History

The idea for the 24th Virginia reenactment unit developed from the group of Civil War buffs who formed the Carroll-Wythe-Grayson Civil War Round Table.

For those not familiar with Civil War Round Tables (CWRTs for short), these are organizations of which there are several hundred across the country designed to promote the scholarly study of the Civil War, sponsor seminars and study groups, and primarily aid in efforts to preserve battlefields and other Civil War sites. Some groups are also involved in living history and re-enactments, but this is not a priority for most CWRTs. These groups were first organized a few decades ago and can now be found in every state.

The Carroll-Wythe-Grayson Civil War Round Table was formed in Galax on November 2, 1986, from an idea by local Civil War buffs Donald Trausneck and Mike Moore. Around a dozen people attended the organizational meeting and the first officers elected were Trausneck, President; Moore, Vice President; and Mike Butler, Secretary-Treasurer.

At first, it was intended that an artillery battery be formed, with Moore being an experienced artillery re-enactor. But with the excesssive cost of an artillery piece, it was decided to form an infantry unit. We chose to honor a local unit from Carroll County, the 24th Virginia Infantry Regiment, by carrying its honored name. Veteran infantry re-enactor Steve Warner, a charter member of the Round Table was chosen to be the 24th Virginia's first commander.

The first drill for our unit was held at the Hillsville VFW Post on a chilly afternoon, January 18, 1987.

The first re-enactment in which the 24th VA participated was the 125th Anniversary Reenactment of the Battle of Shiloh, April 4-5, 1987.

After commanding the 24th for the first three years of its existance, Warner accepted new employment and moved from Laurel Fork to eastern Virginia. Mike Butler of Galax was elected to serve as the 2nd commander of the 24th Virginia.

The year 1990 was an important year for the 24th Virginia Infantry. In addition to breaking in a new commander, the 24th was accepted as a full member into Longstreet's Corp.

Longstreet's Corps is still a very prominant group of Civil War reenactment units located in the Eastern United States and widely regarded as one of the best reenactment organizaions in the country.

The 24th Virginia and its alternate impression, the 83rd Pennsylvania remain very active throughout the year and annually participates in a dozen or more events each year. In addition to reenactments, the unit has also done numerous living histories and other activities to help educate the public on the Civil War. The 24th has also placed 24th Unit histories in area librarys, fenced and maintained a Confederate cemetary, and raised money to fund the restoration of the 24th Virginia's battle flag which is in the possetion of the Museum of the Confederacy.

Captain Butler lead the 24th VA through the 130th and 135th anniversary reenactments and saw the 24th VA participate in a "full scale" Pickett's Charge at the 135 anniversary Battle of Gettsyburg. Butler served as the commander of the 24th until his retirement from command at the beginning of the 2003 reenactment season.

Longtime unit member David Cooper was elected to replace Butler as the new commander of the 24th in 2003. The new century saw the membership of the 24th greatly expand, which created a lot of growing pains for the group. 2010 saw a split in the 24th, with a large number of the members leaving to form their own group. However, the 24th survived the split and became stronger, with many of the older members becoming active again. Cooper lead the 24th VA through the 140th and 145th anniversary events, as well as these trying times for the unit. When Cooper decided to step down after the 2010 season, Butler was reelected as the Captain for 2011. The 24th VA continues to be one of the most respected reenactment units in the area.

In addition to being a member of Longstreet's Corp, during the 90's, the 24th was also part of a Federal battalion as well. The 24th joined with the 44th VA, 1st WV, and 91st Ohio and formed the Kanawha Battalion. The Kanawha Battalion fought at many Southwest VA and West Virginia reenactments in the 90's until it disband. The Kanawha Battalion was commanded by Lt. Col. Butler.