Historical Sketch of
Company G,
8th Georgia, CSA

Company G, 8th Ga. Regiment

As it appeared in The Hawkinsville Dispatch, on July 24, 1879, p. 3

By David Green Fleming

No. 3 in a 5 part series

n our last number a description of the part the Volunteers and Eighth Georgia Regiment bore in the first battle of Manassas was commenced.  We stated that after holding the enemy in check for about thirty-five minutes, our regiment fell back a few yards in rear of the pine thicket, where an attempt was made to rally, and after rallying and firing one volley, we again retreated.

Seeing that the Eighth Regiment had done all they could, and having lost his horse in the beginning of the engagement, General Bartow, who was in command of the brigade, proceeded on foot to lead to the front the Seventh Georgia, which we had left nearly a mile to the left.  The survivors of the Volunteers, and some from other companies, escorted him until a courier gave him a horse when he galloped off and left us.  It was during this short procession that our beloved Colonel, fatigued nigh unto death, sitting for a moment on a little elevation to rest, exclaimed, “My men are nearly all killed and I care not longer to live.  I pray God that a bullet may pierce my heart.”  How soon a pang was sent to our hearts in the announcement that his prayer was answered while leading the Seventh in a charge.  After our Colonel had left us, our gallant Captain led his remnant to the head of a South Carolina Regiment which was preparing for a charge, and asked permission of the Colonel to continue the fight with his men, but the kind-hearted Colonel, seeing their condition, told him he had better take them to the rear for rest as they were exhausted.  The remnants of our companies were finally brought together a short distance in rear of the line, out of range of musket balls, and soon the news reached us that the enemy were completely routed.   We were then marched to an elevated position, commanding a plain view of Centerville, a little village just across the Bull Run on another elevation, some two or three miles from us, and a scene was presented before us which the writer cannot describe.   Men, carts, wagons, carriages, artillery, horses, and everything rushing frantically and turning“topsy-turvy” over each other, and all running for dear life.  We now saw what a complete victory had been gained, and for a moment our toils of the day seemed as nothing.  While we were feasting our eyes on this scene, we rose to greet General Beauregard as he slowly rode down our line, who returned the greeting with a full heart, “gallant Eighth Georgia, I have the honor to salute you.”

Our hearts were saddened, and our eyes drawn from beholding our victory by the command to return to the battlefield, look after our wounded and bury the dead.

Slowly and sadly we returned to pine thicket, finding many of our comrades weltering in their heart’s blood.  Alvey Goodson, John H. Lowry, J.W. Carruthers and Jesse Scarborough were killed; Thomas Boatright mortally wounded, and died in a few hours; D.H. Mason, W.N. Bowen, A.R. Coley, J.E. Floyd, A. McLelland and Isaac Rains severely wounded, Mason, Bowen, McLelland and Rain having died of their wounds soon after.  Several others were wounded more or less slightly.  No company of men engaged during the day in any command suffered heavier loss than the Volunteers.  On viewing the small pines, and remembering how thick the bullets came, our wonder was how any of us escaped, except by the protection of an Unseen Hand.  Not a tree was large enough to afford protection, yet every one was riddled with bullets.

Having completed the sad task of burying the dead and sending off the wounded early the next morning, and remaining near the battlefield three or four days, we were removed to Camp Bartow, about four miles northeast of Manassas Junction, where we spent the remainder of the summer.  At this camp many of our company were prostrated with sickness, some from exposure and fatigue on the battlefield and others from coming out too soon after their afflictions at Winchester.  Many died from sickness while here.  Those who were detained at Winchester and could not participate in the battle were exceedingly impatient for another to take place, fearing their comrades who were fortunate (?) enough to have had experience on the battlefield, had won all the honor and glory, and that the war would end before another opportunity would be presented.  It may now seem unreasonable to many, but these soldiers actually expressed themselves in this manner and we believe were honest for it.  Many died before the opportunity came.  To these and all others who died of disease, we cannot offer a better tribute than that used in regard to our three comrades who died at Winchester, by “Rhodes” in the communication elsewhere referred to: “Though they did not die as they preferred, still they died in the service of their country and died nobly.  Let all honor be accorded to them that we would to those who fell on the field of battle.”

he greater part of the autumn of 1861 was spent by the Eighth Regiment in the vicinity of Mason’s and Munson’s Hills, six or eight miles in front of Washington city.  At the latter place we were often sent on picket, and besides having a plain view of the dome of the United States Capitol, we could hear the music of the drums and bands of the enemy at Alexandria.  About October we were returned to Centerville, and shortly afterwards established winter quarters on the banks of Bull Run, by building comfortable temporary houses.  Here also our ranks were visited by sickness, mostly typhoid fever, and some were sent off to hospitals never to return.   Nothing of note occurred since the Manassas battle in the way of fighting, save an occasional attack by the enemy’s cavalry on a picket line, but none of the Volunteers were disturbed thereby.

In the spring of 1862 the theatre of war was transferred to the Peninsular between the James and York rivers, and our command, after proceeding by rail to Richmond, was sped on its way, going down the James in a steamer, arriving in Yorktown just as the Federals had captured a portion of the Confederate trenches.  It devolved upon our brigade, now commanded by Gen. G.T. Anderson, to recapture the lost ground, the Eighth Regiment taking an important part.  The enemy were so completely surprised by the sudden spring made upon them, that they retreated in disorder before we hardly had time to fire a gun.   The way in which this little affair was managed gave our General the name of “Old Tige,” which he still holds, and a member of the Volunteers claims the honor of originating it.

We remained in the trenches, knee deep in water, for several days, repelling two or three attacks of the enemy in our front.  In one of these attacks, in which about six rounds were fired by our men, one of our company was certain he killed the Yankee color-bearer.  A day or two afterwards we were ordered to draw the loads from our guns and load afresh.  The man that did the above killing drew six balls from his, and being disgusted, never shot another color-bearer.  Not a casualty occurred in our ranks during our stay at Dam No. 1, where our regiment was stationed, nor on the withdrawal of the army to Richmond.  The remainder of the spring and early summer of 1862, we were stationed on the part of the line known as Price’s farm, on the banks of the Chickahominy for nearly two months, under a constant fire of shells from the Federal cannon across the river.  On one occasion, as a group of the Volunteers were sitting under a tree in rear of the trenches, a shell burst and mortally wounded three of our company, J.J. Armstrong, R.C. Lawson and W.J. Mullis, all of whom died in a few hours, and seriously wounding L.C.P. Jones, mangling him very badly.

During the seven days battle around Richmond, as General Jackson drove the right of the enemy down the Chickahominy, we were moved down the line to our right, and at Garnett’s farm were ushered into the jaws of death in an unsuccessful attempt to capture a Federal battery.  Our loss was heavy in this charge. James Reagan, James Pate, Geo. W. Wade and William Wilson were killed, and Jas. F. Fraser and John W. Sapp badly wounded.  Proceeding with the victorious army, our next engagement was at Malvern Hill, where the regiment was in the heat of battle, but fortunately sustained no loss.  This ended the campaign around Richmond.  Our command being in a different part of the line did not participate in the battle of “Seven Pines,” but Captain Ryan, who was sick in Richmond, on hearing the noise of battle, jumped from his bed and proceeded to find his company, which he thought would be engaged, but not finding them on the field, he gathered a musket and joining the ranks of another regiment did good fighting.

About the 15th of August, 1862, we were again put on the march northward, arriving at Cedar Run just too late to participate in that battle, where our fellow-citizen, Col. S.M. Manning, of the 49th Georgia, Company K, was mortally wounded.  The Confederates had gained a complete victory, driving Pope’s army across the Rappahannock, and following, or rather outmarching the Federals to Manassas.  Proceeding on after Jackson’s command by a forced march, we arrived at Thoroughfare Gap and found that Longstreet was apparently cut off from Jackson by the Federals filling up this Gap, which was the only convenient place to cross the mountain for several miles.  In order to cross, we had to commence fighting our way over the steep mountain.  In this engagement, John W. Lancaster had his arm shot off, which was the only loss the Volunteers sustained. Darkness of the following night closed the battle, and awaking next morning, we were surprised to find no enemy in front.  They had withdrawn during the night.   Advancing slowly towards Manassas, we arrived about August 30th, near the scene of our first engagement, and found a fierce battle raging.  Being immediately placed in line, we commenced fighting near sunset, and continued until dark.  The losses here were Jacob Blount killed, and Wm. A. Willcox severely wounded.  Other companies lost more heavily, though in no worse part of the fight than ours.  On arising the next morning, we found that the enemy were many miles from us.  In a short time, we were on our way to Maryland.  Fording the Potomac a short distance below Harper’s Ferry, and making a half circle around by Monocacy Junction and Frederick city, crossing the mountains at Boonsborough Gap, were again landed south of the Potomac without participating to much extent in an engagement.

The writer not being present with the company during the latter part of the Maryland campaign, cannot say positively that the Volunteers were in the battle of Sharpsburg, but from what I can learn, think they were slightly engaged without any loss.  Remaining a short time near the Potomac, our command next went to Fredericksburg, being placed in comfortable camps near that city until the 11th of December, when, as that battle commenced, we were placed on a very important part of the field, but while all other parts of the line were attacked that part immediately around us escaped the heat of battle, though exposed to a continual fire from the Federal pickets for three days.  No losses here except the desertion of Leopold Ottenheimer, who, one night, with some others, was permitted to go a short distance in front, and to the left, to look for what plunder the enemy had left in their retreat.  He was never heard from afterwards.

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