• Confederate Records

Confederate Veterans

It was remarked this morning as the boys came out that they did not have much organization. It was that way during the war, but I never saw a set of men who could take care of themselves better than the First Georgia. They marched from Florida to Virginia and had less use for a colonel than a regiment ever had before."

Hon. Ben Russell of Bainbridge said: "Nothing makes my heart bigger or prouder than to meet the remnants of the soldiers with whom I served. Those here today don't look much like a remant. They look like 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 loved my 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 it off twenty years ago and has not been improved by time. Mr. Sneed values it more than he would the costliest 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 famous service. He is now a well preserved man of forty, with a big heart and a splendid physique. His schooling 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, bought a coat which Rawlings had. Not long after that Captain Matthews met a drummer for a nursery, who began to relate an incident which tallied so completely with the history of "Old Hannibal's" coat that the captain 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.

On July 22, 1864, the 42nd Regiment engaged in one of the bloodiest battles on record. That battle was fought just east of Oakland Cemetery. 153 veterans attended the 1885 Reunion in Atlanta. Describing the charge led by Colonel Hulsey during that battle....

"It was a hero fight, but that gentleman, my friend, Colonel Thomas, robbed me of the glory. Just before the battle, I laid down with my bridle rein on my arm and went to sleep. I had been on hard duty. Well, the order to advance came and someone started to wake me up.

Sherman's Army enters Atlanta

Colonel Thomas (Colonel Lovick P. Thomas) said, 'No, he's tired, let him sleep'. And this was how it came about. You all remember the charge. You know how they fought. You know how 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 Georgia road with clubbed guns, bayonets and even spades. One event of that day is clear in my mind now. We had charged a battery and driven every yankee away except one. He stood bravely by his gun. An Atlanta man asked him to surrender. For an answer the yankee raised his gun and fired at the rebel. Again, he was asked to surrender. This time the yankee answered by drawing a cartridge, biting the end off, but just as he started to drive it home, he was killed. That man ought not to have died."

Mr. H. Y. Snow and Mrs. W. M. Durham of Atlanta, saw the thickest of the fight. They told how some soldiers used their bayonets on the enemy, while others clubbed their guns and mowed down everything in their way. One sergeant broke his gun when he was right on the breast work. He dropped it, and seizing a spade, killed or disabled several of the enemy. Nearly every man lost by the 42nd Georgia fell on top of the enemies' entrenchments, or directly in front 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 one of the first to organize and to go to the front. It took two companies from Atlanta, the Davis Infantry, under Captain Ballard, and the Fulton Guards, under Captain G. J. Foreacre. The other companies went from Cobb, DeKalb, Paulding and Coweta counties. General L. J. Gartrell was the first Colonel. On the death of Francis Bartow, he was promoted to Brigadier General, and the command of the regiment devolved upon Colonel W. T. Wilson, who led the gallant 7th until he fell upon the field of the Second Manasses. Colonel George H. Carmical (later Sheriff of Coweta County), succeeded to the command and held it to the end of the war.

A Reunion occurred July 21, 1885 in Atlanta, Georgia. Among the survivors were: Captain Hunter of DeKalb County: General Gartrell (still has the sword which he led the regiment into the battle of Manassas); Andrew Owens of Roswell, in charge on Sherman's battery at Manassas, and Charlie Maddox, shot in the first fight, made captain 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 Georgia regiment in all its trials during the war. I led you into that first great battle, nine hundred strong, and you came out with one hundred and eighty men! You bore the brunt 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 the entire 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.


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 when he said: "I would especially notice the cojduct of Colonel E. L. Thomas of the Thirty-fifth, who evinced 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 at Ponce 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