The 47th Infantry Regiment was organized in March 1862, at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, North Carolina. Its companies were composed of men from Nash, Wake, Franklin, Granville, and Alamance counties. The regiment served in the Department of North Carolina until May 1863, when it moved to Virginia. During the conflict it was brigaded under Generals Pettigrew, Kirkland, and MacRae. It fought with the Army of Northern Virginia from Gettysburg to Cold Harbor, then was involved in the long Petersburg siege south of the James River and the Appomattox Campaign. The unit lost over 35% of the 567 engaged at Gettysburg and reported 42 casualties at Bristoe and 20 at The Wilderness. It surrendered 5 officers and 72 men.