John M. Dowdy

Residence was not listed; a 43 year-old Farmer.
Enlisted on 5/31/1861 at Yellow Branch, Campbell Co, VA as a Private.
On 5/31/1861 he mustered into "D" Co. VA 42nd Infantry
He was discharged for disability (date not stated)
He was listed as:
* On rolls 11/2/1861 (place not stated)
* Detailed 12/5/1861 (place not stated) (As teamster)
* Furlough 2/3/1862 Romney, VA (For 30 days)
* Wounded 3/23/1862 Kernstown, VA
(Died in Campbell County in July 1862, from effects
of wounds, height 6'2", fair complexion, blue eyes,
light hair)
Sources used by Historical Data Systems, Inc.:
- The Virginia Regimental Histories Series

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John M. Dowdy, Private, Company D, 42nd Virginia Infantry, detailed as Wagoner November, 1861, on sick furlough for 30 days February 3, 1862, "slightly wounded" in the engagement near Winchester, Va., March 23, 1862, discharged June 18, 1862, no further records

M324: Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Virginia

Note: The American CW Research Database list 18 killed, 50 wounded and 6 captured at Kernstown on May 23. I would suspect there were more.

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42nd Regiment, Virginia Infantry

42nd Infantry Regiment, organized at Staunton, Virginia, in July, 1861, recruited its members in Henry, Floyd, Bedford, Campbell, Roanoke, Patrick, and Franklin counties. After fighting at First Kernstown and in Jackson's Valley Campaign, the unit was assigned to J.R. Jones' and W. Terry's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It was active in many conflicts from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor, then moved with Early to the Shenandoah Valley and was involved in the Appomattox operations. This regiment reported 70 casualties at First Kernstown and totalled 750 effectives in May, 1862. It sustained no losses during the Seven Days' Battles but had many at Cedar Mountain. There were 62 disabled at Second Manassas, 26 at Fredericksburg, and 135 at Chancellorsville. Of the 265 engaged at Gettysburg, twenty-one percent were killed, wounded, or missing. Only 1 officer and 44 men surrendered. The field officers were Colonels Jesse S. Burks, Andrew J. Deyerle, John E. Penn, and R.W.Withers; Lieutenant Colonels Daniel A. Langhorne, William Martin, and Samuel H. Saunders; and Majors P.B. Adams, Henry Lane, and Jesse M. Richardson.
http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/regiments.cfm

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Forty-second Virginia Infantry

Cedar Mountain, VA after action report:

No. 39.

Report of Capt. Abner Dobyns, Forty-second Virginia Infantry.

CAMP NEAR LIBERTY MILLS,
August 13, 1862.

COLONEL: In obedience to orders I have the honor to submit the following
report of the operations of the Forty-second Regiment Virginia Volunteers
in the recent engagement at Cedar Run, Culpeper Country, Virginia, on
August 9:

About 3 p. m. the regiment, commanded by Maj. Henry Lane, in
conjunction with the rest of the brigade, was ordered to the front, and
accordingly marched along the Culpeper road until it reached a body of
woods about half a mile from the battle-field. It was then halted and ordered
to load. It was then filed off to the left of the road and marched through the
woods nearly parallel with the road, and during the march the woods were
very heavily shelled by the enemy, but no casualties occurred in the
regiment. The regiment was halted in the woods to the left of the road near
a field, where one or two pieces of our artillery were planted and in action.
It remained in this position near half an hour, and was then ordered to move
forward, and accordingly marched some 400 yards, until it reached a narrow
road leading to a wheat field; filing down the road to the left near 100 yards,
it then filed to the right through the woods parallel with the fence until it
reached its depth; it was then halted and fronted in line of battle. The
Forty-eighth Virginia Regiment was on the right and the First Virginia
Battalion on the left. Our skirmishers, who had previously been thrown out,
soon discovered those of the enemy near at hand, and in a few moments the
main body of the enemy advanced from the woods opposite the wheat field
to our front, and having gotten midway the wheat field the regiment was
ordered to fire, which was done with a great deal of coolness and rapidity,
and kept up constantly for some half an hour or more, the regiment
remaining in good all the time.

Early in the engagement Maj. Lane was mortally wounded, and a great
many of the company officers and men were killed and wounded.

The enemy, having flanked us right and left, were seen suddenly advancing
upon our rear in considerable disorder. About this juncture we received
orders to fall back and soon came in contact with the
enemy at the point of the bayonet. A good many of the officers and soldiers
of the regiment wee captured by the enemy and again recaptured, and many
of them severely wounded while in the hands of the enemy. Several officers
and men of the regiment whom we recaptured from the enemy informed me
that they were most brutally maltreated by the enemy, and saw many of our
men brutally murdered after being captured.

During this portion of the engagement the regiment was thrown in great
confusion and became much scattered, but a larger portion of those
remaining were afterward rallied and moved forward with Gen. Branch's
brigade, and charged through the wheat field to the woods and halted. The
loss was very light during the charge. The regiment as them marched
through the wheat field and across the road to the right into a corn field, and
remained during the night. After this, nothing worthy of note occurred.

The loss in the regiment, both in killed and wounded, was very heavy, but
not more than 6 or 8 were missing. The regiment captured a large number
of the enemy, both officers and men, and sent them to the rear.

Respectfully submitted.

A. DOBYNS,
Capt., Comdg. Forty-second Regiment Virginia Volunteers.

Source: Official Records
PAGE 203-16 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., AND MD. [CHAP. XXIV.
[Series I. Vol. 12. Part II, Reports. Serial No. 16.]