD, 10/24/1862

Hodson, Eli – Private – Discharge 08/13/1862 for medical reasons

Holbrook, John – Private – DOD 07/20-21/1862

Holly, B. – Private – Died 10/31/1862

Holly, John A. – Private – Died October 1862

Holly, R. – Private – DIH/D, 11/03/1862, Staunton, VA

Holly, Reddick – Private – DIH/W, 06/25/1863, Richmond, VA

Howard, H. A. – Private – Paroled, 05/15/1865, Morganton, NC

Howlett, Asa – Private – Died, December 1861

Huffman, Estell S. – Private – DOD, January 1862

Hughes, Milton T. – Private – POW, Paroled 02/20/1865, Elmira Prison, Elmira, NY. Rec’d 30-day furlough, 03/11/1865

Jackson, Ballard – Private – Failed to return from furlough in September 1863; reported as AWOL through October 1864

Jackson, Henry – Private – DOD 07/22/1862

Jeffreys, J. C. – Private

Jeffreys, Samuel H. – Private – KIA, 05/03/1863, Chancellorsville

Johnson, George – Private – Transferred to another company in regiment, November-December 1863

Jones, H. M. – Private – DOD, 07/27/1862

King, Alfred – Private – Paroled at Greensboro, NC, 05/11/1865

King, Thomas W. – Private – POW, OA, Fort Delaware, 05/10/1865

Kirkman, John – Private – Died 04/30/1862

Kirkman, John C. – Private – Deserter; took OA and given transportation to Indiana, April 1865.

Kirkman, John M. – Sergeant – DIH/W, 06/05/1864, Richmond, VA

Lee, John W. – Corporal – Discharged for medical reasons, 09/05/1863

Lewis, Searls M. – Private – DIH/W, 06/15/1863, Richmond, VA

Livengood, Henderson – Private – Died in Davie County, NC, 07/08/1862

Lockamy, Huey – Private – POW, OA, 06/24/1865, Point Lookout, MD

Lockamy, Moses – Private – POW & paroled at Leesburg, VA, 10/02/1862. Reported AWOL through October 1864

Lowman, Joshua – Private – POW, DOD, 02/18/1865, Elmira Prison, Elmira, NY

Loyd, Jesse – Private – Deserted 08/06/1863

McLean, James M. – Sergeant – KIA, 06/27/1862, Gaines Mill

McLean, John R. – 1st Sergeant – DIH/D, 08/08/1862, Richmond, VA

McLemore, Lofton H. – Private – Discharged 04/24/1864 for medical reasons

Manning, W. A. – Private – Reported on rolls as "absent, sick" from 09/06/1862 though October 1864.

Marlo, George – Private

Marlow, John – Private

Marshall, Thomas N. – Private – Paroled at Greensboro, NC, 05/10/1865

Maxwell, Alexander T. – Private – POW, Died 01/06/1864, Point Lookout, MD

Maxwell, Duncan C. – Private – Died, 10/25/1862, Winchester, VA

May, J. D. – Private – POW, DOW, 07/21/1863, Davids Island, New York Harbor

May, Nathaniel A. – Private – Reported on detail from 03/01/1864 through October 1864

May, Oliver – Private – DIH, 08/05/1862, Richmond, VA

Mitchell, B. B. – Private

Most, G. H. – Private – Paroled at Salisbury, 05/16/1865

Murray, Alsay H. – Private – DIH, 08/16/1865, Richmond, VA

Naylor, Joseph – Private – Wounded at Chancellorsville, arm amputated. Reported as "absent, wounded" through October 1864.

Newell, Richard – Private – KIA, 08/22/1864

Page, S. B. – Private – Discharged for medical reasons, 04/13/1863

Parish, Drury – Private – POW, OA, 05/14/1865, Point Lookout, MD

Parish, Henry – Private – Paroled at Greensboro, NC, 05/15/1865

Parker, Joseph L. – Private – DOD, 04/23/1863, Sampson County

Patterson, Archibald – Private – DOD, date unknown

Pegram, John W. – Private – POW, OA, 05/14/1865, Point Lookout, MD

Pegram, Lindsey – Private – Died, October-November 1862, Winchester, VA

Peoples, Albert G. – Private – DOD, 11/19/1863, Richmond, VA

Peterson, Fleet – Private – DOD, 11/29/1862, Staunton, VA

Phipps, Daniel W. – Private – DIH/D, 08/08/1862, Richmond, VA

Phipps, J. – Private

Pitchford, James L. – Private - POW, OA, 06/30/1865, Newport News, VA

Pugh, Alvis – Private – Wounded, Gaines Mill, 06/27/1862; discharged 06/30/1862 due to loss of last three fingers of left hand

Raynor, Hinton – Private – KIA, 05/03/1863, Chancellorsville, VA

Raynor, Samuel – Private – DOD, 10/23/1862, Staunton, VA

Reynolds, John E. – Private – POW, OA, 03/22/1864, Old Capitol Prison, Washington, DC

Reynold, Peter – Private - Present or accounted for through October, 1864

Robertson, Henry – Private – KIA, 07/01/1862, Malvern Hill, VA

Royal, Albert – Sergeant – POW, OA, 06/17/1865, Hart’s Island, New York Harbor

Ryan, Robert F. – Corporal - KIA, 06/27/1862, Gaines Mill, VA

Safret, M. A. – Private – Paroled 05/02/1865, Greensboro, NC

Scott, William T. – Private – POW, OA, 06/20/1865, Point Lookout, MD

Shepherd, Wilson – Private – POW, OA, 06/20/1865, Point Lookout, MD

Sheppard, William E. – Private – DIH/D, 07/31/1862, Richmond, VA

Sills, John – Private – Paroled, 04/09/1865, Appomattox Courthouse, VA

Silvy, Albert – Private – DOD, 04/03/1863, Guinea Station, VA

Simmons, Amaziah – Private – KIA, 05/08/1864, Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA

Simmons, Ashford – Private – POW, OA, 06/30/1865, Newport News, VA

Simmons, F. R. – Private – DIH/D, 10/05/1862, Richmond, VA

Simmons, Miles – Private – Died, 10/26/1862, Mount Jackson, VA

Smith, H. H. – Private – POW, Davids Island, New York Harbor; exchanged 09/16/1863

Smith, Marcellus – Sergeant – KIA, 05/03/1863, Chancellorsville, VA

Smith, Milton M. – Private – Died in Camp, 01/01/1863

Smith, Sparkman – Private – DIH/D, 09/29/1862, Culpeper Courthouse, VA

Smith, William D. – 1st Sergeant – POW, OA, 06/20/1865, Point Lookout, MD

Somers, John R. – Private – Killed near Richmond, VA, 06/21/1862

Southard, Anderson – Private – DIH, 07/30/1862, Richmond, VA

Southard, Daniel – Private – DIH/D, 11/26/1862, Richmond, VA

Southard, Emsley – Private – DOD, 07/05/1862

Stack, T. – Private – Wounded, admitted to US Army Field Hospital, 09/19/1864, Winchester, VA; transferred 09/23/1864

Stanly, Nathan H. – Private – POW, OA, 06/17/1865, Hart’s Island, New York Harbor

Steel, George Calvin – Private – KIA, 05/08/1864, Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA

Stewart, C. J. – Private

Stewart, Duncan J. – Private – AWOL in Sampson County according to muster rolls through October 1864.

Tatum, John Hawkins – Private – Paroled, 05/05/1865, Greensboro, NC

Taylor, Andrew – Private – KIA, 07/01/1862, Malvern Hill

Taylor, Edward – Corporal – Died in camp, 07/24/1862

Taylor, S. – Private – Paroled, 05/08/1865, Goldsboro, NC

Taylor, Thomas – Private – DOD, 06/27/1862, Wilmington, NC

Tew, Holly – Private – DIH/D, 01/31/1863, Danville, VA

Thomas, Robert – Private – Discharged for medical reasons, 07/28/1862

Thompson, John – Private – POW, OA, 06/30/1865, Newport News, VA

Thompson, William A. – Sergeant – DIH, 06/01/1863, Richmond, VA

Turner, Daniel – Private – POW, OA, 06/30/1865, Newport News, VA

Usrey, Samuel W. – Private – Reported detailed in hospital at Richmond, VA, from 02/22/1864 through October 1864

Walker, A. – Private – DOD, 10/13/1862, Culpeper Courthouse, VA

Walls, Burgess – Private – Deserted 06/15/1862

Ward, Joshua – Private – Paroled 04/15/1865, Lynchburg, VA

Warren, John Thomas – Private – Paroled, 04/09/1865, Appomattox Courthouse, VA

Westbrooks, Alfred – Private – Paroled, 05/15/1865, Greensboro, NC

Westbrooks, Warren – Private

White, P. – Private

White, William P. – Private

Whitt, David – Private – DOW, 05/21/1864

Whitt, Newton – Private – Paroled, 05/09/1865, Greensboro, NC

Whittington, Calvin – Private – Transferred to CS Navy, January 1862

Wilkerson, Charles G. – Private – POW, OA, 06/22/1865, Point Lookout, MD

Williams, Jacob – Private – POW, OA, 06/30/1865, Newport News, VA

Williams, Robert – Private – DOW, 05/15/1864

Wilson, Daniel J. – Private – Wounded at Chancellorsville, VA, 05/03/1863; carried as "absent, sick" on rolls through October 1864

Wilson, Henry – Private – Discharged October 1862 due to being underage

Wood, Milton – Private – POW, OA, 05/12-14/1865, Point Lookout, MD

Work, Henry A. – Private – Deserter 02/23/1865, OA, provided transportation to Pennsylvania, 02/27/1865

Wrench, John – Private – POW, OA, 06/20/1865, Point Lookout, MD

Wright, B. F. – Private – Wounded 07/18/1864; on roll as "absent, wounded" through October 1864

Wright, Richard – Private – Discharged for medical reasons, 11/10/1863

Yarborough, A. C. – Private – DIH/D, 08/15/1863, Richmond, VA