In mid-August of 1864, George C. Stowe was elected Lt. Colonel, and Joseph K. Burke was elected Major of a new battalion of Senior Reserves, simply known as Lt. Col. George C. Stowe's Battalion - Senior Reserves, and made up of officers and men mostly from the western part of North Carolina - the 9th NC Congressional District. The battalion originally consisted of six (6) companies:

Company A—Yadkin County—Capt. John M. Nicholson; 1st Lt. Isaac T. Carter; 2nd Lt. Henry F. Martin; 3rd Lt. James Brown.

Company B—Wilkes County—Capt. Charles Carlton; 1st. Lt. A.J. Johnston; 2nd Lt. D.M. Shell, 3rd Lt. Nathan P. Canter.

Company C—Ashe and Alleghany Counties—Capt. Elijah Phipps; 1st Lt. R.P. Stamper; 2nd Lt. Carter Wade.

Company D—Burke and Caldwell Counties—Capt. David J. Corpening; 1st Lt. Lewis J. Estes; 2nd Lt. Locky Jordan; 3rd Lt. Peter Epley.

Company E—Surry County—Capt. Albert G. Short; 1st Lt.John H. Nations; 2nd Lt. Phillip Deatherage; 3rd Lt. W. Dickins.

Company F—Alexander and Caldwell Counties—Capt. Elisha C. Oxford; 1st Lt. Edwin Brown; 2nd Lt. Elijah Hines; 3rd Lt. Ephraim M. Alexander.

On September 27, 1864, a seventh company was added to this battalion:

Company G—Wilkes County—Capt. Adolph Russan; 1st Lt. William Emerson; 2nd Lt. Benjamin F. Johnson; 3rd Lt. Micajah Phillips.

This unit was ordered to Salisbury in October of 1864. Very little records exist after that.

On December 5, 1864, this Battalion was assigned three (3) Independent Companies, all existing companies were renumbered, and it was re-designated as the 5th NC Regiment Senior Reserves.