Past Commanders

This is a roster of past commanders of the 116th Infantry Regiment, ancestral and descendant units, since its inception in 1741. If the individual has a memorial page just click on their name to go to that page. There will be no memorial or biographical pages for living persons. An * by their name indicates that they died in service. Because some visitors will regard the 1st Virginia Brigade (CSA) which was referred to as the Stonewall Brigade as an ancestral unit as well as the 5th Virginia I've included the commanders of that unit at the bottom of the page. I should also note that the order of command of the 5th Virginia is perhaps a bit at odds with other lists. The order and dates might vary somewhat as it was constantly changing due to the exigencies of war (wounds, illness, temporary command of other units, etc.).





Date of ServiceUnitRankNameBorn-Died
1742-1755Augusta Cty RegtCOLJames Patton *c. 1690-1755
1755Augusta Cty RegtCOLJohn Buchananc. 1720-1769
1755-1767Augusta Cty RegtCOLAndrew Lewis1720-1781
1767-1774Augusta Cty RegtCOLAbraham Smith1722-1782
1774Augusta Cty RegtCOLCharles Lewis *
1736-1774
1774-1778Augusta Cty RegtCOLAbraham Smith1722-1782
1778-1781Augusta Cty RegtCOLSampson Mathews1737-1807
1781-1783Augusta Cty RegtCOLGeorge Moffett1735-1811
1783-178532nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLAlexander Robertson1741-1810
1785-178732nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLGeorge Moffett1735-1811
1787-178832nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLAlexander Robertson1741-1810
1788-178932nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLWilliam Bowyerc. 1740-c. 1807
1789-179032nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLAlexander Robertson1741-1810
1790-179232nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLWilliam Bowyerc. 1740-c. 1807
1792-179432nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLAndrew Anderson, Sr.c. 1748-1823
1794-180932nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLAndrew Alexander, Jr.unknown
1809-181132nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLJames Allenunknown
1811-181232nd Regt VA MilitiaMAJWilliam Bell1744-1833
1814-183332nd Regt VA Militia-records missing
1836-183832nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLFranklin McCue1795-1783
1838-184432nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLGeorge W. McCulloch1800-1845
1844-184632nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLNathaniel Kerr1801-1888
1846-184732nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLFranklin McCue1795-1783
1847-184932nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLGeorge Baylor Jr.
1804-1871
1849-185832nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLSamuel D. Crawford1795-?
1858-186032nd Regt VA MilitiaCOLSamuel Houston McCune1819-1889
18615th VA Inf (CSA)MGKenton Harper1801-1867
1861-18625th VA Inf (CSA)COLWilliam Henry Harman *
1828-1865
18625th VA Inf (CSA)COLWilliam Smith Hanger Baylor *1831-1862
18625th VA Inf (CSA)MAJHazael Joseph Williams1830-1911
18625th VA Inf (CSA)COLJohn Henry Stover Funk *
1837-1864
18635th VA Inf (CSA)LTCHazael Joseph Williams
1830-1911
18635th VA Inf (CSA)
MAJJames William Newton
1838-1896
18635th VA Inf (CSA)
COLJohn Henry Stover Funk *
1837-1864
18645th VA Inf (CSA)

consolidated w/other units
 

18655th VA Inf (CSA)
CPTEdwin L. Curtis
1824-1887
1865-1881

none due to reconstruction

1881-18852nd VA Regt
BGWilliam Lewis Bumgardner1844-1890
1889-18932nd VA Regt
BGJames Carr Baker1851-1917
1900-190670th VA Regt
BGGeorge Wayne Anderson1863-1922
1906-191870th and 1st VA
BGWilliam James Perry1866-1943
1918116th Inf RegtCOLRobert Franklin Leedy1863-1924
1918116th Inf RegtCOLHansford Lee Threlkeld1868-1949
1918116th Inf RegtBGWilliam James Perry1866-1943
1918116th Inf RegtCOLHobart Blauvelt Brown1884-1955
1918116th Inf RegtCOLHansford Lee Threlkeld1868-1949
1918116th Inf RegtCOLArchibald Jesse "Archie" Harris1874-1953
1918116th Inf RegtCOLReginald Heber Kelley1880-1963
1918-1919116th Inf RegtBGGeorge Washington Ball II1884-1921
1919116th Inf RegtCOLFitzhugh Lee Minigerode1878-1943
1921-1933116th Inf RegtBGHierome Lindsay Opie Sr.1880-1943
1933-1940116th Inf RegtBGGeorge Murrell Alexander Sr.1889-1961
1940-1942116th Inf RegtMGEvarts Walton Opie Sr.1893-1982
1942-1943116th Inf RegtBGMorris Thompson Warner1899-1982
1943-1944116th Inf RegtMGCharles Draper William Canham1901-1963
1944116th Inf RegtCOLPhilip Roy Dwyer1900-1985
1944116th Inf RegtLTCHarold Andrew Cassell1908-1974
1944-1945116th Inf RegtCOLSidney Vincent Bingham1890-1946
1945-1946116th Inf RegtLTCHarold Andrew Cassell1908-1974
1946-1952116th Inf RegtBGArthur Taylor Sheppe1904-1974
1952-1959116th Inf RegtMGArchibald Alexander Sproul1915-2005
1959-19642nd Bde 29th IDCOLMifflin Belsterling Clowe Jr.1917-2001
1964-19672nd Bde 29th ID
BGJohn Charles Steck1911-1977
1967-19722nd Bde 29th IDCOLWilliam Kent Adams1917-1995
1972-19772nd Bde 29th IDBGRobert Julian Bradshaw1921-2012
1977-1980116th Inf Bde (Sep)MGJohn Glover "Jack" Castles1925-2001
1980-1983116th Inf Bde (Sep)LTGJames Alexander Baber1929-2017
1983-1985116th Inf Bde (Sep)MGGilbert Jackson "Gilly" Sullivan1928-2009
1985-19911st Bde 29 ID (L)MGWendell Lynn Seldon1929-2020
1991-199?1st Bde 29 ID (L)MGRodney Ware McNeilLiving Person
199?-199?1st Bde 29 ID (L)COLJames D. HoldenLiving Person
199?-19941st Bde 29 ID (L)BGLloyd David McDanielLiving Person
1994-19971st Bde 29 ID (L)COLStephen Edward AreyLiving Person
1997-20001st Bde 29 ID (L)BGTheodore George Shuey Jr.Living Person
2000-20021st Bde 29 ID (L)BGRonald Durwood YoungLiving Person
2002-20041st Bde 29 ID (L)COLRobert H. "Bob" SimpsonLiving Person
2008-2009
BGWilliam R. PhillipsLiving Person
2009-2012
MGBlake Clare OrtnerLiving Person
2012-2014
MGJohn Michael EpperlyLiving Person
2014-2016
COLWilliam J. CoffinLiving Person
2016-2018
COLE. Scott SmithLiving Person
2018-2020116th IBCT
COLJoseph Anthony DinonnoLiving Person
2020-2023116th IBCT
COLChristopher J. SamulskiLiving Person
2023-Present116th IBCT
COLJared D. LakeLiving Person









Date of ServiceUnitRankNameBorn-Died
18611st VA Bde (CSA)MGThomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson *1824-1863
18621st VA Bde (CSA)BGRichard Brooke Garnett *1817-1863
18621st VA Bde (CSA)BGCharles Sidney Winder *
1829-1862
18621st VA Bde (CSA)COLWilliam Smith Hanger Baylor *
1831-1862
18631st VA Bde (CSA)BGElisha Franklin "Bull" Paxton *
1828-1863  
18641st VA Bde (CSA)BGJames Alexander "Stonewall Jim" Walker1832-1901
18651st VA Bde (CSA)
BGWilliam Terry1824-1888