23rd Virginia Infantry Battalion
The 23rd Virginia Infantry Battalion, often called "Derrick's Battalion", was an infantry battalion in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly in western Virginia (now West Virginia) and the Shenandoah Valley, and was usually part of a brigade commanded by John Echols or George S. Patton. By 1864, the brigade was usually part of a division commanded by Major General John C. Breckinridge or Brigadier General Gabriel C. Wharton.
| 23rd Battalion, Virginia Infantry | |
|---|---|
Flag of Virginia, 1861 | |
| Active | January 1862 – Spring 1865 |
| Country | Confederate States of America |
| Allegiance | Virginia |
| Branch | Confederate States Army |
| Role | Infantry |
| Nickname(s) | Derrick's Battalion |
| Engagements | American Civil War 1862: Fayetteville (Virginia), Charleston (Virginia) |
| Commanders | |
| Major | David Stuart Hounshell 1862 |
| Lt. Colonel | Clarence Derrick 1862–1864 |
| Major | William Blessing 1864–1865 |
From its organization in January 1862 until a reorganization in May of the same year, the battalion was commanded by Major David Stuart Hounshell. Shortly after the reorganization, Lieutenant Colonel Clarence Derrick was commissioned and became battalion commander. Derrick graduated from the United States Military Academy (West Point) in 1861. Most of the battalion's men were from Virginia counties located along the Appalachian Mountains. An additional company was from West Virginia's Mercer County, and another company from North Carolina's Stokes County.
Battles at White Sulphur Springs, Droop Mountain, and Third Winchester were the most significant fighting for the battalion. Major William Blessing temporarily led the battalion in the Battle of Droop Mountain in 1863. After Derrick was captured in the Third Battle of Winchester on September 19, 1864, Captain Edmund S. Read temporarily commanded the battalion until Blessing returned from the hospital. Blessing commanded the battalion until the end of the war.