Confederate Veterans
| Regimental Reunions |
| 1st and 42nd Georgia (1885) |
| 7th Georgia (1885) |
| 35th Georgia (1885) |
| List of Veterans |
| 35th Georgia (1885) |
1st and 42nd Georgia: Reunion of 1885
The First Georgia Regiment existed for only twelve months. President Howell, at a Reunion whichtook place in Atlanta in July of 1885, at Ponce de Leon Springs, said:
"It was remarked this morning as the boys came out that they did not have muchorganization. It was that way during the war, but I never saw a set of men who could take care of themselves better thanthe First Georgia. They marched from Florida to Virginia and had less use for a colonel thana regiment ever had before."
Hon. Ben Russell of Bainbridge said: "Nothing makes my heart bigger or prouder than to meet the remnants ofthe soldiers with whom I served. Those here today don't look much like a remant. They looklike they are ready to go in again if their country should call them...I went to the war and stood for Georgia and that I lovedmy country well enough to count all hardship easy and all danger trifling when I was in her service."
Sergeant A. H. Sneed of Newnan, came up in his old confederate uniform, which was bad enough when he laid itoff twenty years ago and has not been improved by time. Mr. Sneed values it more than he would thecostliest suit that could be made for him, and will leave it as an heirloom in his family."
Captain W. C. Matthews of Co. E was a captain at 19, and when he surrendered was not 21 after doing some famousservice. He is now a well preserved man of forty, with a big heart and a splendid physique. Hisschooling in the war did him good."
One of the best known men in the regiment was William H. Rawlings, familiarly called "Old Hannibal" by his comrades. He was captured at Laurel Hill, and when taken into the enemy's lines a federal soldier,whose generous sould forbade him to exercise the rights sometimes claimed by the victor, boughta coat which Rawlings had. Not long after that Captain Matthews met a drummer for a nursery, who began torelate an incident which tallied so completely with the history of "Old Hannibal's" coat that thecaptain inquired and found that he was the very man who had bought the coat of Rawlings."
General Gartrell spoke of the gallant deeds of the old Forty Second.
A fierce encounter and bloody battle occurred in the campaign between Dalton and Atlanta, on the 20thand on the 28th of July, but neither was as bloody as the encounter on the 22nd, which was fought justbeyond Oakland Cemetery. General Sherman, in his memoirs, gives a full and graphic description of thisbattle and pays a high tribute to the bravery of the confederate troops. He described the fierce assault madeupon the De Gress's battery, which resulted in its capture by the confederates.
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"It was a hero fight, but that gentleman, myfriend, Colonel Thomas, robbed me of the glory. Just before the battle, I laid down with mybridle rein on my arm and went to sleep. I had been on hard duty. Well, theorder to advance came and someone started to wake me up.Colonel Thomas (Colonel Lovick P. Thomas)said, 'No, he's tired, lethim sleep'. And this was how it came about. You all remember the charge. You know how they fought. You knowhow we drove them from their works. You know how General Sherman, who saw the fight from the hill, moved a battery when it infiltrated the works and we went back. You know how we fought along the Georgiaroad with clubbed guns, bayonets and even spades. One event of that day is clear in my mind now. Wehad charged a battery and driven every yankee away except one. He stood bravely by his gun. An Atlantaman asked him to surrender. For an answer the yankee raised his gun and fired at the rebel. Again, hewas asked to surrender. This time the yankee answered by drawing a cartridge, biting the end off, but just ashe started to drive it home, he was killed. That man ought not to havedied."
Sherman's Army enters Atlanta
Mr. H. Y. Snow and Mrs. W. M. Durham of Atlanta, saw the thickest of the fight. Theytold how some soldiers used their bayonets on the enemy, while others clubbed their guns and mowed down everything in their way. Onesergeant broke his gun when he was right on the breast work. He dropped it, and seizing a spade, killed or disabled several ofthe enemy. Nearly every man lost by the 42nd Georgia fell on top of the enemies' entrenchments, or directly infront of them.
Ref:The Constitution, published Atlanta, Georgia, 23 July 1885
7th Georgia Reunion of 1885
The second Battle of Manassas occurred in 1864. The 7th Georgia won unfacing renown, as it was oneof the first to organize and to go to the front. It took two companies from Atlanta, the Davis Infantry, underCaptain Ballard, and the Fulton Guards, under Captain G. J. Foreacre. The other companies wentfrom Cobb, DeKalb, Paulding and Coweta counties. General L. J. Gartrell was the first Colonel. On thedeath of Francis Bartow, he was promoted to Brigadier General, and the command of the regiment devolvedupon Colonel W. T. Wilson, who led the gallant 7th until he fell upon the field of the SecondManasses. Colonel George H. Carmical (later Sheriff of Coweta County), succeeded to the command and held itto the end of the war.
A Reunion occurred July 21, 1885 in Atlanta, Georgia. Among the survivors were: Captain Hunter ofDeKalb County: General Gartrell (still has the sword which he led the regiment into the battle ofManassas); Andrew Owens of Roswell, in charge on Sherman's battery at Manassas, and Charlie Maddox, shot in the first fight, madecaptain before age 19.
General Gartrell, speaking at the Reunion, said:
"I shall always honor and love the men who stood by me at Manassas and who composed the Seventh Georgiaregiment in all its trials during the war. I led you into that first greatbattle, nine hundred strong, and you came out with one hundred and eighty men! You bore thebrunt of that battle. It is admitted by both sides that the men who did the fighting at the "Henry house" turned the tide of that battle. You fought there. It was your work."
Ref: The Constitution, Atlanta, 22 July 1885
35th Georgia Reunion of 1885
The 35th Georgia was organized in Atlanta in 1861. It was made up of companies from Catoosa, DeKalb, Douglas, Gwinnett, Rockdale, Newton and Walton Counties and fought throughout theentire war.
On August 8, 1862, the regiment fought in the Battle of Cedar Run, and suffered severely. The following day of the battle, General Early praised the regiment.
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Battle of Manassas
In the first Battle of Manassas, which occurred in August of 1862, the regiment sustained more losses than any other regiment that day, eight men were killed and sixty-two wounded.At the Battle of Mechanicsville, the 35th drove their charge, pushing enemy back. However,during this charge Colonel Folsom of the 14th was killed.
In the Seven Days Battle, the 25th was praised by General J. R. Anderson whenhe said: "I would especially notice the cojduct of Colonel E. L. Thomas of the Thirty-fifth, whoevinced fearlessness and good judgment throughout the expedition." Captain L. P. Thomas, the quartermaster, was wounded during this engagement, and died.
Veterans of 35th Georgia
The Third Annual Reunion of the 35th Georgia was held in August of 1885, Atlanta atPonce de Leon Springs. One Hundred veterans were present:
| Allan, Harrison, Co. G Allen, W. E., Co. G Awtry, William, Co. B Aycock, George W., Co. B Beard, Henry H., Co. H Beam, Jesse, Co. G Bird, William, Co. B Boatright, W. O., Co. I Bohannan, J. O., Co. B Bomar, A. B., Co. E Bran, D. J., Co. F Brand, D. C., Co. B Brand, Thomas, Co. G Brown, W. T., Co. F Campbell, G. A., Co. F Cannon, W. G., Co. B Dial, D. M., Co. G Duncan, R. S., Co. B Griffin, John M., Co. G Groves, J. T., Co. I Hammond, Joel F., Co. E Harbin, J. R., Co. F Harris, C. W., Co. G Harris, G. F., Co. Co. G Herring, Fred F., Co. F Hix, James C., Co. Q Janes, W. J., Co. F Jenkins, Alfred S., Co. F Johnson, H. W. R., Co. H Johnson, Isaac H., Co. H Johnson, J. M., Co. B Johnson, N. Z. Co. B Johnson, R. D., Co. F Jones, Thomas S., Co. H Jordan, J. A., Co. F Karr, John A., Co. E Knight, John T., Co. F Lanier, D. S., Co. F Latham, Thomas W., Co. E Lewis, S. B., Co. E Livesey, R. T., Co. F |
| Livesy, R. T., Co. F Lucas, G. A., Co. B Maddox, W. J., Co. B McDaniel, J. J., Co. F McDaniel, L. R., Co. F McDaniel, W. F., Co. B McElvany, J. T., Co. F Mobley, D. H., Co. G Mobley, D. W., Co. G Moon, A. J., Co. G Moon, C. P. K., Co. G Moon, E. T., Co. G Moon, S. J., Co. G Moon, T. M., Co. G Moore, J. J., Co. G Morton, T. R., Co. I Orr, T. W., Co. H Pruett, John F., Co. F Ratliff, J. A., Co. I Rawlins, D. S., Co. F Rawlins, J. W., Co. F Rich, James M., Co. G Richardson, Boylis, Co. E Roberts, E. M., captain, Co. H Roberts, James M., Co. Co. H Roberts, W. G., Co. C Sexton, W. L., Co. F Smith, B. A. J., Co. C Smith, J. B., Co. C Spinks, W. R., Co. B Stephens, B. H., Co. F Summerlin, S. D., Co. F Swann, Zebulan, Co. B Swords, Lewis, Co. G Thomas, Henry W., Co. F Tuggle, G. M., Co. Co. H Turner, W. J., Co. B White, D. P., Co. E Whitworth, J. O., Co. F Wright, R. W., Co. F |