As we ease into August, we are considered to be right in the middle of "Dog Days", as you know runs from the middle of July until the end of August. And man, it is hot! But just imagine our ancestors with no air conditioners, fans, electricity, or ice and we think we're hot. Plus our Army was dressed in wool most of the time. Men and women were a lot tougher than today, or were they just use to the conditions. It's quite obvious that everything worked in what we would call slow motion today. No one was in a hurry, and things for the most part were at a constant pace. The days were long, starting before daylight and ending after dark. It was rumored that if a man couldn't "work the sun up, and then work it down" then he was a no account bum. Nights were just as short as the day was long, and they were designed for sleeping.

This reminds me of one of the reasons that our troops were able to stay in the field so long. They were used to hard work and long hours, walking everywhere they went. Usually they hunted or fished all night on Saturday's. When General Lee's troops entered Maryland that September of 1862, a lady who was a resident of one of the small towns that the troops passed through stated, "The Confederate army was the most filthy sight I ever saw, they were extremely dirty. They were dressed in every conceivable piece of clothing imaginable. Most did not have shoes, but this didn't appear to hinder them in the slightest. They didn't march in the order of our own Army of the Potomac, but rather swarmed across the countryside like locusts. They were all lean, and took long effortless strides. Their eyes were set as they reminded me of so many wolves. Although, dirty, ragged and shoeless, they were in good cheer and their guns were clean. Oh, how can we ever defeat such an enemy as this. May God have mercy on us.

As we approach the coming flag fight, let us imitate our ancestors. Let us stand firm in our convictions, and supply letters in swarms to our legislators. Let us keep our composure and remain in good cheer. We will keep striding forward and never back-up. This is one political fight that we can't afford to lose.

 Deo Vindice

 

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Don Adam's Confederate ancestor is Thornton Adams. Thornton served as a private in Co. E, 8th Battalion GA Inf. Here is some information about the battles that were fought by the 8th battalion.

    The Eighth battalion Georgia infantry had at its organization the following officers: Lt. Colonel J.T. Reid, Major B. F. Hunt, Asst. Quartermaster H. S. Cranford, Adjutant J. W. Gray, Captains (A) H. M. Lumpkin, (B) M. Y. Sexton, (C) William HolsonBack, (D) Z. L. Walters, (E) John A. Hopper, (F) L. N. Jackson, (G) T. J. Paxton. Recruited from primarily Gordon and Bartow counties in 1861 and reorganized in 1862, the battalion served in the department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Fifty men of the battalion under Lieutenants R. Hays and Georgia Johnson were engaged in an affair on Stono River near Charleston, in which a Federal gunboat which had ventured past the Confederate batteries was cut off and forced to surrender. In May 1863, the battalion went with Gist's brigade to Jackson, Miss., to reinforce Gen. J. E. Johnston, who was gathering an army with which to attempt the relief of Vicksburg. After the campaign in north Mississippi, the battalion participated in some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War at Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Atlanta, Franklin, and Nashville.  Gist's brigade suffered 236 casualties at the Battle of Chickamauga. After the Battle of Missionary Ridge, the battalion was only able to muster 232 men for duty. During the Battle of Atlanta the boys from Gordon and Bartow Counties were placed in a position known as "Gist's Salient" where they were hammered by Union forces. On November 30, 1864, their hard fighting, Harvard educated commander, States Rights Gist, was killed in the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee.

    In the spring of 1865, after being consolidated with the Second Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters and the Sixty-fifth Regiment Georgia Volunteer Infantry, it served in the Carolinas, surrendering with Johnston at Goldsboro. The following officers succeeded those first name: Lieut. -Callose A. Littlefield, Leroy Napier and Z. L. Watters, the last named commanding Gist's brigade at the battle of Nashville ; Captains J. A. Hardin, John A. Penn, and J. W. Boaz.  

    

 

   

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    Mike Wilkerson's Confederate ancestor is Wilson Parks Howell. He served as Captain of Co. I, 25th Alabama Inf. Here is some information about the battles that were fought by the 25th Alabama.

    The 25th Alabama Infantry Regiment was organized at Mobile in December 1861 by the consolidation of McCellan's 1st and 6th Alabama Infantry Battalions (smaller than the normal regiment's 1,000 men). The men were from the counties of Calhoun, Coffee, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Saint Clair, Shelby, and Talledega. It remained in that vicinity 2-3 months, then went to Tennessee. Brigaded under General Adley Gladden, the regiment (numbering 305 effectives, because of illness) fought at Shiloh (casualties: 15 k, 75w). Placed under General Gardner, with the 19th, 22nd, 39th, and 26-50th, the 25th Regiment met with trifling loss at Framington. It moved into KY with General Braxton Bragg's Army of the Tennessee from the Chattanooga base, but was not engaged in any action. It came back, and participated at Murfreesboro - Col. Loomis commanding the brigade ( casualties: 13k, 88w, 16m, out of about 250 present for duty. The regiment, with General Zachariah Deas in command of the brigade, fell back with the army and was in the forward movement at Chickamauga (casualties: 33% of 330 engaged). Total strength, December 1863: 304 men and 174 arms. It again suffered severely at Missionary Ridge, but wintered and recruited at Dalton GA. All along the bloody track of the hostile armies through north GA, the 25th left a record, especially at New Hope. At Atlanta, 22 July, the regiment lost 49% of its force but captured two stands of colors, and more prisoners than it numbered. Six days later, near the same spot, the 25th again lost very heavily. It was engaged at Jonesboro without severe loss, but suffered considerably at Columbia, on Rood's arrival largely, and at Nashville, its loss was not light, but it preserved its organization on the retreat. Proceeding to the Carolinas, the 25th was in Sherman's front, with some casualties at Columbia and Kinston, and with large loss at Bentonville. Consolidated with the 19th, 22nd, 39th, and 26-50th, the regiment was shortly after surrendered at Goldsboro, having about 75 men of the old 25th present for duty.

Written by Jim Day

    The 21st Georgia Regiment just may have been the most combat tested unit that the state of Georgia sent to Confederate service. Consisting of 9, instead of the normal 10 companies, the unit not only saw extensive action in most of the major battles of the Eastern theater of the war, but also fought and died in campaigns that are lesser known to the Civil War student. (i.e. The Valley Campaign of 1862, Plymouth, North Carolina, Drewry's Bluff, Virginia and The Valley Campaign of 1864.)

    The unit was raised by West Point graduate James J. Morrison. Morrison had gained authorization directly from Confederate President Jefferson Davis when the Capitol was still located in Montgomery, Alabama. It was agreed upon that a regiment of infantry volunteers would be recruited for service in the Virginia Army.

    Through written correspondence, an organizational meeting was set up to be held in Rome. In April of 1861, Morrison and interested parties met in the northwest Georgia town and developed a plan for this unit to become a reality. Initially, Morrison was elected to the rank of colonel, with Rome native, Daniel S. Printup as lieutenant-colonel and Atlanta native, Alexander Wallace to become a major. (Note: These ranks were not accepted by Richmond authorities and staff changes were made that included John T. Mercer as the regimental commander.)

    Floyd County provided 2 companies for the regiment. Company B was retained in the regiment while Company E was transferred and trained as cavalry, thus the 9 companies instead of 10. The 21st would campaign with the 9 companies until a 10th was added in 1864. Company G was recruited from Gordon County, Company H was made up of volunteers from Dade County and Chattooga County provided Company K.

      This unit saw action in the following engagements: The Valley Campaign of 1862, The Seven Day Battles for Richmond, Cedar Mountain, 2nd

Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Plymouth, Drewry's Bluff, The Valley Campaign of 1864 and the Appomattox

Campaign.

     The 21st Georgia battle flag resides in the state capitol in Atlanta. Color-bearer James Franklin Cook of Chattooga County surrendered these colors

at Appomattox. He was the great-uncle of the author of this article.

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