Confederate Regiments & Batteries > Georgia


1861
August The 17th Georgia Infantry Regiment was organized for the duration of the war under the command of Colonel Henry L. Benning, Lieutenant Colonel Wesley C. Hodges and Major Thomas Walker.

Company A: Webster County – “Webster Rifles” – Captain D.B. Harrell
Company B: Schley County – “Schley Volunteers” – Captain Hiram L French
Company C: Muscogee County – “Columbus Volunteers” – Captain Foster S. Chapman
Company D: Decatur County – “Decatur Guards” – Captain Charles G. Campbell
Company E: Mitchell County – “Stephens Infantry” – Captain John A. McGregor
Company F: Muscogee County – Captain D.B. Thompson
Company G: Dougherty County – Captain A.C. Jones
Company H: Harris County – “Harris Bartows” – Captain Richard E. Kennon
Company I: Stewart County – Captain Jubal Smith
Company K: Stewart and Webster counties – “Webster Confederate Guards” – Captain Jesse H. Pickett

October Assigned to Toombs’s Brigade, 2nd Corps, Army of the Potomac
October-January Assigned to Toombs’s Brigade, 2nd Corps, Potomac District, Department of Northern Virginia
1862
April
Siege of Yorktown

Assigned to Toombs’s Brigade, Toombs’s-D.R. Jones’s Division, Magruder’s Command, Army of Northern Virginia. The regiment mustered 398 men.

April 12 Captain D.B. Thompson of Company F resigned due to disability.
April 21 Captain Jubal Smith of Company I was dropped after he unsuccessfully attempted to be appointed surgeon.
May Major Walker resigned. Lieutenant Phillip Gittinger was elected captain of Company F.
May 23 Captain Richard E. Kennon of Company H resigned due to disability.
June 2 Lieutenant  William A. Barden of Company H was elected captain.
June 5 Captain Charles W. Mathews of Company I was appointed Assistant Quartermaster.
June 9 Captain Jesse H. Pickett of Company K was promoted to major. Captain Foster S. Chapman of Company C resigned due to disability.
June 25-July 1
Seven Days Battles
June 27-28
Garnett’s and Golding’s farms
July 1
Battle of Malvern Hill

The regiment suffered 5 men killed and 30 wounded. Captain Hiram L French of Company A was wounded.

July-October Assigned to Toombs’s Brigade, D.R. Jones’s Division, Longstreet’s Command, Army of Northern Virginia
July 12 Lieutenant A.M. Jones of Company K was promoted to captain.
August 28
Thorofare Gap
August 28-30
Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)

The regiment brought 200 men to the field, and lost 50% casualties. Lieutenant Robert B. Tondee of Company B was wounded.

Captain D.B. Harrell of Company A resigned.

September 14
Crampton’s Gap (Battle of South Mountain)

Captain Monroe Reynolds of Company B was killed. Lieutenants J.H. Camp and Frederick Patrick were wounded.

September 17
Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

The regiment was under the command of Captain John A. McGregor of Company E. McGregor was the 16th commanding officer of the regiment.

From the first of two markers for Toombs’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield:

Toombs’ Brigade took position on the evening of September 15, on the bluff commanding the Burnside Bridge and ford a short distance below. His skirmishers and several Batteries of Artillery engaged the enemy during the afternoon of the 16th. On the morning of the 17th the Brigade was exposed to a heavy fire from the enemy’s Artillery on the opposite side of the Antietam. Between 9 A.M. and noon the enemy made several attempts to carry the bridge, but failed. An assault at 1 P.M. was successful and the Brigade fell back and formed line in this road, on the extreme right of the Division and co-operated with Archer’s Brigade of A.P. Hill’s Division in checking any further advance of the enemy.

From the second of the markers for Toombs’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield:

On the morning of the 17th, the 2d and 20th Georgia of Toombs’ Brigade, the 50th Georgia of Drayton’s Brigade, and a Company each of Hood’s Texas Brigade and Jenkins’ Brigade occupied a position commanding the Burnside Bridge and Snavely’s Ford. At 1 P.M., the Ninth Army Corps forced the passage of the bridge and ford, and Toombs withdrew his command to the Antietam Furnace Road in the suburbs of Sharpsburg. During the engagement at the bridge and ford, and while falling back, Toombs was joined by the 15th and 17th Georgia, of his Brigade, and five Companies of the 11th Georgia of Col. George T. Anderson’s Brigade. Re-forming his command on the Antietam Furnace Road, where he was joined by portions of Kemper’s, Drayton’s and Garnett’s Brigades, Toombs advanced on the left of Archer’s Briagade of A.P. Hill’s Division and, at this point, engaged the Federal troops in the lane and fields beyond. Late in the afternoon his command was relieved by Branch’s Brigade of A.P. Hill’s Division and moved easterly across the Sharpsburg Road, where it remained until withdrawn to re-cross the Potomac.

October-February Jones’ Brigade was broken up due to his fatal heart disease. The regiment was assigned to Toombs’s Brigade, Hood’s Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
December 13
Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
January 8 Lieutenant Daniel H. Wilmot of Company D was elected captain of Company A.
January 12 Captain Charles G. Campbell of Company D resigned due to disability. Lieutenant Virgil A.S. Parks was promoted to captain to replace him.
January 15 Captain A.C. Jones of Company G was killed.
January 17 Colonel Benning was promoted to brigadier general, taking over the brigade.Lieutenant Colonel Hodges was promoted to colonel.
January 25 Lieutenant Hosea Fentrall was elected captain of Company I.
February-April Assigned to Toombs’s-Benning’s Brigade, Hood’s Division, 1st Corps, Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia
February 14 Assistant Quartermaster Charles Mathews was elected lieutenant colonel.
April-May
Suffolk Campaign

Assigned to Benning’s Brigade, Hood’s Division, Department of Southern Virginia

April 17 Captain Hiram L French of Company B resigned. Lieutenant Robert B. Tondee was elected captain of Company B.
May-September Assigned to Benning’s Brigade, Hood’s Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment brought 350 men to the field and lost 29% casualties. Captain Virgil A.S. Parks of Company D was killed. Lieutenant Hollinger B. Dawson of Company I was captured and would die in prison.

From the monument to Benning’s Brigade at Gettysburg:

July 2. Arrived and formed line about 4 P. M. in rear of Law’s and Robertson’s Brigades and moving forward in support of these took prominent part in the severe conflict which resulted in the capture of Devil’s Den together with a number of prisoners and three guns of the 4th New York Battery.

July 3. Held Devil’s Den and the adjacent crest of rocky ridge until late in the evening when under orders the Brigade retired to position near here. Through mistake of orders the 15th Georgia did not retire directly but moved northward encountered a superior Union force and suffered considerable loss.

July 4. Occupied breastworks near here facing southward until midnight.

July 5. About 5 A. M. began the march to Hagerstown Md.

July 29 Captain Fentral of Company I died of typhoid fever in the hospital at Mount Jackson.
August 15 Lieutenant John H. Martin of Company D was promoted to captain.
September-November Assigned to Benning’s Brigade, Hood’s Division, Longstreet’s Corps, Army of Tennessee
September 19-20
Battle of Chickamauga

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mathews, Captain Phillip Gittinger of Company F, Lieutenant John R. King of Company A and Lieutenant J. Murdoch Parker of Company G were killed. Captain John H. Martin of Company D was badly wounded. Lieutenant Hilliard M. Emanuel of Company D was wounded in his right arm.

September-November
Siege of Chattanooga
November-December
Siege of Knoxville

Assigned to Benning’s Brigade, Hood’s-Fields’s Division, Department of East Tennessee

1864
January 5 Major Jesse H. Pickett resigned.
January 22 Captain William A. Barden of Company G was promoted to major.
April The regiment was assigned to Benning’s Brigade, Fields’s Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. Captain John McGregor of Company E resigned.
May 5-6
Battle of the Wilderness

The regiment lost 86 casualties. Colonel Hodges was wounded, and would remain on wounded furough for the rest of the war. Captain John H. Martin was wounded. Lieutenant Hilliard M. Emanuel of Company D was wounded in his left arm.

May 8-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
May 23-26
Battle of North Anna
June 1-3
Battle of Cold Harbor

Lieutenant Frederick Patrick was captured.

June
Siege of Petersburg
July Lieutenant W.J. Darley was elected captain of Company G.
July 16 Captain A.M. Jones of Company K was killed.
August-December The regiment suffered 45 men killed and wounded.
August 16
Deep Bottom
September 22 Major William A. Barden was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
September 29 Battle of Chaffin’s Farm
September 29-30 Fort Harrison and Fort Gilmer
October 27 Williamsburg Road
1865
April 6
Saylor’s Creek
April 9
Appomattox Court House

The regiment surrendered 18 officers and 168 enlisted men.