USA > Georgia > The war-history of Company "C", (Beauregard Volunteers) Sixth Georgia Regiment (infantry) with a graphic account of each member > Part 1
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ـالجي
سامحينى
جيكا
سكان الولاياتلك
ا المشيمع
المحليـ
جواب : ماي الوكيل
ـالية.
صال
ـوص الهيد سلاح
السفورور
المبـ
الهكمية
الجوية
المالي
صر
البتراء
حوالى
السعر
ويالــ
ـورية
جديد
ـسيدر
المدينة
ـمون
عزمى
Gc 973.74 G29cr 1770917
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
Go
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00824 6222
m
THE
WAR-HISTORY
OF
COMPANY (BEAUREGARD VOLUNTEERS)
16th Sixth Georgia Regiment, (INFANTRY)
WITH A GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF EACH MEMBER.
WRITTEN BY
WENDELL D. GROO Of Houston County Georgia,
And Published by the Survivors of the Company
FORT VALLEY, GEORGIA: Printed at the "Advertise" Office.
1879
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2009 with funding from Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
http://www.archive.org/details/warhistoryofcomp00croo
1770917
ERRATA.
On the first page in the Introduction where it reads "mild fanat- ieism" in the 28th line on left hand column, it should read wild fanatieism.
On the 5th page. 26th line of the right hand column, read just alluded to instead of just "'attended" to.
On the 7th page, 18th line, right hand column, read this mani- festation, instead of "his" manifestation.
In the 27th line, same page, and column, read delivered instead of "made."
On 8th page right hand column and 13th line, read "Butts Vol- unteers" instead of "Butler Volumteers."
In 47th line same page and column, read Raines, instead of "'Baines"
In the 5th Chapter, right hand column and 5th line, read 132- 000, instead "100,000."
In the 20th line, left hand column, page 20th, read water in- stead of "weather."
On page 28, left hand column and 27th line read South Washing- ton instead of Sonth "Wilmington."
On page 32, lelt hand column, and 9th line read was instead of "is."
On same page and column, and 38th line. read was instead of "is." On 37th page, right 11 second line, read destiny instead of "deserting.
On page 33, right hand column, and :4th line, read one twenty- eighth purt instead of "one thirty-eighth part."
Freostr
Dawes F 8619 .352
Croom, Wendell D.
The war-history of Company "C," (Beauregard volun- teers) Sixth Georgia regiment, (infantry) with a graphic account of each member. Written by Wendell D. Croom ... and pub. by the survivors of the company. Fort Val- ley, Ga., Printed at the "Advertiser" office, IST.
2 p. 1., 37 p. 221cm. In double columns. "Errato" olin inverted .
1. Georgis infantry. 6th regt., 1201-1505. Co. C. 2. U. S .-- Ft .-- Chil war-Regimental histories-th. if -th.
185739 1 0 1.11/1 - Library of Comp 1.25
F 8619. 352
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
FROM GENERAL C. D. ANDERSON
FORT VALLEY, GA., MAY 17, 1879.
Wendell D. Croom, Esq.,
Dear Sir :-
Powersville, Ga.
I have examined as carefully as my limited time would allow, the manuscript of the War-History of Company ".C." (Beauregard Volunteers, ) Sixth Georgia Regiment, written by yourself, and am much pleased with the tone and style of the work, as well as with its faithful execution. I think it is as correct a his- tors of that famous old Company as could now be arrived at.
I hope a deserved success will crown your commendable efforts in this landable enterprise, in transmitting our War-History unsullied to our posterity.
YOURS TRULY, C. D. ANDERSON.
1857/9
Dures , Chicago . MAR 24 1911
1
PREFACE.
IN presenting this little work, the writer has not aimed at historie dis- tinetion, nor has he been swayed by principles of prejudice, or avarice; but has, at the request of the sur- vivors of the Company of which he has the honor to have been a member, en- deavored to compend in as brief and concise a manner as the nature of cir- cumstances would allow, a graphic ac- count of each member of the Compa- ny, together with a general out-line of its War-History. He indulges the hope that the work will meet with fa- vorable reception at the hands of the friends of the company, and of a gen- crous public, and that if any errors or over-sights should be found in it,
that they will be passed as uninten- tional. He hereby tenders his ac- knowledgments to those of the survi- vors who so generously contributed to accelerate his labors by placing within his reach, much of the important data connected with the work. The work is respectfully dedicated to the memo- ry of the Confederate dead who stak- ed their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, and poured, out their life-blood upon the altar of their country, in defense of the cause that severed the Federal Compact, and led to the late terrible war between the States of the Federal Union.
WENDELL D. CROOM. POWERSVILLE, GA., January 1879.
1
-
7.
NEAR YORK, HOUSTON COUNTY GEO., AUGUST 1878.
Resolved: That Private W. D. Croom be requested to compile a com -. plete Roster and History of Company C, Beauregard Volunteers.
(" The above resolution was unanimously sanctioned by the members of the Company present.
1
INTRODUCTION.
UPON the official announcement of the result of the Presidential election of November, 1860, that Mr. Abra- ham Lincoln of Illinois, had been elected President of the United States for the ensuing term, and that his election had been secured upon prin- ciples which, upon the one hand, were purely sectional, and upon the other hand, upon the broader and more comprehensive principles of centrali- zation; that the States that voted for, and elected him, all lay north of what is known as Mason and Dixon's line, and that he had not received a single electoral vote in any of the States South of that line. The Representa- tive Men of the latter States, became alarmed and so inspired their constit- nenees for the safety, protection, and perpetuation of their political rights and institutions. Prominently among these may be mentioned the Right of local State Sovereignty, and the Insti- intion of Slavery; which was indeed older than the Government itself, and had with-stood the shocks and storms of a mild fanaticism for the last half century, and which had so often, up- on actual count in the Congress of the United States, been declared a local institution, and in no way subject to Federal interference. Its stability was now regarded as more imperiled and more uncertain than at any time during its existence upon this conti- nent. To find a remedy for the evils which now seemed to be looming up in the near future, was a perplexing question. Elated by their signal tri- umph in the late election, it was fear- ed by the men before alluded to, that, the party soon to come into power.
and assume the reins of government, wonld seek by illegitimate means to abridge the right of local State Sover- eignty, and enlarging the Federal powers of the Government by an as- sumption of power centralized in the Federal head, not delegated by the Constitution, acquire the right to abolish slavery everywhere by Federal enactment. It was now believed by most of the Representitive Men before alluded to, that the impending evils might be averted, and the safety and protection of Southern Rights and In- stitutions, be best subserved, and per- haps finally consummated in a peaca- ble withdrawal from the Union. Ac- cordingly the people of South Caroli- na met in sovereign convention, and on the 20th day of December, 1860, passed an Ordinance of Secession, in which they declared the Union then subsisting between the State of South Carolina and the other States under the Federal Compact of the 23rd day of May, 1788 entitled the Constitu- tion of the United States of America, to be totally and absolutely dissolved. And declaring also, all Acts and parts of Acts of the General Assembly of South Carolina, ratifying amendments of the said Constitution to be repeal- ed. They claimed this Ordinance to be based alone upon the ground's that. "the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island. New York, Pennsylva- nia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wis- consin, and Iowa," (all of which had voted for Mr. Lincoln,) had enacted laws which either nullified the acts of Congress for the rendition of fugitives from service, or rendered noless any
2
INTRODUCTION.
attempt to enforce them. Six other States soon followed South Carolina in passing similar Ordinances. Mis- sissippi, on the 9th of January, 1861; Florida, on the 10th; Alabama, on the 11th; Georgia, on the 19th: Louisiana, on the 26th; and Texas, on the first of February. These States met by delegations at Montgomery, Ala., on the 4th of February, 1861, and imme- diately organized a new Union between themselves, and formed a new Consti- tution, under the name of the "Con- federate States of America." Their Constitution was based upon all the essential principles of the Federal Compact of 1787, with its subsequent amendments. This Constitution for the permanent Government was to take effect on the 22ml of February, 1862. A Provisional Government was formed for one year, by electing Jef- ferson Davis of Mississippi, President, and Alexander H. Stephens of Geor- gia, Vice President. Mr. Davis was inaugurated on the 18th day of Feb- ruary, 1861, and selected for his Cab- inet: Robert Toombs, of .Ga., Secre- tary of State; Christopher G. Mem- minger, of S. C. Secretary of the Treasury; Leroy P. Walker, of Ala., Secretary of War; Stephen R. Mallory, . of Fla., Secretary of the Navy; John HI. Reagin, of Texas, Post Master- General. The Attorney-Generalship was designated the Department of Justice, and over this, Judah P. Ben- jamin, of La., was chosen to preside. The new Government thus organized, . went into immediate operation '
.
Meantime, at the instance of Vir- ginia, an informal Peace Congress was called to meet in Washington.
This body met in February. Twen- ty States were represented in it-Thir- 'teen Northen, and seven Sonthern. Ex-President Tyler presided over its deliberations. In it the Southern States were emphatically assured that the Northern States would never re-
tract from their determination in the matter of rendition of fugitives from service. This effort, therefore, to close the breach between the States, tended only to widen it. The Gov- ernment at Montgomery despatched three Commissioners, John Forsyth. of Ala., Martin J. Crawford, of Ga., and Andrew J. Roman, of La., to Washington, to treat with the Feder- al anthorities a peaceful and amicable adjustment, upon principles of equity and justice of all matters pertaining to the common property and public debt. President Buchanan refused to receive them in their official capacity.
Acting upon the right of eminent domain, as they claimed, the speeded States had before this, taken posses- sion of all the Federal forts and arse- nals within their limits, respectively, except Fort Sumter in Charleston har- bor, Fort Pickens at Pensacola. and the fortifications in the Keys of the Southern coast of Florida, and had transfered the same jurisdiction over them to the Confederate States which had been excercised before by the Un- ited States.
Mr. Buchanan made no attempt to retake these forts. He held that a State could not rightfully or Consti- tutionally secede. He also further held to the very singular doctrine that he eonld not, nor could Congress right- fully and Constitutionally resort to co- ercive measures against the regularly constituted authorities of a State to prevent it. In this condition of things, Buchanan's term of office ex- pired on the 4th. of March, 1861, and he retired. Mr. Abraham Lincoln, the new President elect, was installed into office at the usnal time and place, and issued his Inaugural address, in which he held, as most of the South- ern people did not, that the Union was older than the States, and declar- ed it to be his avowed purpose to maintain it at all hazards, as well as
3
7
INTRODUCTION.
:
to "hold, occupy, and possess" all the forts, arsenals, and other public prop- . erty, before held by the Federal au- thorities, and to collect the public rev- enne at all the ports of the seceded States. This was the only decisive policy indicated in his Inaugural. It will not be considered out of place to mention just here, that all of the Southern States, which had not, up to this time, seceded, did, in due . course of time secede except Maryland, Missouri, and Kentucky. Through the influence of the secession element within their limits, Missouri and Ken- tucky formed Provincial Governments and co-operated with the seceded States. feld under military sway, and her people divided upon the sub- jeet, Maryland took no action in the matter. Part of her arms-bearing people united with the Confederates, and a part with the Federals. Virgi- nia seceded on the 17th of April, Ar- kansas, on the 6th of May, North Ca- rolina, on the 20th of May-the 86th anniversary of her celebrated Mecklen- burg Declaration of Independence. (In this, North Carolina was, in the matter of Revolutionary Indepen- denec, in advance of all of her co- States by forty-four days. ) Tennessee seceded on the 8th of June. These all united with the new Confederation.
Upon the accession of Virginia to the Confederacy, the Confederate Government was transfered to Rich- mond. the capital of that State, where it remained till it was subverted, which ocenrred, it may be said, when the sword of Gen. Robert E. Lee was surrendered on the 9th of April, 1865, at Appomatox, C. H.
To return to the subject:
Anxious, if possible to effect an am- icable reconciliation between the States, the Confederate States Com- in issioners, before named, addressed a note, on the 12th. of March, to Mr. William HI. Seward, Secretary of
State, in the new Cabinet, setting forth the character and object of their mission. Mr. Seward replied to this verbally and informally, through Mr. Justice John A. Campbell, of the Su- preme Bench of the United States. He was a citizen of Alabama, in full sympathy with the Southern cause. He was therefore selected by Mr. Sew- ard as a proper intermediary. In this way the Commissioners were given to understand that Mr. Seward was in favor of peace, -that Fort Sumter, abont which the Commissioners felt the greatest coneern, would be evacu- ated in less than ten days.
This proved, however, to be a farce and deception practiced upon the Commissioners by Mr. Seward and the Government at Washington. They were kept in the dark as regard- ed the intention of the Federal Goy- ernment in relation to the status quo of Fort Sumter. And it was not un- til a provisioning and reenforcing fleet despatched from the ports of New York and Norfolk early in April, had actually hove in sight of Fort Sumter, that they were placed in pos- session of the facts of the intention of the Federal Government in regard to Fort Sumter,
They came in possession of these facts through a notice given on the 8th of April to Gov. Pickens of Sonth Carolina, that a fleet was then on its way to provision, and reenforce Fort Sinter. The fort was at this time commanded by Maj. Roht. Anderson, of the U. S. Army, with a force of less than a hundred, and with a very short supply of provisions. Gen. Gustave T. Beanregard was in command of about six thousand volunteer troops in Charleston at the time, collected for the purpose of defending the place. Gov. Pickens informed him of the no- tice he had received. This was tele- graphed by Beauregard to the author- ities at Montgomery. The Secretary
4
INTRODUCTION.
of War replied to Beauregard: "If you have no doubt of the authenticity of the notice of the Government at Washington to supply Fort Sumter by force, demand its evacuation; and if this should be refused, proceed to reduce it." On the 11th of April the demand for its evacuation was made by Gen. Beauregard. Maj. Anderson, in writing, stated that the demand would not be complied with. This was sent by Gen. Beauregard to Secre- tary of War at Montgomery, who re- turned the following response: "Do not needlessly desire to bombard Fort Sumter. If Maj. Anderson will state a reasonable specified time at which he will evacuate, and agree that, in the meantime, he will not use his guns against us, unless ours should be em- ployed against Fort Sumter, you are authorized thus to avoid the effusion of blood. If this or its equivalent be refused, reduce the fort, as your judge- ment decides most practicable."
This was communicated to Maj. Anderson. He refused to accede.
The fleet was approaching; some of Beauregard's batteries and forces were between it and Fort Sumter. Should it arrive, while Anderson still held the fort, they would be exposed to attack from the rear as well as from the front. Gen. Beauregard therefore gave Maj. Anderson notice that he would at an early specified hour com- pel him to withdraw from the fort. He accordingly opened fire upon it, at 4:30 on the morning of the 12th of April. This was returned by the guns of the fort. The fleet came near, but in the absence of official orders from the Government, took no part in the conflict. The bombardment lasted 32 hours. Maj. Anderson then agreed to capitulate. This scene is represent- ed by those who witnessed it, to have been most "grand and terrific," espec- rally at night, as the earth seemed to quake and tremble beneath the loud
thunderings of the booming cannons engaged on the respective sides, and volume after volume of smoke ascend- cd the mid-heavens, while the burn- ing missiles, plunging in mad confu- sion in opposite directions, stretched their vivid trains across the horizon. To the "uninitiated," such a scene as this, was no doubt, very terrible, but in less than twelve months, to many, such scenes became very common.
The fall of Fort Sumter aroused the Northern people to the highest pitch, and enabled the party now in power, to draw large accessions from the Democratic, and American parties.
Indeed, it was the beginning of a war, which has but few, if any paral- lels in the annals of history. The world stood aloof, but looked on with wonder and amazement, while this terrible war, through the grievous du- ration of upwards of four years, loom- ed forth its gigantic proportions, and presented its hideons machinations of death and destruction in grend, terri- ble display, and the nations of the earth, with fearful anxiety awaited the impending result.
On the 15th of April, President Lincoln issued a Proclamation calling for 75,000 troops, and convening Con- gress in extra session on the fourth of July, following. The causes of the war, were now, by the Federals, laid at the door of the Confederates. They were charged with having dese- crated the National flag, and with having used force and resistance against the legally constituted author- ities of the Federal Governinent. On the other hand, the Confederates maintained that the silencing by them of the guns of Fort Sumter was only an act of defense in anticipation of an approaching attack from a hostile fleet, as announced by Gov. Pickens through the notification to him of the intention of the Federal authorities to reenforce Fort Sumter. The Confed-
5
1
INTRODUCTION.
.
crates stood, as they claimed, upon a now about to enter, and, as Captain, well-established principle of public -law, that " the aggressor in war" (that is he who begins it) "is not the first who uses force, but the first who ren- ders force necessary." They therefore claimed that the despatching of the fleet before mentioned, from New York and Norfolk, was an open decla- ration of war. The call by President Lincoln for 75,000 troops, was met by a similar call from the Confederate Government at Montgomery for vol- unteer troops to repel invasion. The arms-bearing people of the Confor- crate States, with a gallantry unsur- passed in the annals of the world, re- sponded to the call.
lead it to the field of action. Being a man of unsullied reputation and ex- tensive popularity, his proposition found a ready response everywhere. The Company was soon organized and in trim. A great many more tender- od their services than he was allowed at that time to muster in- It is quite aside from ono present purpose, to un- dertake to enter into a detailed ac- count of this war-its origin, causes, conduct, guilt, crimes, consequences, and results, as well as its sufferings, sacrifices, and heroic exploits on the respective sides. As many volumes on this subject have already been writ- ten, an attempt of this sort upon our part, would prove as futile as it would be vain in us. Indeed, such an at- tempt would be very well calculated to well nigh beggar language, and paral- ize the pen of the ablest historian. The work we have before us, and in hand, is to write the War-History of
'They were soon organizing into bat- talions and regiments, and hurrying with railroad speed to the theatre of war. It was now, and in this state of affairs, that Charles D. Anderson, then engaged in a mercantile business in the town of Fort Valley, Houston County, Georgia, proposed to organize the" the Company just attended to. With Company upon whose History we are this we will now proceed.
CAMPAIGN OF 1861.
CHAPTER I.
OUR Company "C" was organized at Fort Valley. Houston county Geor- gia, in the month of May of this year; titled the "Beauregard Volunteers," in honor of Gen. Gustave T. Beaure- gard, that gallant Lonisianian, whose animating tones Were so often, during the war, echoed and reachoed from the Potomac to the Mississippi, and whose memory stands so inseparably linked with Confederate fame. The Company as first organized, was olli- cored as follows, commissioned and non-commissioned staffs: Charles D. Anderson, Captain, Charles HI. Richardson, Ist Lieutenant, Bart- lett M. Bateman, 2nd Lieutenant, Seaborn L. Mimms 3rd Lientenant William W. Carnes, Orderly Sergeant James M. Culpepper, 2nd Sergeant. Geo. W. Bateman, Brd Sergeant. Amos W. Murray 4th Sergeant, Isaac N. Vinson 5th Sergeant, Joel L. Disekes, Ist Corporal, Leonidas Brown 2nd Corporal, Samuel II. Hiley 3rd Corporal, Thomas S. Clark, 4th Cor- poral, Reuben A. Kilby 5th Corpo- ral. Green Avera Musician, J. W. Avera, Company Ensign. The Com- pany was at first mustered into ser- vice with a full quota, that is, eighty four men, rank and file. The pri- vates, comprising the Company from time to time during the war including the original members and recruits from time to time were as follows:
. Elias Adams: Charles D. Anderson, Jr .: Louis F. Anderson; Emanuel Aultman; John D. Aultman; Solomon Aultman; Josiah Avera; Mathew G. Avera; Drewry M. Bateman: Need- ham Bateman; Lewis II. Beddingfield; Samter Belvin; Henry T. Brookins; Thomas Butler; James M. Bynum:
Leonidas Choidoine; George W.
Cheeves; James Clark; Thomas N. Clark; William T. Collins; James Corbitt; Stephen Corder; John Coop- er; Charles II. Coussins; Jonathan F. Coussins; Jonathan D. Cowart; Wendell D. Croom; William Crouch; John ( Davidson; William S. Davis: Edward Dinkins; John R. Dukes; William B. Dukes; Eli Ethridge; Eli- jah Ethridge; John Ethridge; Allen Evans; Samuel Felder; Alexander Finlayson; Samuel A. Fields: Charles R. Fogg; John C. Gammage; John W Gatling; Samuel Gassett; James W. Giles: William E. Giles; Alexander Glozier; James M. Graves; Charles G. Gray; Jefferson M. Gray ; William C. Gray; Hosea C. Graydon; Ulysses M. Gimn: William & Haddock; Geo. W. Hampton; J. N. Hightower; David HI Miley; Talbot Q. Hammock; Benj. F. Hammock ; Theophilus Hardison. Jno I. Harris: William N. Harris; William M. Hartley ; Daniel Hearn; Obediah Hearn; Augustus C. Haslam; William M. Haslam: William C. Harrison; Sullivan R. Harrison: George M. D. Hunt ; Seaborn M. Hunt; John C. Humber: Daniel B. Hutto; Drewry M. Jackson: James M. Johns; Robt. W. Johnson; Thos. E. Jones, Burwell T. Jordan; William II. Leadingham; William Il. Lightfoot: R. D. Light- foot; James Lominac; Thomas .1. Lowe: William H. Il. Lowe; Jas. Ma- son; John Mavo; William M. MeDon- ald; John F. McDonald; William F. MeGehee; John M. Miller; Robt. 1. Miller: Francis M. Murray; John W. Murray; David R. Odom; Jas. B. Odom: Thos Odom; Willis T. Odom; David J. Perminter; Geo. W. Piles; Geo. W. Plant; Benj. L. Powell;
CAMPAIGN OF 1861.
Richard HI. Powell: Jolm S. Price; John F. Renfroe; John J, Rumph: Louis D. Rumph; Samuel J Rumph, Henry C. Sawyer; Ichabod N. Scarbo- rough; Columbus Self: Lott Self; Ma- rion Self; James W. Shines; William I Shines; Andrew J. Shirah: Thomas O. Skellie, Alex. G. Slappey; Geo. W Slappey; Jas. Slappey; Russell T. Slappey; Uriah Slappey; Leonidas P'. Sledge; Spencer R. Sledge; Wiley T. Sledge; William Sorrell; Mack Sperry Alexander Sullivan: Allen Sullivan; Francis M, Strippling; Ebenezer W. Turner; Bryant Vmson; Daniel Vin- son: Henry B. Vinson, Joseph S. Vinson: Leavin Vinson; John Visage; Pleasant A White: John C. Wilson; William Young.
Having organized his Company as before stated, and having been com- missioned, Captain Anderson made a tender of the services of himself and Company to the Confederate Govern- ment through Joseph E. Brown, then Governor of the State of Georgia, which was accepted, and he was or- dered to rendezvous at the Camp of mstruction at AAtlanta, Ga., on the 25th of May, whither nine other com- panies had been ordered to rendez- vous at that time to organize the Sixth Regiment of Georgia Volunteers (Infantry). Preparatory to a faith- Inl compliance with this order, the Company paraded at Fort Valley on the morning of the 24th, to await the arrival of the train, which was to take them to Atlanta, and to receive a handsomely decorated silk flag to be presented by the ladies of Fort Valley and vicinity in token of their high appreciation of the valor and patriot-
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