In late-August of 1864, James A. Barnett was elected Lt. Colonel, and James C. Dobbin, Jr. was elected Major of a new battalion of Senior Reserves, simply known as Lt. Col. James A. Barnetts's Battalion - Senior Reserves, and made up of officers and men mostly from the north-central part of North Carolina, known as the 6th NC Congressional District. The battalion originally consisted of eight (8) companies:

Company A—Alamance County—Capt. William S. Bradshaw; 1st John G. Albright; 2nd Lt. Alfred Sharp; 3rd Lt. James Gilliam.

Company B—Forsyth County—Capt. William M. Clinard; 1st. Lt. Samuel N. McGee; 2nd Lt. Briggs. B. Cook, 3rd Lt. Israel Moser.

Company C—Guilford County—Capt. W.B. Johnson; 1st Lt. William R. Pearson; 2nd Lt. John Blaylock, 3rd Lt. Frederick Smith.

Company D—Guilford County—Capt. Jacob C. Boon; 1st Lt. George W. Kirkman; 2nd Lt. Tennyson M. Woodburn; 3rd Lt. John Soots.

Company E—Stokes County—Capt. William H. Watts; 1st Lt. William G. Haynes; 2nd Lt. Dempsey Baley; 3rd Lt. Matthew Phillips.

Company F—Rockingham County—Capt. William P. Williams; 1st Lt. J.O. Core; 2nd Lt. Lewis Waynick; 3rd Lt. Eli Friddle.

Company G—Person County—Capt. R.S. Davie; 1st Lt. Thomas H. Brooks; 2nd Lt. Chesley Hicks; 3rd Lt. Alfred Blalock. [Company I in 7th NC Regiment Senior Reserves]

Company H—Caswell County—Capt. Alfred A. Mitchell; 1st Lt. Joshua S. Glass; 2nd Lt. Alexander M. Fuller; 3rd Lt. John J. Chandler. [Company K in 7th NC Regiment Senior Reserves.]

On November 28, 1864, this Battalion was assigned two (2) additional Independent Companies and it was re-designated as the 7th NC Regiment Senior Reserves.