26th Infantry Regiment was organized at Charleston, South Carolina, in September, 1862, by consolidating the 6th and 9th Battalions South Carolina Infantry. After serving in South Carolina it moved to Mississippi, was placed in N.G. Evans' Brigade, and confronted the Federals at Jackson. Later the regiment returned to Charleston, then in the spring of 1864 was sent to Virginia. Here it was assigned to Elliott's and Wallace's Brigade. It participated in the long Petersburg siege south and north of the James River and ended the war at Appomattox. In October, 1863, there were 343 men present for duty. It sustained 72 casualties at the Petersburg mine explosion, lost many at Sayler's Creek, and surrendered with 8 officers and 113 men. The field officers were Colonel Alexander D. Smith, Lieutenant Colonels Stephen D.M. Byrd and Joshua H. Hudson, and Majors Ceth S. Land and Cornelius D. Rowell.