History

Historical Information on the 

17th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment 

The 17th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was raised from eight different counties in Georgia (mostly in the western part of the state) and officially organized in a military camp just outside Atlanta from August 12 to August 15, 1861 and armed with imported British Enfield Rifles acquired by the state of Georgia in the summer of 1861.  The following is how the regiment was organized by company;

·  Company A: Webster County- Webster Rifles

·  Company B: Schley County- Schley Volunteers

·  Company C: Muscogee County- Columbus Volunteers

·  Company D: Decatur County- Decatur Guards

·  Company E: Mitchell County- Stephens Infantry

·  Company F: Muscogee County

·  Company G: Dougherty County

·  Company H: Harris County- Harris Bartows

·  Company I: Stewart County

·  Company K: Stewart and Webster County- Webster Confederate Guards

From here, the unit was sent to Virginia via the railroad through Tennessee and Lynchburg, Virginia. The unit's first colonel was Colonel Henry Lewis Benning, a prominent lawyer and judge in Muscogee County (Columbus). The unit was brigaded with the 1st, 2nd, 15th, and 20th Georgia Infantry Regiments. The 1st Georgia transferred out in October of 1861 when the army was being restructured. The 17th eventually became part of Toombs brigade, D.R. Jones Division, Army of the Potomac. The unit saw it's first combat on the Peninsula under the commander of Major General Benjamin Magruder as he opposed the Federal Army landing of Major General George B. McClellan in May of 1862. After periods of intense rain and small actions, the 17th Georgia fell back towards Richmond and did not participate in the counter attack led by General Joseph E. Johnston at the Battle of Seven Pines. After this battle, General Robert E. Lee took command of the army and renamed it The Army of Northern Virginia.

However, the unit did not rest for long. On June 27th, 1862, the 17th Georgia, along with the rest of Toombs brigade, engaged Federal forces at the Battle of Garnett's Farm. The regiment secured the left flank of the brigade while the 2nd and 15th heavily engaged the enemy and lost many killed and wounded. The following day, after a grueling 20 mile march in the hot sun, the unit stopped to rest. On July 1st, the 17th Georgia participated in the final day of the Seven Days Campaign fighting at the Battle of Malvern Hill. The brigade lost almost 300 men killed and wounded during the Seven Days, including two regimental commanders and two adjutants.

In mid July, the regiment left it's positions on the peninsula and moved back towards Richmond. It was then that the Army of Northern Virginia was reorganized into two Army Corps. The First led by General Longstreet, the Second by General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. The 17th Georgia was placed with Toombs brigade, and Jones' Division, in the 1st Corps. The regiment moved north at this point, and engaged at the Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) where it suffered heavily. On August 30, 1862, the 17th Georgia and the rest of Toombs' brigade engaged the Federal Army of Virginia under the command of Major General Pope. The regiment walked onto the battlefield at Second Manassas with 200 men and left the field with only 99. The brigade had lost a total of 37 killed and 294 wounded, but it was another victory.

The Army of Northern Virginia now moved north and crossed the Potomac River for the first Invasion of the North. The campaign culminated with the Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam) On September 17, 1862. Toombs brigade performed magnificently and defended the entire right wing of General Lee's Army and prevented the Army Corps of Ambrose Burnside from crossing the Antietam Creek. For most of the Battle, the 17th Georgia was guarding the 1st Corps supply train, but did participate in the last fight of the day with the "Light Division" of Major General A.P. Hill. In all the brigade suffered 160 casualties...but inflicted more then 2,300 on the enemy (a 34:1 ratio).

The 17th Georgia moved south out of Maryland with the Army and took up positions on the South side of the Rappahannock River in Virginia. It was at this point that Colonel Benning was given command of the entire brigade and Colonel Wesley Hodges assumed command of the regiment. During the Battle of Fredericksburg, the brigade was not heavily engaged and suffered only two wounded and two killed. It was shortly after Fredericksburg that the Division, along with General Pickett's Division, was sent south to Southern Virginia to forage for the rest of the Army. As the unit marched through Richmond, they received a new division commander, the bold and brash John Bell Hood. The previous commander, Major General David R. Jones had died of sickness on January 15, 1863. It was at this point the brigade was issued new uniforms from the Richmond Depot, most likely the Type II uniforms. After several months in the Suffolk area with two other Confederate divisions, Hood's division returned to join Lee's army, but missed out on the stunning Southern victory at Chancellorsville.

With the loss of General Jackson at Chancellorsville, the Army was again re-organized into three Army Corps, each consisting of three divisions. The 17th Georgia remained in Benning's Brigade, which was assigned to Hood's Division in General Longstreet's First Army Corps. The regiment now moved north once more and engaged the Federal Army of the Potomac on July 2, 1863 at Gettysburg. The unit was part of the attack into the Devil's Den at the foot of Little Round Top. That day, the brigade captured 300 prisoners and several 10-pounder Parrott rifles. In addition, the brigade (along with Robertson and Law's brigade), secured Houck's Ridge and Devil's Den, driving off Ward's brigade of the 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Army of the Potomac (124th Pennsylvania, 99th Pennsylvania, 20th Indiana, and 4th Maine). The unit did not participate in the fight of the third day, but it had lost over 300 men killed and wounded and two more regimental commanders.

It was shortly after Fredericksburg that the division, along with General George Pickett's division, was sent down to southern Virginia to forage for the rest of the army. As the unit marched through Richmond, it received a new divisional commander, the bold and brash John Bell Hood. (The previous commander, Maj. Gen. David R. Jones, had died of sickness on January 15, 1863.) It was at this point the brigade was issued new uniforms from the Richmond Depot, most likely the Type-II uniforms. After several months in the Suffolk area with two other Confederate divisions, Hood's Division rejoined Lee's army in late May, but missed out on the stunning Southern victory at Chancellorsville. With the loss of General Jackson at Chancellorsville, the army was again reorganized; this time into three army corps, each consisting of three divisions. 

The 17th Georgia remained in Benning's Brigade, which was assigned to Hood's Division within General Longstreet's First Corps. The regiment moved north once more in June and engaged the Federal Army of the Potomac on July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg. The regiment was part of the attack on Federals defending the Devil's Den at the foot of Little Round Top. That day, Benning's Brigade captured 300 prisoners and several 10-pounder Parrott rifles. In addition, the brigade (along with Robertson and Law's brigades), secured Houck's Ridge and Devil's Den, driving off Ward's brigade of the 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Army of the Potomac (124th Pennsylvania, 99th Pennsylvania, 20th Indiana, and 4th Maine). The brigade did not participate in the fight of the third day, but it had lost over 300 men killed and wounded and two more regimental commanders.

The 17th Georgia was then shipped to the Western Theater, along with most of Longstreet's Corps, and participated in the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863. The 17th also participated in the East Tennessee Campaign, the Wilderness campaign, the Cold Harbor/Mechanicsville campaign, and the Siege of Petersburg.

The 17th Georgia surrendered at Appomattox Court House, along with much of the remainder of the Army of Northern Virginia, on April 9, 1865.

Below are some original images of members of Co. K of the 17th Georgia

First Sergeant (later Captain) Marmaduke H. Marshall, Co. K, 17th Georgia Infantry Regiment

Private (later First Sergeant) Armstead Goare, Co. K, 17th Georgia Infantry Regiment

The 17th Georgia at Second Manassas

After the fighting in the Seven Day's Campaign of the early summer of 1862, the 17th Georgia was brigaded with three other Georgia units, the 2nd Georgia, 15th Georgia, and 20th Georgia Infantry Regiments.  Brigadier General Robert Toombs, who had been the first Confederate Secretary of State, was in command of the brigade as the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia left the area around Richmond and moved north towards Union territory.

Brigadier General Robert Toombs

Toombs was a politically appointed General who often clashed with the professional "West Point" officers.  After Malvern Hill, Toombs challenged Major General D.H. Hill to a duel.  The threat was ignored, but not forgotten.  Toombs also made the mistake of not following direct orders.  On August 13th near Gordonsville, Virginia, Toombs was ordered by his Corps commander, Major General James Longstreet, to post a guard at Raccoon Ford across the Rapidan River.  Toombs protested and did not post a guard.  He then left to visit a friend in the local area. 

With Toombs gone, Colonel Henry Benning became the acting brigade commander.  An order reached Benning to deploy a guard at Racoon Ford, which he did.

Toombs returned that evening to find his regiments had gone on guard duty against his wishes.  Toombs ordered them back into their camps late that evening.  Early the next morning, Federal cavalry crossed Racoon Ford and attacked Confederate Cavalry commanded by J.E.B. Stuart.  Longstreet was furious with Toombs and had him arrested for disobeying a direct order from a superior officer.

 Henry L. Benning, Brigade Commander

With the arrest of Robert Toombs, Colonel Henry L. Benning of the 17th Georgia now became the active brigade commander.  This left Major John H. Pickett in command of the 17th Georgia which now numbered somewhere between 200 to 250 men on active duty.    When the war came, he was elected Captain of 'K' Company and had been elected Major of the regiment in June. This would be the first time that he had commanded the regiment in the field. 

On August 28th, the brigade was ambushed as it came through Thorouhgfare Gap.  The division commander, Brigadier General D.R. Jones, ordered General Benning to charge up steep sloping ground covered with dense underbrush to attack the Federal troops that had ambushed them.  Benning personally led the 2nd and 20th Georgia Infantry Regiments up the heights.  Union artillery was at the top of Pond Mountain, but they had no Union Infantry support yet.  Benning realized that the Federal artillery was exposed and he ordered the men of the 20th Georgia to move as rapidly as possible.  The Union troops also realized the situation and a mad dash was on for the top of the hills.  The 20th Georgia won the race and drove the Federals off.  Benning then ordered the commander of the 20th, Major Waddell, to have about thirty marksmen target the Federals that were setting up an artillery battery on the other side of the Gap, opposite their position.  Waddell said in his report, "My sharpshooters were seasonably directed to prevent the movement, which they did in admirable style and spirit in the space of less then five minutes, killing or wounding many men, among them a captain, and all the horses attached to their gun-carriages, which they succeeded in carrying off the field by hand."

The action at Throughfare Gap ended that evening, and Longstreet's Corps resumed their fast march to unite with General Stonewall Jackson's Corps that was engaged with the Federal Army of Major General John Pope near the old Manassas battlefield.  On the afternoon of August 30th, Longstreet's Corps went into action.  General D.R. Jones arranged his division in line of battle with two brigades up front and one behind. Toombs' brigade (under Benning) was initially placed on the left of the Old Warrenton Road and Jones' brigade under Colonel G.T. Anderson to the right of the road with Brigadier General T.F. Drayton's brigade held in reserve.

4:00pm, August 30th, 1862

As Jones's Division was given the order to advance, the men were surprised to learn there were little to no Federal troops in their front, at least not yet.  As they advanced, Benning's men moved over more open ground and Anderson's men fell behind and were not able to stay to the right of Benning.  As a result, the ended up being behind Benning instead of on his flank.

As they advanced towards Chinn Ridge, they came upon the Chinn House.  The brigade became separated with one regiment, the 20th, going to the left of the house while the other three regiments, the 2nd, 15th, and 17th, went to the right of the house.  Benning led the 20th into a dense group of pine trees where Federal forces were starting to fire on the advancing southern troops.  The two Federal regiments began to fall back as Benning heroically led the 20th Georgia forward.  Benning stated that the Union troops were, "running in a complete rout- a huddled mass."  Both General Benning and Major Waddell of the 20th Georgia stated that close to half the men they led into battle had no shoes and were barefoot through the thorns and briers in the undergrowth around the pine trees.

The situation on the field about 4:30pm on August 30, 1862.  Benning's brigade advances on Chinn Ridge.

Meanwhile, the other three regiments had become separated from Benning, and were largely on their own.  Pickett led the 17th Georgia against a battery of Federal artillery and nearly a brigade of Federal infantry that came to support it.  Benning with the 20th and the other three regiments decided to try and take the battery located on Henry House Hill about 400 yards in front of them.  

However, after they had begun their movement forward, the regiments came under intense fire from their front and their flank.  Benning ordered them to fall back and take shelter on the banks of a dry creek bed (probably Chinn's Branch).  Major Pickett was wounded during this time and and was out of the fight.  According to a surgeons report, he suffered a "gunshot wound to the left lung".  Command of the 17th Georgia passed to Captain Augustus C. Jones of 'G' Company from Dougherty County (pictured on the left).  Jones ordered the men to fall back to the edge of the woods when a minie ball struck him in the side of the head at his temple, killing him instantly.  Command of the 17th now fell to the commander of 'B' Company, Captain Hiram French of Schley County.  Hiram L. French had been born in New York in 1819, but moved to Georgia with his family at an early age.  In August of 1861, he decided volunteer to fight and was elected Captain of Company B.  Records state that he was wounded at the Battle of Garnett's Farm and then again at the Battle of Malvern Hill on July 1, 1862 but it does not state where the wound was or how severe.  At the time of the battle, French was about 43 years old.

 

Battlefield situation by 5:00pm on August 30th, 1862. 

The regiment now moved up to the Manassas-Sudley Road and engaged Federal Troops on Henry House Hill.  This was the same hill that major fighting had occurred on a little more then a year before in the first major battle of the war.  The brigade was now arranged from north to south with the 20th on the left, followed by the 2nd Georgia, the 20th Georgia, and the 17th Georgia on the right flank of the brigade.   

Captain French in his after action report stated, "At once we were ordered to open fire and for over two hours, fought desperately the enemy contesting obstinately every inch of ground and terribly cutting our line by grape, shell, and musketry.  Not a man of my regiment faltered, but all acted in the most praiseworthy manner.  Our loss was, in proportion to the force engaged, extremely heavy.  This could hardly have been otherwise. as the force were confronted (as prisoners stated), first Fitz-John Porter's men, and next after these were beaten, Heintzleman's men-some of the best troops under the best officers in the whole Yankee army."    It was actually I Corps troops under Franz Sigel that they had engaged and forced off of Chinn ridge and Fitz John Porter's men (pictured left) in the form of US Regulars under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Chapman of Sykes' Division that they engaged on the Manassas-Sudley road. Also, troops under command of Brigadier General Robert Milroy of I Corps along with the Pennsylvania Reserves under General John Reynolds and General George G. Meade were on the road next to Sykes' men.  They were some of the best troops the Union had.

Colonel Anderson now brought up Jones' brigade and hit the Federals in their left flank.  Other Confederate brigades were also brought forward to turn the Union line.  Southern brigades under Armistead, Wright, and Mahone turned the Union flank, and the Federal Army began its retreat.  By 7pm that evening the commander of the Union Army, Major General John Pope managed to establish a defensive line on Henry House Hill. At 8pm, Pope ordered a general withdrawal on the turnpike to Centreville, Virginia. The battle was over, and,  unlike the "great skedaddle" after the Union loss at First Manassas, the Federal troops moved out in an orderly fashion. The Confederates, weary from the fighting in the afternoon and low on ammunition, did not pursue in the darkness.  

Benning had lost 37 men killed in action with another 294 wounded.  The 17th Georgia went into the fight with 200 men and suffered 101 casualties, a 51% loss.  Toombs, now released from his arrest, returned to the front and found his brigade.  The Army of Northern Virginia would now move north and west, cross the Potomac River, and began the first invasion of the North culminating in the Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam) on September 17, 1862.  Toombs' brigade, under the command of Colonel Benning, would play a very important role in that battle as well.