50th Georgia Infantry Regiment

Confederate Regiments & Batteries > Georgia

1862
March 4 Organized at Savannah
March Drilled at Camp Davis, near Guyton, Georgia
March 22 Officers were elected. The field officers were Colonel William R. Manning, Lieutenant Colonel Francis Kearse and Major Phillip C. Pendleton
Assigned to the defences of Savannah
July 17 Transferred to Richmond, Virginia and assiged to Drayton’s Brigade of David R. Jones’ Division of Longstreet’s Command.
August 28-30
Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)

The regiment lost nine men wounded
September 14
Battle of South Mountain

The regiment fought at Fox’s Gap near Boonesboro. Lieutenant William Grissom was killed, Captain John Riley and Lieutenant Francis Mobley were mortally wounded, and Lieutenants Aaron Dowling, James Finch and Daniel D. Gaskins were wounded.
September 17
Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Kearse. It lost 29 men killed and 97 wounded in fighting near Burnside’s Bridge.

From the marker for Drayton’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield:

September 15-17, 1862.
Drayton’s Brigade reached Sharpsburg about 11 A.M., September 15th and was posted on the southwest slope of Cemetery Hill. Late in the day it was moved to the rear of the high ground northwest of this point and formed on the left of Kemper’s Brigade. On the 16th the 50th Georgia was detached and sent to the support of Toombs’ Brigade at the Burnside Bridge. The Brigade was exposed to artillery fire on the 16th and 17th from the enemy’s long range guns beyond the Antietam. About 3 P.M., of the 17th, the enemy, having forced a crossing at and below the bridge, attacked the Brigade and forced it back to the streets of the town. It soon reformed and joined by Garnett’s Brigade, cooperated with Kemper and Toombs in checking the further advance of the enemy.

October 8 Major Pendleton resigned. Captain Duncan Curry was promoted to major.
Assigned to Semmes’ Brigade
December 13
Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
February 24 Major Curry resigned. Captain William O. Fleming was promoted to major.
May 1-4
Battle of Chancellorsville
July 2 -3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel William R. Manning and brought 302 men to the field. It lost 16 men killed, 62 men wounded and 14 missing. Lieutenant Colonel Kearse was killed in the fighting on the Rose Farm on July 2.

From the marker on the Gettysburg battlefield:

July 2. Arrived about 3.30 P. M. and formed line 50 yards west of this. Advanced about 5 P. M. in support of Kershaw and Anderson and took a prominent part in the severe and protracted conflict on Rose Hill and in the ravine and forest east of there and in the vicinity of the Loop. Participated also in the general advance late in the evening by which the Union forces were forced out of the Wheatfield and across Plum Run Valley. Brig Gen. Paul J. Semmes fell mortally wounded in the ravine near the Loop.

July 3. During the afternoon Anderson’s Brigade being withdrawn for duty elsewhere the Brigade was left in the occupancy of the woodland south of the Wheatfield. At 1 P. M. under orders it resumed its original position near here.

July 4. About midnight began the march to Hagerstown Md.

When General Semmes was mortally wounded, Colonel Goode Bryan of the 16th Georgia took command of the brigade.
July 31 Colonel Manning resigned due to medical reasons. Captain Peter A.S. McGlashan of Company E was promoted to colonel and Major Fleming to lieutenant colonel.
August Colonel Bryan was promoted to brigadier general and given permanent command of the brigade.
September The regiment moved to the Western Theater with Longstreet but arrived too late to fight at Chickamauga
September –
November		 Siege of Chattanooga
November 29
Siege of Knoxville
November 23 Battle of Fort Sanders
December 22 Lieutenant Colonel Fleming resigned to take his seat in the Georgia legislature. Major Pliny Sheffield was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain John Spence to major.
1864
March The regiment returned to the Army of Northern Virginia. General Kershaw took over the division from General McLaws.
May 5-8
Battle of the Wilderness

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Peter McGlashan. Lieutenant Colonel Sheffield was wounded, losing his right arm.
May 8-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
May 22-26
North Anna River
May 26-28
Pamunkey River
May 28-31
Totopotomy River
June 1-3
Battle of Cold Harbor
June 16
Assault on Petersburg
June Siege of Petersburg begins
July 27-29
First Battle of Deep Bottom
August 6 The regiment was sent with Kershaw’s Division to the Shenandoah Valley, where it was temporarily attached to Lieutenant General Jubal Early’s Army of the Valley
September 14 Since Sheridan and his Union Army of the SHenandoah was inactive Kershaw’s Division was ordered back to rejoin Lee at Richmond and began to leave the Valley.
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek
November 14 Kershaw’s Division left the Shenandoah Valley to return to the Army of Northern Virginia around Petersburg.
December 28 Colonel James Simms was promoted to brigadier general commanding the brigade, which became known as Simm’s Brigade of Kershaw’s Division.
1865
February 14 Major Spence was given a leave of absence
April 6
Sayler’s Creek

Colonel McGlashan and many of the regiment were captured.
April 9
Appomattox Court House

The regiment surrendered 3 officers, 2 surgeons and 25 enlisted men.