18th Georgia Infantry Regiment

Confederate Regiments & Batteries * Georgia

1861
April 25 The 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment was organized for the duration of the war at Camp Brown in Cobb County near Smyrna under the command of Colonel William T. Wofford, Lieutenant Colonel Solon Z. Ruff and Major Jefferson Johnson. Originally designated the first Regiment, Fourth Brigade, Georgia State Troops.

  • Company A – Acworth Infantry (Cobb County)
  • Company B – Newton Rifles (Newton County)
  • Company C – Jackson County Volunteers (Jackson County)
  • Company D – Davis Invincibles (Dougherty County)
  • Company E – Stephens Infantry (Gordon County)
  • Company F – Davis Guards (Bartow County)
  • Company G – Lewis Volunteers (Bartow County)
  • Company H – Rowland Highlanders (Bartow County)
  • Company I – Dooly Light Infantry (Dooly County)
  • Company K – Rowland Infantry (Bartow County)
June 11 Moved to Camp MacDonald at Big Shanty.
August 2 The Fourth Brigade was dissolved and sent north.
August Guarded prisoners in Richmond from the Battle of Manassas.
September Moved to Goldsboro, North Carolina for two weeks garrison duty.
November Moved to Dumfries, Virginia on the Potomac River and assigned to Hood’s Texas Brigade along with the 1st, 4th and 5th Texas Infantry Regiments.
1862
March 3 Brigadier General John B.  Hood was assigned to command of the brigade consisting of the 1st, 4th and 5th Texas and the 18th Georgia Infantry Regiments.
May 7 Eltham’s Landing
June 27
Battle of Gaines’ Mill

The regiment broke the Federal lines, losing 37 men killed and 106 wounded. Captain Joseph Armstrong was wounded.
May 31-June 1
Battle of Seven Pines
July 26 Brigadier General Hood took command if the division after General Whiting went on sick leave, never to return. Colonel Wofford was given command of the brigade as senior colonel, while Lieutenant Colonel Solon Z. Ruff took command of the regiment.
August 30
Second Battle of Manassas

Captured the colors of the 10th New York and 24th New York Infantry Regiments. The regiment lost 37 men killed and 87 wounded.
September 14
Battle of South Mountain
September 17
Battle of Sharpsburg, or Antietam

Colonel Wofford commanded the brigade, and Lieutenant Colonel Solon Z. Ruff commanded the regiment. Lieutenant William Callahan was wounded. The regiment lost 14 men killed and 30 wounded.

From the first of two War Department markers about Wofford’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield:

On the approach of the First Army Corps on the evening of the 16th, Wofford’s Brigade advanced and formed line in the south edge of the Cornfield, its left on the Hagerstown Pike. The 4th Texas, deployed as skirmishers, encountered the advance of Seymour’s Brigade and was forced back but, reenforced by the 5th Texas on its right, held the East Woods until darkness put an end to the engagement. At 10 P. M. the Brigade was relieved by Lawton’s Brigade and withdrew to the woods west of Dunkard Church.

From the second of two War Department markers about Wofford’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield:

At 7 A.M., Wofford’s Brigade, advancing from the woods in rear of the Dunkard Church, crossed the Hagerstwon Pike near the church and, moving north, its left (Hampton Legion) resting on the Pike, relieved Lawton’s and Hays’ Brigades of Ewell’s Division, about 145 to 160 yards south of this and engaged the Union line in the cornfield about 75 yards north of this road. The 5th Texas was sent to the assistance of Law’s Brigade on the right. The four remaining Regiments maintained a contest rarely equalled in warfare. They penetrated the cornfield, the 1st Texas advancing to its northern edge, but their advance was checked. After losing more than one half its numbers, the Brigade fell back to the fields southwest of the Dunkard Church, and was not again engaged. The Brigade went into action numbering 854; its loss in killed, wounded and missing was 560. The 1st Texas carried into action 226 officers and men, of whom 186 were killed or wounded.
November 26 The regiment was transferred to Cobb’s Georgia Brigade, McLaws’ Division, 1st Corps
December 13
Battle of Fredericksburg

Colonel Wofford took command of the brigade when General Cobb was mortally wounded. The regiment mustered 160 men, and lost 14 men killed and 30 wounded.
1863
January 17 Colonel Wofford was promoted to brigadier general and took command of the brigade, now known as Wofford’s Brigade of McLaws’ Division.
April 23 Lieutenant Colonel Ruff was promoted to colonel
May 1-4
Battle of Chancellorsville

The regiment lost 14 men killed and 72 wounded.
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Solon Z. Ruff and brought about 300 men to the field. It lost 3 men killed, 16 wounded, and 17 missing.

From the monument to Wofford’s Brigade on the Gettysburg battlefield:

July 2. Arrived at 4 P. M. and formed line 100 yards west of this. Ordered to the front about 6 P. M. and advanced soon afterward along Wheatfield Road flanked the Union forces assailing the Loop and aided the Confederates thereby relieved in forcing them back through the Wheatfield to the foot of Little Round Top. Assailed there by a strong body of fresh troops and receiving at the same moment an order to withdraw the Brigade fell back at sunset to the grove west of the Wheatfield.

July 3. One regiment was left on outpost duty in that grove. The others supported artillery on Peach Orchard Ridge. All withdrew late in the afternoon.

July 4. In line here all day. At midnight began march to Hagerstown.
July 23 Engagement at Snickers Gap
September Sent west with Longstreet to the Army of the Tennessee.
September 18-20
Battle of Chickamauga

The regiment missed the battle, arriving the day after the fighting was over.
October 28-29
Wauhatchie, Georgia
November 15 Skirmish at Little River, Tennessee
November 29
Knoxville – Assault on Fort Sanders

Colonel Ruff was killed in the ditch in front of the fort
December 3 Left Knoxville and marched toward Virginia.
December 12 At Rogersville
December 15 Battle of Bean’s Station
1864
January 6 Captain Joseph Armstrong of Company B was promoted to colonel
January 16 & 17 Operations around Dandridge, Tennessee
February 19 Captain William C. Callahan of Company C was promoted to major for “valor and skill.”
April 11 McLaw’s Division began its return with the First Corps from Tennessee to the Eastern Theater. It was under Kershaw’s command while McLaws awaited the results of a court martial for his actions at Knoxville. McLaws was largely vindicated on May 4, but Lee requested that he be reassigned to avoid conflict with Longstreet.
May 5-6
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
June 1-6
Battle of Cold Harbor
June 16
Assault on Petersburg
August Temporarily attached to the Army of the Valley. Brigadier General Wofford was on leave, having been twice wounded in the spring fighting, and the brigade was commanded by its senior colonel, Christopher C. Sanders.
August 16 Front Royal
September 2-3 Bunker Hill
September 14 With the situation quiet, Kershaw’s Division was ordered to leave the Valley and return to the Richmond front. But it was turned around and rejoined the Army of the Valley after the news of the Confederate defeat at Third Winchester, which it had missed.
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek
November 14 Rejoined the Army of Northern Virginia around Richmond.
1865
April 6
Saylor’s Creek

Major William C. Callahan was killed. Captain J. F. Espy took command of the brigade as senior surviving officer. Lieutenant Gideon J. Lasseter took command of the survivors of the regiment.
April 9
Appomattox Court House

One officer and 52 men surrendered.