Confederate 5th Louisiana Infantry

By Crusader1307

Over 1,074 Officers and Men enlisted with The 5th Louisiana Infantry Regiment (Crescent Guards) in 1861. They were a modified Zouave Infantry Regiment, popular with many Confederate Louisiana Regiments. Assigned to General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, The Regiment was detached to The Department of The Peninsula. Disease would account for over 300 killed. The first battle The 5th fought in was Second Manasas (Virginia). They lost 30 Officers and Men in the fray. The 5th would go on to fight at several epic Civil War Battles, to include Antietam and Fredericksburg. It was at Gettysburg that The Regiment – now 400 strong, would lose half during the 3-day conflict. Reformed and replaced, they would go on to participate in the remainder of The Army of Northern Virginia's engagements. The 5th surrendered with Lee at Appomattox Court House, Virginia with only 150 reporting for duty.