After training, the unit was transferred to
Richmond, Virginia, where they were placed in
Major General Robert Ransom, Jr.'s
brigade. While here they participated in the
Seven Days Battles, with Col. Ramseur being wounded in the arm at the
Battle of Malvern Hill. After his recovery he would be promoted to brigadier general and assigned elsewhere.
LeRoy McAfee assumed command of the 49th NCT, being promoted to full colonel on 1, November 1862, and held that post until the army's surrender at
Appomattox. The 49th fought under General
Robert E. Lee as part of the
Army of Northern Virginia throughout the
Peninsula Campaign. They participated in the capture of
Harper's Ferry, Virginia, and then were force marched to
Sharpsburg, Maryland, for the
Battle of Antietam. After their arrival in Sharpsburg the 49th was posted in reserve near
Burnside's Bridge. After some time resting they were ordered to support the attack at the west woods. There they pushed the Union troops out of the woods until they were halted at the edge of the cornfield. They remained in this position, under almost constant artillery shelling, for the rest of the day and into the night. Afterward the army fell back and took up position near
Fredericksburg, Virginia. The 49th participated in the battle there being posted on
Marye's Heights. Shortly after the battle General Ransom's Brigade was recalled to eastern North Carolina. The 49th served in the
New Bern area and near the
Chowan River in North Carolina with the purpose of protecting the
Petersburg / Weldon / Wilmington railroad. During this time they fought frequent skirmishes with Union cavalry forces attempting to raid the railroad. Returning to Virginia, the unit participated in several battles as part of the
Bermuda Hundred Campaign, eventually taking their place in the
Petersburg line on the Confederate left just south of the
James River. On 30 July 1864, the Union army exploded thousands of pounds of gunpowder they had placed into a mine dug under the Confederate position. Ransom's brigade was at this time being commanded by Colonel McAfee. The 49th was posted close by and was rushed to the crater to help hold off the assault by the Union troops. They took up a position on the left of the crater with their lines at an angle fronting the Confederate breastworks and the crater. They played a conspicuous part in repelling the assault and ensuring that the Army of Northern Virginia was not cut in half. It was during the fighting here that the unit's flag was captured by Union troops. This flag is now in the archives of the
Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, awaiting funding for restoration. After the
Battle of the Crater it was determined by General Lee to attempt to break out of the siege. The 49 NCT was part of this attack and hit the Union line at
Fort Stedman. The 49th was one of the units that made it into and occupied the fort until they were compelled to retreat to their own lines by the Union counterattack. On 9 April 1865, General Robert E. Lee ordered a retreat. During the retreat the 49th was surrounded, and many were captured or scattered at the
Battle of Five Forks. According to government records, 11 officers and 95 men from the 49th NCT eventually registered on the parole records at Appomattox. ==Commanding officers==