ROSTER OF THE BATTALION OF THE
GEORGIA MILITARY INSTITUTE CADETS
IN THE CONFEDERATE ARMY SERVICE IN THE CIVIL WAR
FROM MAY 10TH, 1864 TO MAY 20TH, 1865
PREPARED BY EX-CADET ROBERT L. RODGERS, MEMBER OF COMPANY "B"
ATLANTA, - (1905) - GEORGIA
In May, 1864, and previous to that date, the Georgia Military Institute, at Marietta, Georgia, was composed of the various Professors and Cadets. They were interested in the prospect of being soon ordered "to the front," and the old "G. M. I." campus was an interesting scene of active preparations of the boys to go to war. About the first of May studies were practically abandoned, in the contemplation of active duties in the field. At that time the Faculty of the Institute was composed of splendid Professors, distinguished as educators, namely:
GENERAL FRANK W. CAPERS, As Superintendent and Instructor in Military Tactics and Engineering.
CAPTAIN JAMES S. AUSTIN, Commandant of Cadets, and Professor of English Literature.
CAPTAIN VICTOR E. MANGET, Professor of French.
CAPTAIN JOHN M. RICHARDSON, Professor of Higher Mathematics.
CAPTAIN PAUL EVE, Professor of Mathematics and English Branches.
REV. JOHN W. BAKER Chaplain of the Institute, and Professor of Belle Lettres.
DR. E. J. SETZE, Physician and Surgeon, G. M. I.
MAJOR DOBBS, Quartermaster and Commissary.
About the first of May, 1864, orders were received for the Battalion to prepare for active service. Equipments of army guns and accoutrements, knapsacks, haversacks, and canteens were received, and issued to the cadets. They were intensely interested in these preparatory events. The Battalion was divided into two Companies, in the duties at the Institute, Company "A.," and Company "B,", composed of boys 16 to 18 years of age, and in the same way they entered the army service.
General Capers was placed in command as Major of the Battalion. Commandant James S. Austin was assigned as Captain of Company "A." Professor V. E. Manget was assigned as Captain of Company "B." The other officers of the companies were members of the cadet corps.
Rations of "hard-tack" and bacon were issued, and pretty soon things began to take on the aspect of active war. The first duties were in acting as provost guard about the City of Marietta, and other general duties incident to their position at that time, in the rear of General Joseph E. Johnston's Confederate army.
In a few days an order was received for a detachment of Cadets to be sent to Resaca, and there, on the 14th of May, 1864, the detail of Cadets were first under fire from the guns of the Federal enemy.
A Federal officer, Lieutenant James S. Oates, of the Ninth Illinois Mounted Infantry, writing of the "marching through Georgia" and of the first day's fighting in the battle of Resaca, says: "It was during the advance of that day that we came in contact with the Georgia Cadets, from the Military Institute at Marietta, who had come out from the woods at Resaca and formed their line behind a rail fence. After a volley from the Cadets, which killed several of our men, our regiment charged them."
Thus it is shown and acknowledged by one of our opponents that the Cadets were intrepid and effective in their very first engagement.
At the time of entering the service the roster of the Battalion in the respective Companies "A" and "B" was substantially as follows:
*GENERAL FRANK W. CAPERS, commanding the Battalion, under the title of Major Capers, of the G. M. I. Cadets. Died in Charleston, S. C., January, 1892.
SERGEANT-MAJOR, and QUARTERMASTER OF BATTALION, CADET JOHN A. FITTEN, Atlanta, Ga. Died, 1895, in Atlanta.
ADJUTANT OF BATTALION, CADET JACK F. CRUTCHFIELD, Macon, Ga. Died in Macon, 1904.
Following is roster of Companies "A" and "B," with first and last known address. Those marked with * are known to be dead:
COMPANY "A."
CAPTAIN JAMES S. AUSTIN, Marietta, Ga.; Waterman, California.
FIRST LIEUTENANT, CADET LODOWICK J. HILL, of Washington, Wilkes Co., Ga.
On entering the service, First Lieutenant Hill was Adjutant of the Battalion. At Oconee River Bridge he was selected and appointed as Ordinance Officer, by Major General Henry C. Wayne. After the evacuation of Savannah, he was appointed Assistant Inspector General on the staff of General R. W. Carswell. He lives now in Atlanta, Ga.
*SECOND LIEUTENANT, CADET FRANK E. COURVOISIER, Savannah, Ga. Died in 1896, at Port Royal, S. C.
THIRD LIEUTENANT, CADET JAMES R. McCLESKY, Athens, Ga. Now minister of gospel at Covington, Ga.
FIRST SERGEANT-MAJOR, AND ADJUTANT OF BATTALION, CADET PAUL FAVER, of Fayetteville, Ga. Lives there now, and is a popular physician.
ORDERLY SERGEANT, CADET W. E. H. SEARCY, Griffin, Ga. Griffin, Ga.
*SECOND SERGEANT, CADET CARY WOOD HENDERSON, Covington, Ga. Died in Atlanta, Ga., since the war.
*THIRD SERGEANT, CADET THEODORE A. ELYEA, Atlanta, Ga. Died in Atlanta, since the war.
FOURTH SERGEANT, CADET J. W. SYMMES, Brunswick, Ga.
FIFTH SERGEANT, CADET J. SCOTT TODD, West Point, Ga. Lost right arm in battle at Oconee River Bridge, Nov., 1864. Now popular and distinguished physician in Atlanta, Ga.
CORPORAL, CADET J. A. ARNOLD. (I cannot now remember names of the other corporals of Company "A.")
PRIVATES OF COMPANY "A."
ADAMS, --. --.
ADAMS, --. --.
AKERS, --. --.
*ALEXANDER, A. H., Forsyth, Ga. Killed by cannon ball at Atlanta, 1864.
ARNOLD, F., Coweta Co., Ga.
ARNOLD, PARK, Coweta Co., Ga.
ATKINSON, B., Brunswick, now Doctor, at Tarboro Ga
*BELLINGRATH, HERMAN, Atlanta, Ga.
*BLANTON, BENJAMIN P., Atlanta, Ga., Died Sept., 1904.
BOZEMAN, --. --.
BRIDGES, --. --.
BROOKS, B. E., Hattiesburg, Miss.
BRUMBY, E., Marietta, Ga.
BRUMBY, J., Marietta, Ga.
BURKE, W. H., LaGrange, Ga.
BURROUGHS, J.
CABANISS, E., Forsyth, Ga.
CABANISS, H. H., Forsyth, Ga. Atlanta, Ga.
*CAMPBELL, JOS. F., Mobile, Ala., died in Galveston, Texas, in 1904.
CARLTON, --. --.
*CASHIN, ED., Augusta, Ga. Anderson, S. C. Died Oct. 11, 1897.
CLARKE, --. --.
COCKERELL, --. --.
CRUTCHFIELD, WM .AMBROSE, Macon, Ga. Macon, Ga.
DABNEY, --. --.
*D'ANTIGNAC, FRANK, Augusta, Ga. Died since the war.
DORSEY, J-, West Point, Ga., Opelika, Ala.
DOZIER, --. --.
*EDWARDS. J. POLK. Opelika, Ala. Died there since the war.
ELLIOTT, --. --.
EVERETT, --. --.
FITZPATRICK, --. --., Madison, Ga.
FLAKE, WARREN W., DeKalb Co., Ga. Jacksonville, Texas
*FOSTER, A. W., Madison, Ga.
FREEMAN, --. --.
GARY, J.
GARY, W.
GOULD, --. --.
GREEN, JOHN M., Atlanta, Ga.
HAMILTON, THOS. A., Columbia Co., Ga. Birmingham, Ala.
HARDEE, J.
*HARDEE, W. P.
HARLEE, --. --.
HARRINGTON, HENRY P., West Point, now in New York.
HARRIS, JOHN
*HASLAM, GEO., Perry, Houston Co., Ga.
HAWKINS, J. C., Merriwether Co., Ga.
HEAD, GEO. M., Monroe Co., Ga.
HILL, A. W., Washington, Ga. Atlanta, Ga.
HILL, THOMAS A., Washington, Ga.
HINTON, JOHN
HOLLAND, --. --.
HOLMES, JOHN H., LaGrange, now Wetumpka, Alabama.
HOUSTON, --. --.
HOWARD, --. --.
HUGER, --. --., Charleston, S. C.
JONES, H. P., Burke Co., Ga.
JONES, HENRY, Burke Co., Ga.
JONES, W. D., Burke Co., Ga.
*JONES, W. (Jr.). Burke Co., Ga. Died in 1864.
KING, (BARRINGTON), Marietta, Ga.
KOLLOCK, --. --., Savannah, Ga.
LAND, J. H.
LANE, W. S.
LATIMER, CHARLES T.
LeSEUER, --. --., S. C.
LESTER, T. G., Lexington, Ga. Lexington, Ga.
LIVINGSTON, --. --.
LOVETT, ROBERT O., Screven Co., Ga. Atlanta, Ga.
McCARTHY, --. --.
McCLELLAN, --. was from Florida.
McLEOD, GEORGE, Cobb Co., Ga.
McOLESKEY, L. L., Athens, Ga. Atlanta, Ga.
McHENRY, W. S., Madison, Ga.
*McWHORTER, MADISON, Green Co., Ga.
*McWHORTER, ROBERT LIGON, Green Co., Ga.
MANN, CHARLEY, Perry, Ga.
*MARSHALL, C., Perry, Ga.
MIMS, --. --.
MIMS, W. H.
MYRICK, G. D., Milledgeville, Ga. Milledgeville, Ga.
MYRICK, J. D., Dovedale, Baldwin Co., Ga.
NAPIER, --. --., Macon, Ga.
NEVETT, --. --., Savannah, Ga.
NOBLE, STEPHEN, Rome, Ga.
OWENS, JAMES, Macon Co. Ga.
*PARSONS, WILLIAM H., Johnson Co., Ga.
PATTILLO, GEORGE, Cartersville, Ga.
PEARCE, JAMES.
PEARCE, J. W., Decatur, Ga.
*PLANT, ROBERT H., Macon, Ga. Died in 1903. President of a Bank.
RANDALL, BUSH, Cobb Ga. Decatur, Ga.
REDDING, --. --.
REESE, --. --.
ROBERT, W. H., LaGrange, Ga. Now druggist in Denison, Texas.
ROBERTS, WILEY.
ROBINSON, A., Meriwether Co., Ga.
ROBINSON, E., Meriwether Co., Ga.
RODDY, R. L., Forsyth, Ga.
RUCKER, JEPTHA H., Athens. Ga. Athens, Ga.
RUCKER, TINSLEY W. ("Tinnie"), Athens, Ga. Atlanta, Ga.
*RYAN, LAWRENCE T., Hawkinsville, Ga.
SAPP, A. J.
SCHLEY, B.
SCHLEY, G.
SCHOFIELD, --. --., Macon, Ga.
SHEPPARD, W. T., West Point, Ga. Boston, Mass.
SHUMAKE, W., Harris Co., Ga.
SLAPPEY, A. B., Marshallville, Ga.
SMITH, ARCHIBALD A., LaGrange, Ga. LaGrange, Ga.
SMITH, H. H.
*SMITH, W., Crawford Co., Ga. Died in service, 1864.
SOLOMON, W., Gordon, Ga.
SPAIN, --. --.
TAFT, W., Charleston, S. C.
THURMAN, JAS. T. Atlanta, Ga.
*TISON, MITCHELL, Darien, Ga.
TURNBULL, J. J., Banks, Ga.
WAITZFELDER, ABRAM, Milledgeville, Ga. New York City.
WALKER, C.
WALKER, J.
WATERS, BYRON B.
WATSON, --. --.
*WILLIAMS, C. HOWARD, Columbus, Ga. Died in Atlanta, Ga., 1895.
WILLIAMS, M.
*WOODWARD, JAMES P.
WYNN, JOSEPH H., Newnan, Coweta Co., Ga,
COLOR GUARD
*COLOR SERGEANT, GEORGE C. COLEMAN, Harris Co., Ga. Was killed at Aberdeen, Miss., in 1896. Co. "B."
COLOR CORPORAL, JULIUS L. BROWN, Milledgeville, Ga. Atlanta, Ga. Son of Gov. Joseph E. Brown, the War Governor of Georgia. Co. "A."
*COLOR CORPORAL, A. J. HULSEY, Atlanta, Ga. Co. "A."
COLOR CORPORAL, THOMAS W. MILNER, Cartersville, Ga. Cartersville, Ga. Co. "B."
COLOR CORPORAL, HENRY W. DEWES, Forsyth, Ga. Kirkwood, Ga. Co. "B."
*COLOR CORPORAL, HENRY A. DUNWOODY, Co. "A." Cobb Co., Darien, Ga.
COMPANY "B."
CAPTAIN, VICTOR E. MANGET, Marietta, Ga. Professor of French at G. M. I. Living now at Marietta, Ga. Minister of the Gospel.
*FIRST LIEUTENANT, CADET CHARLES H. SOLOMON, Macon, Ga.
*SECOND LIEUTENANT, CADET P. HAZELHURST, Macon, Ga.
*THIRD LIEUTENANT, CADET STEELE WHITE, Savannah, Ga.
FOURTH LIEUTENANT, CADET FRANK EINSTEIN, Macon, Ga. New York, N. Y.
SERGEANTS
FIRST SERGEANT, CADET T. A. WARD, Greensboro, Ga. Last heard of was in Alabama.
SECOND SERGEANT, CADET TOM BUSSEY. Died in 1893.
*THIRD SERGEANT, CADET ISAAC P. HARRIS, Covington, Ga. Died at Atlanta, Ga., 1899.
*FOURTH SERGEANT, CADET SEABORN MONTGOMERY, Ellaville, Schley Co., Ga. Died in service, 1864.
CORPORALS
CADET B. FRANK LEE, Fort Valley, Ga. Thomaston, Ga. Later Cadet Lee was made Third Sergeant in Co. B, to take place of I. P. Harris, promoted to Lieut.
CADET C. W. LINN
*CADET THOMAS ACEE, Talbotton, Ga.
CADET J. SYMMES.
CADET F. JONES
CADET J. K. ANDERSON, Edgefield Co., S. C. Wounded in line, and died at Atlanta, August, 1864.
CADET McNEALY, Marianna, Fla.
CADET J. H. STOKES, Lumpkin, Ga. Lumpkin, Ga.
*CADET STEPHEN G. JORDAN, Washington, Co., Ga. Died May 23, 1904.
PRIVATES
ALLEN, J. L., Bainbridge, Ga. Chipley, Ga.
ATKINSON, R. H. Macon, Ga.
*BAKER, W., West Point, Ga.
BEALL, --, --.
BIGNON, --, --.
BILLINGSLEA, CLAY, Green Co., Ga.
BOLGER, --, --. Charleston, S. C.
*BOMAR, W. A., Atlanta, Ga. Died, 1905.
BOSTICK, --, --.
BOZEMAN, --, --.
BRANTLEY, --, --., Atlanta, Ga.
BREESE, W. E., Charleston, S. C. Brevard, N. C.
BROWN, C., Cuthbert, Ga.
*BROWN, R., Americus, Ga.
BRYAN, --, --.,Chattanooga, Tenn.
BURT, F., Marietta, Ga. Came from S. C.
*BUSSEY, NATHAN, West Point, Ga. Died in Soldiers Home, 1904.
CALHOUN, O., Abbeville, South Carolina.
CAMERON, H. C., Harris Co., Ga. Columbus, Ga.
CHANEY, T. G., Ellaville, Ga. Ellaville, Ga.
COLEMAN, J. D., Harris Co., Ga. Aberdeen, Miss. Brother of George C.
*COLLIER, WILLIAM E., Fort Valley, Ga.
COMMANDER, --, --. Tampa, Fla.
*CULVERHOUSE, AUGUSTUS Knoxville, Ga.
COMPTON, LYMAN H., Milledgeville, Ga.
CUNNINGHAM, D., Talbot Co., Ga.
*DEAN, JESSE, Atlanta, Ga.
*DEAN, W., Atlanta, Ga.
DUNWOODY, --, --.
FAVER, J. D., Washington, Ga., Atlanta, Ga.
GOLDSMITH, TOM B., DeKalb Co., Simpsonville, S. C.
*GOLDSMITH, PAUL, Atlanta, Ga.
GOODE, SAM'L W., Lumpkin, Ga. Atlanta, Ga.
GOULD, --, --.
*GRIFFIN, J. W., Lowndes Co., Ga.
*GRIFFIN, SAMUEL, Lowndes Co., Ga. (Brothers)
GRUBBS, JAMES W., Waynesboro, Ga.
GUYTON, --, --.
HARRIS, W.
*HEIDT, C. B., Savannah, Ga.
HITCHCOCK, WINFIELD, Hancock Co., Ga.
HOLLIDAY, GEORGE H., Atlanta, Ga. Atlanta, Ga.
HOLMES, --, --.
HOOD, M. F., Hamilton, Harris Co., Ga.
HUDSON, J. M., Hamilton, Harris Co., Ga.
HUGHES, --, --.
HULBERT, --, --.
HUMBER, LUCIUS, Lumpkin, Ga.
HUNT, T. J., Harris Co., Ga. Columbus, Ga.
HUNTING, --, --.
JOHNSTON, A.
JOHNSTON, MALCOLM, Baldwin Co., Ga. Atlanta, Ga.
JOHNSTON, T.
JONES, D. A., West Point, Ga.
*JONES, H. B., Columbus, Ga.
JONES, W. M., Hamilton, Ga.
*JORDAN, EDMUND, Washington Co., Ga. Died, 1864.
KOLLOCK, --, --., Savannah, Ga.
LAMAR, LUCIUS J., Milledgeville, Ga.
LAMAR, OPHILO V., Ellaville, Ga.
LEE, LEWIS T., Fort Valley, Ga., Jasper, Tennessee.
LEE, OSCAR. Atlanta, Ga. Atlanta, Ga.
*LEWIS, HAL T., Green Co., Ga. Died in 1903. Supreme Court Justice.
LIGON, --, --.
LITTLE, W. W., Harris Co., Ga. West Point, Ga., R. F. D. 1.
LOFTIN, FRANK S., Franklin, Heard Co., Ga. Franklin, Ga.
LOUD, --, --.
LUCKIE, ALFRED T., Covington, Ga. Athens, Ga.
*MABRY, J. Houston Co., Ga. Died, 1864.
MARKLEY, WM. J., Greenville, S. C. Commerce, Texas.
*MARSH, CLAYTON H. Cartersville, Georgia. Wounded at Oconee Bridge battle, died in Savannah, Ga., Nov. 1864.
McCLATCHEY, W. PENN, Marietta, Ga. Chattanooga, Tenn.
MAYS, --, --.
McLAUREN, --, --., South Carolina.
*McLEOD, JOHN, Emanuel Co., Ga., died 1864.
*MOBLEY, REUBEN B., Hamilton, Harris Co., Ga. Died July, 1904.
MOORE, J., Weston, Ga.
MOORE, W. F., Marietta, Ga.
MOUSSEAU, --, --., Charleston, S. C.
MYRICK, A. B., Milledgeville, Ga. Miss.
*MYRICK, W. E., Milledgeville, Ga. Died in Miss., 1867.
NEUFVILLE, --, --., Savannah, Ga.
NEWSOME, WILLARD H., LaGrange, Ga.
PARROTT, --, --.
PARTEE, --, --.
PATTILLO, W. F., Harris Co., Ga. Decatur, Ga.
*PERSONS, ROBERT T., Fort Valley, Ga.
PERSONS, THOMAS, Marietta, Ga.
RAHN, JAMES M., Guyton, Effingham Co., Ga.
RAMSEY, --, --.
REMSHART, G. HORACE, Savannah, Ga.
REYNOLDS, HOMER V., Cobb Co., Marietta, Ga.
RICHTER, --, --., Madison, Ga.
*REYNOLDS, FLETCHER P., Covington, Ga. Died at Marietta, 1889
*ROBERTSON, --, --., Meriwether Co., Ga. Died since the war. RODGERS, ROBERT L., Washington Co., Ga. Atlanta, Ga.
*SANDERS, O. A. ("Cube"), Covington, Ga. Died in Atlanta, 1883.
SHARP, --, --.
SHROPSHIRE, ANDREW J., Coweta Co., Ga. Atlanta, Ga.
SHOEMAKE, W. W., Troup Co., Ga., died 1865
SMART, --, --., Camden Co., Ga.
SMITH, RICHARD R., Washington Co., Tennille, Ga.
SMITH, THOMAS N., Washington Co., Tennille, Ga. (Brothers)
SPENCER, SAMUEL, Columbus, Ga., now President Southern Railway Co., and lives in New York City.
STATEN, --, --.
STEVENS, N. C. ("Dick"), Ellaville, Ga. Now doctor at Ama, La.
STEVENSON, V. K., Nashville, Tenn. N. Y.
STOTESBURY, --, --.
TENNANT, Marietta, Ga.
THOMAS, ISAAC, Forsyth, Ga.
TRAYLOR, R. B., Harris Co., Ga. Chipley, Ga.
ULMER, --, --.
VANCE, --, --.
*VILLARD, W. D., South Carolina. Died in Atlanta, Ga., 1897. WALTON, TAYLOR, Lumpkin, Ga., Texas
WATERS, J. C., Marietta, Ga. Marietta, Ga.
WESSON, M., Albany, Ga.
WESSON, T., Albany, Ga.
WILCOX, --, --.
WILLIAMS, O. S., Hamilton, Harris Co., Ga.
WILLIAMS, T.
*WRIGHT, B. F. Covington, Ga.
WRIGHT, C.
*YOUNG, THOMAS, Valdosta, Ga.
Casualties in the Battalion:
Cadet Corporal Anderson, of Greenville, S. C., was wounded in knee during siege of Atlanta,and died August 11, 1864, two days later, in hospital.
Cadet F. E. Courvoisier, of Savannah, Ga., was wounded in hip in August, 1864, siege of Atlanta. He recovered. Died in Port Royal, S. C., 1896.
Cadet A. H. Alexander, of Forsyth, Ga., was killed instantly by a solid ball from a six-pounder cannon, passing entirely through his body, in siege of Atlanta, August 12, 1864.
Cadet A. T. Luckie painfully wounded in eye 1864.
Cadet Samuel W. Goode painfully wounded in arm, near shoulder, at Atlanta, in July or August, 1864.
Cadet Griffin slightly wounded on nose in 1864.
Cadet W. E. Myrick wounded in head at Oconee bridge, on Central railroad, in November, 1864, Died in Mississippi 1867.
Cadet Sergeant J. Scott Todd was wounded in arm, which was amputated at once, at Oconee bridge, over Oconee River, on Central railroad, in Washington County, Ga., on November 23, 1864, in charge on Yankee pickets in Oconee swamp. He is now Dr. J. S. Todd, of Atlanta, Ga., and surgeon of Georgia Division of U. C. V.
Cadet Thomas A. Hamilton, of Columbia County, Ga., now of Birmingham, Ala., was severely wounded in shoulder at Oconee bridge, over Oconee river, on Central railroad, on November 25, 1864.
Cadets Commander, W. Baker, Edmund Jordan, Mabry, John McLeod and G. Smith died in the service by disease contracted while serving in the trenches around Atlanta.
Cadet Marsh was mortally wounded by minnie ball in right groin, in charge on Yankee pickets at Oconee river, Oconee bridge, on the Central railroad, in Washington County, Ga., on the 23rd of November, 1864. He was carried on train to Savannah, Ga., and died in hospital there on the 26th of November, 1864.
The battalion of cadets was a conspicuous organization in the Confederate service, in the Western army, commanded by General Joseph E. Johnston. The battalion served under General Hood, and was a noted battalion of youths from the celebrated military school, the Georgia Military Institute. The boys were in excellent discipline, splendidly drilled, and with fine courage and great enthusiasm and patriotic spirit. They were a marked battalion of as fine mettled youths as ever went to any war for any country.
Major F. W. Capers was proud of his "boys," as he affectionately spoke of them. When they were under severe artillery fire at Turner's Ferry, over Chattahoochee river, Major Capers said he was very proud of them, and spoke in very high compliment of them, as exhibiting a cool courage and skill, remarkable in every respect, and he said that he believed that if he had a full division of such boys he could repulse the whole Yankee army.
Major General Henry C. Wayne was in command of the forces with which the cadets served, as they confronted Sherman's army, on the "Marching Through Georgia." General Wayne, in his official report of February 6, 1865, gives account of the distinguished conduct of Georgia cadets in the campaign through Georgia. His report is fully set forth in the official war records, series 1, volume 53, supplement, on pages 32 to 37 inclusive, in serial No. 111. On page 36, General Wayne says: "I would conspicuously mention Majors Hartridge and Capers, and Captains Talbot, Pruden, Austin, and Warthen. The gallantry of these gentlemen cannot be surpassed. To Major Capers I am under the greatest obligations. His qualifications for military command are of the highest order, and entitle him to a prominent position. They have been brilliantly illustrated by the corps of cadets, whose gallantry, discipline, and skill equal anything I have ever seen in any military service. I cannot speak too highly of these youths, who go into a fight as cheerfully as they would enter a ball-room, and with the cadence and steadiness of veterans."
The Georgia Cadets were the last organized Confederate soldiers on duty east of the Mississippi river, and their last service, as the first, was on provost duty guarding the city of Augusta, Ga., and the Confederate arsenals and army stores at that city. They obeyed the last order of a Confederate officer, Major-General Lafayette McLaws. The order was issued after the surrenders of General Lee and General Johnston, and was dated May 1, 1865, and they served under that order till the 20th day of May, 1865, when they were relieved from duties by a Yankee garrison, who came to Augusta to take charge of the city and Confederate supplies there.
The order of General McLaws is in copy, on page 420, in the volume 53, of series 1, supplement, of the official war records. It is as follows:
"SPECIAL ORDER. -- Headquarters, Augusta, Ga., May 1, 1865. The battalion of Georgia Cadets will proceed at once to the city hall, in the city of Augusta, taking one day's rations with them, and will bivouac there until further orders, for the purpose of preserving order in said city. They will suppress all disturbance and will make such details for the preservation of order and property as may be called for by Major Henry Bryan, inspector-general. Upon the zeal and honor of this battalion rests the good name of their State and the safety of Augusta.
"By command of Brigadier-General Fry.
"J. B. DORMAN
"Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.
"Approved: By command of Major General LaFayette McLaws.
HENRY BRYAN.
"Major and Assistant Inspector-General.
"To Major Capers, or officer commanding, Battalion Cadets."
"(47)"
On the 20th of May, 1865, the battalion was disbanded, and the cadets returned to their respective homes. Thus the boy soldiers of the South, and of Georgia, were the last to do duty in the cause of the Confederate States of America. In their manhood they have made good citizens, and are now fast passing from the active scenes of life forever.
Respectfully submitted, ROBERT L. RODGERS Historian of Georgia Cadets' Association Atlanta, Ga., December 25, 1905.
This page, and all data contained on it are © 2002 David W. Dorsey ([email protected]). It may not be used for any commercial purpose.
Return to Home Page