Captain James Bondurant and the Jeff Davis Artillery

Providing the only immediate artillery support to the Confederate defenders at Fox's Gap, Captain James Bondurant and his Alabamians of the Jeff Davis Artillery helped keep back the Union onslaught despite the Confederate defenders being stretched thin.

The Jeff Davis artillery was organized in Selma, Alabama in May 1861 under the command of Captain James T. Montgomery and was sent east where it was assigned to the brigade of Jubal Early at Manassas. James Bondurant would rise to command of the regiment following the resignation of Captain Montgomery and his election as the new Captain of the Battery.

Captain Bondurant

James William Bondurant was born in Buckingham County, Virginia in 1835. Shortly before the war, his family migrated to Alabama. When war broke out, he enlisted as a sergeant in Montgomery's JEff Davis Artillery. He would eventually rise to command of the battery and lead it through some of its most horrific fights. Bondurant would lead the battery in fighting at Seven Pines, Mechanicsville, and Gaines Mill suffering numerous dead and wounded.

Following the Confederate "victories" on the Peninsula, Bondurant's battery remained in Richmond with the division of Daniel Harvey Hill as the remainder of the Army of Northern Virginia moved north to deal with the Army of Virginia under John Pope. Pope was ultimately defeated at the Battle of Second Manassas/Bull Run setting the stage for the Confederate invasion of Maryland.

Bondurant moved with his battery northward to join up with the Confederate forces massing at Leesburg in preparation for the inevitable advance across the Potomac. The battery crossed the Potomac with the rest of D.H. Hill's artillery on September 4, 1862. The unit would enter Frederick on 6th and remain here until the 10th. On the 10th, the Confederates moved out of Frederick in an effort to capture the vital transportation hub of Hagerstown and to capture the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry that was sitting just miles from the proposed supply and communication route for the Confederate advance into Pennsylvania. Attached to Samuel Garland's brigade of Hill's Division, Bondurant's battery went into camp near Beaver Creek outside Boonsboro, MD on the 13th to await developments. The wait would not be long. Word reached General Hill at Boonsboro, that Union infantry and cavalry were pushing back Confederate troopers holding Braddock's Gap on the National Pike. Hill ordered Alfred Colquitt's brigade to take up defensive positions at Turner's Gap and Garland's brigade to move in the direction of South Mountain in close support.

On the morning of the 14th, Hill was on a personal reconnaissance down what was called the Wood's Road by locals in the direction of Fox's Gap when he heard noises to his front. Believing this was the Union Army crossing the mountain, Hill quickly turned to go back to his Turner's Gap when he came under artillery fire. Bolster in his belief he was being outflanked, Hill returned to his headquarters at Turner's Gap to find Garland and Bondurant's battery coming up the mountain. He immediately ordered them to Fox's Gap and to hold at all cost. Arriving at Fox's Gap, Garland found that he noises were in fact the 5th Virginia Cavalry who were posted there by J.E.B. Stuart. Quickly, Garland deployed his line and Bondurant was deployed in a field to the south of the Daniel Wise Cabin with the support of the 90 men of the 12th North Carolina under Captain Shugan Snow.

Just before 9 A.M., the men of Bondurant's battery and Bondurant himself could vaguely see the movement of blue shadows in the woods to their immediate front. Bondurant's men and guns were fully exposed in the field where they were deployed and their only escape route was to their immediate rear along a mountain road leading back to Fox's Gap. After some time, several Union soldiers appeared in a valley that had allowed the Union men to advance uncomfortably close to the battery and Confederate infantry, who had their arms stacked believing that action was not soon at hand. Bondurant requested the skirmishers be sent out to ascertain what was going on in the woods to his front. The infantry commanders in immediate support of the battery refused to oblige Bondurant's request because orders had not come down from General Garland.

Rebuffed not once, but twice, Bondurant decided he was to meet coming Union attack himself. Almost immediately, a Union line appeared with in yards of the batteries right flank and began to quickly advance against the unsupported battery. A Union volley cut the silence and the Battle of South Mountain had begun. Amazingly, no men from Bondurant's battery fell during this initial volley. Garland, hearing the firing, quickly appeared and ordered the the infantry to advance to meet this line and ordered Bondurant to commence firing. Bondurant, with the situation in hand, ordered his battery to change front to the right to meet this Union threat. Unfortunately, his battery could only fire one gun at a time from this position and he ordered each gun to fire once then withdraw. Firing point-blank into the Union line throwing it into confusion. Each gun successfully got one round off before withdrawing to their waiting limbers and caissons in the road. Bondurant withdrew his battery all the way back to a position near the Daniel Wise cabin before re-deploying and opening up a steady barrage against the Union forces. Bondurant's men would hold this position for the better part of the morning and would witness the disintegration of General Garland's brigade and the removal of General Garland's limp body from the field.

Just before 11, a portion of General George B. Anderson's brigade, under Colonel C.C. Tew had arrived on the field and with the help on Bondurant's battery, they held back the Union assault and managed to maintain a slim foothold on Fox's Gap and the vital intersection.  During the course of the late morning action, a Union battery began raining shells down on Bondurant's position. To protect his men and guns, Bondurant was forced to move a section of his battery to the crest of Wise's North Field just east of the Woods Road. 

During the mid-day lull of the battlefield, Asa Cook's Massachusett's battery deployed a few hundred yards from the summit at Fox's Gap and opened fire on Confederate batteries to the right at Turner's Gap. Unknown to them, less then two hundred yards away, Captain Bondurant had his men quietly loading canister. After the Union battery fired a few rounds, Bondurant unleashed his guns on the surprised Union artillerymen. Fearing for their lives, some of the Union artillerist ran from their guns and others sought out cover wherever they could find any. Bondurant's battery had a devastating effect on the Union battery killing and wounding several men and horses. The batteries fire also stirred up a panic within the ranks of General Orlando Willcox's division that was deploying astride the Old Sharpsburg Road. Taken in the flank by the shell and canister of the Confederate, the infantrymen panicked before eventually sorting themselves out and seeking cover from the artillery fire.

This devastating fire from Bondurant's guns made them a target for Union commanders. Orders quickly came from General Jesse Reno, commanding the 9th Corps, to General Willcox to "silence the the enemy's battery at all cost." Just as the Union infantry began it's advance, Confederate infantry from General Thomas Drayton advanced out of the Old Sharpsburg Road and a bloody standoff ensued. During this savage fighting, the section of Bondurant's guns that had remained at the Daniel Wise Cabin withdrew and rejoined the section in Wise's North Field. The climactic moment of the battle for Fox's Gap had arrived.

From the North Field, Bondurant's battery continued supporting Drayton's infantry to the best of their ability. Bondurant's men, in position in the northwestern corner of Wise's North Field, rained shot and shell down on the Union infantry pressing Drayton's men. From their left, a new threat emerged from the woods in the form of the 17th Michigan Infantry that fell on the flank and rear of Drayton's brigade. Their primary mission was to silence Bondurant's guns but their advantage over the Confederate infantry quickly became the more relevant attack. Bondurant, seeing that the battle was out of control for the Confederates, unleashed canister on the Michigan men in a vain attempt to halt their advance but the tactic was to no avail. Bondurant was forced to withdraw from the battlefield and Drayton's men were left without artillery support. Fortunately for the Confederates, John Bell Hood's division arrived to shore up the sagging Confederate hold on Fox's Gap.

Bondurant pulled his men back down the mountain to the reserve trains to replenish their ammunition but upon arriving, they found that the armies artillery ammunition had been depleted drastically due to the severe fighting of the day. Bondurant ordered his men to get what they could and after doing so, they greatfully settled down for some much needed rest. The Jeff Davis Artillery had been in action for the better part of 10 hours on September 14th and amazingly, not a single man was lost despite the battery being in close proximity to the main battlelines. The battery would go on to fight and ,suffer heavily, at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the 1864 Overland Campaign, and the Siege of Petersburg. The battery would surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1862 only able to muster 1 officer and 26 men. 

11th Virginia Infantry, Kemper's Brigade




Unidentified Soldier
Company C, 11th VA Infantry

  In the afternoon of September 14th, the men of the 11th Virginia Infantry found themselves going into line of battle along a the rocky slopes of South Mountain just north of Turner's Gap facing an enemy they knew was in front of them but they could not see. When the Union assault finally came, they stubbornly held their ground until darkness ended the fighting.


The companies of the 11th Virginia were enlisted into service during the spring of 1861. They are as follows:

Company A: "Lynchburg Rifle Greys", Campbell County, April 22, 1861
Company B: "Southern Guards", Campbell County, April 23, 1861
Company C: "Clifton Greys", Campbell County, May 16, 1961
                     - transferred from 28th Virginia in June 1861
Company D: "Fincastle Rifles", Botetourt County, April 23, 1861
Company E: "Lynchburg Rifles", Campbell County, April 19, 1861
Company F: "Preston Guards", Montgomery County, May 29, 1861
Company G: "Lynchburg Home Guards, Campbell County, April 23, 1861
Company H: "Jeff Davis Guard", Campbell County, May 15, 1861
Company I: "Rough and Ready Rifles", Fauquier and Culpeper County, May 25, 1861
Company K: "Valley Regulators:, Botetourt and Rockbridge County, May 25, 1861



Samuel Garland, Jr. in militia uniform


The seperate companies would begin arriving in Richmond for muster into Confederate service beginning in late April and and early May when they were gathered and officially designated as the 11th Virginia Volunteer Infantry. They would elected Captain Samuel Garland,  Jr. of Company G as their first colonel.  Attached to the brigade of Brigadier General James Longstreet, the 11th Virginia spent the following months drilling in preparation for the coming Union invasion. Stationed near Bull Run near Manassas, Virginia, the 11th would get its first taste of battle in the middle of July.

On July 18, 1861, a Union reconnassaince in force approached Blackburn's Ford on the right flank of the Confederate defenses along Bull Run Creek. The fight was severe and the 11th helped turn back this Union thrust. In the first major battle of the war fought three days later, the 11th remained in its post on the Confederate right and only after the Union army was routed and chased from the field did the 11th go into action. The regiment along with the 1st, 17th, and 24th regiments with a section of artillery and a troup of cavalry supporting, advanced in pursuit of the routed army, reaching as far as Centreville before being ordered to fall back to the brigades original position. The regiment lost 19 men killed, wounded, and missing after being under constant artillery fire for the better part of the day. Following the battle, Colonel Garland was ordered to take his regiment and police the battlefield.

For the remainder of the year, the regiment found itself on picket and drilling in northern Virginia. In December, the regiment found itself fighting around Dranesville, Virginia. It was here that two foraging parties under Brigadier General J.E.B. Stuart (Confederate) and Brigadier General Edward O.C. Ord (Union) came upon each other. A brisk fight ensued that drove off Stuart's confederates. The 11th, with Garland commanding, held the line as the rest of the Confederates retreated. The day following this battle, Stuart returned to collect his wounded and left them at Frying Pan  Church, where the Confederates had retreated the previous day. After this skirmish, the 11th went into winter quarters.

In April 1862, the regiment was reorganized and sent to the Virginia Peninsula to help bolster Confederate defenses against the advance of General George B. McClellan's massive Army of the Potomac. Going into position in the defenses at Yorktown, the 11th came under a constant artillery fire. After stalling the Union advance for about two weeks, the Confederates abandoned their Yorktown lines and retreated back towards Virginia's colonial capital, Williamsburg. At Williamsburg, now a Major General , James Longstreet turned his division and attacked the pursuing Union force. The 11th was now in Brigadier General Ambrose P. Hill's brigade and they were in the thick of the fighting. Charging through a field and into a wood lot, the 11th suffered horrendous casualties. Colonel Garland was wounded during this assault but remained in command until the battle was over. For his gallantry and leadership in this fight, Colonel Garland was promoted to Brigadier General.

The 11th would lose is beloved commanded to promotion just as the regiment embarked on the most trying time to date since it went into service. The regiment would fight at the Battle of Seven Pines on May 31,1862 and but would be relegated to a reserve position on June 1st. A development that occured during this fight would change the course of the regiments history as well as the Confederacy's. General Joseph E. Johnston was wounded by a shell fragment during the fighting on May 31st and that night, Jefferson Davis gave command of the Confederate army to Robert E. Lee, who re-christened it, the Army of Northern Virginia.

For the entire month of June, the 11th was busy building and strengthening the fortifications around Richmond. It lead some of the men to believe that Lee was settling in for a siege. During this time, the army was also reorganized somewhat. The 11th was now assigned to the all-Virginia brigade of Brigadier General James Kemper in James Longstreet's division. During the coming Seven Days' Battles, the 11th would participate in the Battle of Glendale where it would suffer heavily. During the Battle of Malvern Hill, the 11th was held in reserve with the rest of Longstreet's division after the hard fighting they suffered through at Glendale.

Following the Seven Days, the 11th saw itself return to the Northern Virginia area where Union General  John Pope's new Army of Virginia had taken upon itself the invasion of this region and its systematic destruction. Lee first sent Stonewall Jackson to the area with his command to defend the approaches to Richmond and to harass Pope's army. The result was the Battle at Cedar Mountain on August 9, 1862 and on August 28, after capturing the depot at Manassas Junction, Jackson attacked the marching columns of Pope's army near the old Bull Run battlefield sparking the 2nd Battle of Manassas/Bull Run. The 11th was still apart of Kemper's brigade but Kemper was in command of a division at the moment and command fell to Colonel Mongomery D. Corse. The 11th arrived on the battlefield on August 29th and was apart of Longstreet's crushing flank attack against Pope that drove the Union men from the field in what amounted to a replay of the previous July's fighting over the same battlefield. The regiment suffered heavily, losing 9 men killed and 63 wounded.

After the Battle of Second Manassas/Bull Run, the 11th marched towards Leesburg, Virginia where the Confederate high command would debate a possible invasion of Maryland. The decision was made and on September 4, 1862, the first Confederate troops splashed into the Potomac River and entered Maryland. The 11th Virginia was now commanded by Major Adam Clement and was apart of Kemper's Brigade now attached to the division of Major General David R. Jones. The 11th crossed into Maryland on the 6th of September and bivouaced that night between Buckeystown, Maryland and the C & O Canal. It continued towards Frederick, Maryland the following day and went into camp for a brief rest. Remaining in Frederick until the 11th, the Virginians followed the main body of Lee's Army towards Hagerstown, Maryland where it would await the completion of Stonewall Jackson's expedition against Harper's Ferry. The regiment would arrive near Hagerstown on the 12th and go into camp along the Williamsport Road (present day Route 11/Virginia Ave. in Hagerstown).

On the 14th, the men of the 11th found themselves retracing their route of march from the previous days back towards Boonsborough and South Mountain. Hearing the rolling sound of musketry and the thunder of artillery coming from the mountain, the men surely knew that serious work was ahead. Arriving on the base of the mountain in the early afternoon, the Kemper's brigade was ordered to the summit. Kemper was ordered by D.H. Hill to place his regiments to the left of the National Pike to oppose the advancing Union division of John Hatch. Going into line of battle at about 4 P.M., the 11th found themselves under heavy fire from Union artillery.

The 11th deployed in a cornfield on the right center of Kemper's brigade. The regiment numbered perhaps 95 men. To its right was deployed the 17th Virginia (about 71 men) under Colonel Montgomery Corse and to its left was the 1st Virginia under Coming under attack from the forces of Hatch's division, the 11th held its ground along with the 17th Virginia on its right while the rest of Kemper's brigade melted away. Upon the recommendation of Colonel Montgomery Corse of the 17th Virginia, the 11th Virginia pulled back about 15 yards to a fenceline that they would occupy for the remainder of the fight. A fresh Union assault came just before darkness fell but the Virginian's held. After the bloody fighting on the Mountain Spur, the 11th was ordered to retreat along with the rest of the Confederates on the mountain towards Sharpsburg.

After reaching Sharpsburg, the 11th went into line on Cemetery Hill outside of Sharpsburg just above the Middle Bridge. It was under periodic artillery fire and skirmishing on the 16th. On the 17th, the 11th was shifted to a ravine in support of the defenders of what would become Burnsides' Bridge. Kemper's  brigade was shifted to a ravine, just south of the town to oppose the coming  Union advance. The 11th, along with the 1st and 17th Virginia, advanced to meet the Union assault after the bridge had been lost at around 3 P.M. The Virginian's were swept from the field and rallied in the Harper's Ferry Road south of Sharpsburg. From here they would hold and upon the arrival of A.P. Hill's Light Division, join in the counter-attack that would push the Union troops back to the Burnside Bridge.  The 11th would evacuate its position outside Sharpsburg during the night of September 18th and recross the Potomac.

Following the Maryland Campaign of 1862, the 11th would participate in the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862. Still within the brigade commanded by James Kemper, the 11th with ,the rest of the brigade, marched to the relief of the Confederates holding Marye's Heights. This movement occured towards the end of the fighting on the 13th and the brigade was returned to its original position early on the 14th. The regiment would miss the fighting at Chancellorsville the following May. They were marching with James Longstreet against Suffolk, Virginia. Their mission: to protect Richmond and to forage for much needed supplies. The ensuing Siege of Suffolk lasted nearly a month, but the objectives of the campaign had been met. Richmond was safe and supplies had been gathered. In early May, during the Battle of Chancellorsville, Longstreet ordered his divisions to retreat from Suffolk and march to rejoing Lee's beleagured Confederates. In doing so, he put his men on the road to Gettysburg, a battle that would be fought over three hot days in July.

View of Kemper's Advance towards The Angle
Gettysburg NMP

Under the command of Kirkwood Otey, the 11th Virginia would, along with the rest of George Pickett's Division, would not arrive on the battlefield at Gettysburg until the night of July 2nd and 3rd. The regiment had been in Chambersburg acting as the rear guard for Longstreet's Corps. On July 3rd, the regiment would be decimated during the assault that became known as Pickett's Charge. Forming up in the late morning, the regiment stepped off in the middle of the afternoon and within the hour, its men soaked the lush fields with their precious blood. The regiment would suffer through the grueling retreat towards the Potomac and the safety of Virginia.

In 1864, the regiment would find itself in North Carolina fighting at Plymouth in an attempt to capture the town that was successful. After this successful venture, the regiment was returned to Northern Virginia where it participated in the Battle of Cold Harbor in June and the Siege of Petersburg from June 1864 to April 1865. When the Union breakthrough came, the regiment retreated with the once proud Army of Northern Virginia to Appomattox Courthouse where Union forces cut off the Confederate line of retreat. Here the regiment surrender with 1 officer and 28 men.

The Bloody 50th: Georgia's sons are slaughtered at South Mountain

Assigned to the brigade of Thomas Drayton, the 50th Georgia Infantry held the Confederate left flank during the afternoon fighting at Fox's Gap. Unfortunately, this would end up putting them in the crosshairs of Union arms from three different directions. The Georgians were decimated by the Union musketry until over 80% of their number lay dead and wounded in the Old Sharpsburg Road. The following is a brief history of the regiment, its role in the 1862 Maryland Campaign, and a casualty list from its fight on the mountain.

What would become the 50th Georgia Infantry was organized and mustered into Confederate service in March 1862 at Savannah, Georgia. The various companies of the regiment were recruited in the south and southeastern parts of the state. The companies with county of origin:

Company A- Sastilla Rangers, Pierce County
Company B- Ware Volunteers, Ware County
Company C- Coffee County Guards, Coffee County
Company D- Valdosta Guards, Lowndes County
Company E- Thomas County Rangers, Thomas County
Company F- Decatur Infantry, Decatur County
Company G- Clinch Volunteers, Clinch and Echols Counties
Company H- Colquitt Marksman, Colquitt County
Company I- Berrian Light Infantry, Berrian County
Company K- Brooks Volunteers, Brooks County

The regiment was placed under the command of Colonel William R. Manning. During the first months of service the regiment was stationed in the defenses of Savannah. In July 1862, the 50th was transferred to the newly formed brigade under Brigadier General Thomas F. Drayton. It was brigaded with the 51st Georgia, 15th South Carolina, 3rd South Carolina Battalion, and the Phillips' Georgia Legion. The new brigade was ordered to report to Richmond to help make up for losses suffered during the recent battles on the Virginia Peninsula. The men of 50th Regiment left their native state on July 20, 1862 with orders to report to Richmond. Many of them would never set foot in Georgia again.

Arriving in Richmond about a week later, the 50th and the rest of Drayton's brigade were placed into the division of General David R. Jones. After spending nearly 2 weeks in the defenses of Richmond, the regiment was on the road towards Gordonsville, Virginia and beyond with James Longstreet's command to meet the advancing Union army under John Pope. When word the Stonewall Jackson made contact with Pope's army near the old Bull Run battlefield, Longstreet's command picked up the pace of their march and eventually re-united with Jackson's men in the afternoon of August 28th. The coming fight would be the 50th's first taste of battle. Fortunately, the 50th was posted on the extreme right of the Confedrate line with the rest of Drayton's brigade after reports of a Union flanking movement. When the Confederate counterattack came in the afternoon of August 30th, Drayton's brigade was still posted on the extreme right. General Jones', seeing an advantage, pressed his division forward, with the exception of Drayton, who remained in his original position until it was too dark to do anything of consequence. Drayton did eventually get his brigade into line but did little fighting. The 50th Georgia was reported to have suffered only 9 men wounded.

The regiment then marched to the vicinity of Leesburg, Virginia where the Confederate high command planned the next move. It was decided that a movement into Maryland would be the most advantageous for the Confederate cause and immediately troops were put into motion and beginning on September 4th, Confederate troops were tramping across the Maryland countryside. The 50th Georgia was one of the last regiments to cross the Potomac, crossing on September 6th. By the 7th, the regiment was encamped outside of Frederick, Maryland. It was during this brief rest period that Special Orders 191, the infamous order that outlined the Confederate campaign in Maryland, was written. The order went into motion on September 10th, and after marching through Boonsboro, Funkstown, and Hagerstown, the regiment went back into camp to the south of Hagerstown on the road leading to Williamsport. On September 14th, the order of the day was there was to be a forced march from their encampment to Boonsborough where D.H. Hill's division was being heavily pressed by two Union Army corps. Setting out just before sunrise, the 50th, along with the rest of Longstreet's command, marched through suffocating heat and dust before finally reaching the bast of South Mountain early in the afternoon.

Drayton's brigade was ordered to Fox's Gap to bolster a planned Confederate attack that would sweep up over the mountain and into the Union 9th Corps' left flank. Drayton put his brigade into position in the Old Sharpsburg Road that crossed South Mountain at the gap. His brigade was deployed in an L-shaped line with the 50th Georgia forming the extreme right of the L, holding the line starting in the northeastern corner of  Daniel Wise's North Field. Between 3 and 4 in the afternoon, Drayton, inexplicably, ordered the three regiments in the road (Philips' Legion, 3rd South Carolina Battalion, and the 15th South Carolina) to advance into Wise's South Field. The 50th and 51st Regiment were to re-deployed into the road bed to cover the advance of these three regiments and then eventually they too would advance into the South Field.

Initially the advance was, believed, to be opposed by only the Ohioan's of the Kanawha Division in the immediate front of Drayton's men. The 50th Georgia, on the left of the 51st, now began to recieve fire from the left front. This startled the Georgian's and some tried to shift their fire to the left against this new threat. Those regiments in the open field recoiled against this deadly cross-fire and began to pull back. The Georgians in the road attempted to cover the withdrawal of their comrades. Now, a Union regiment suddenly appeared in the rear of the Old Sharpsburg Road. Now the 50th Georgia was taking fire from the front, left, and now rear. For the Union men, it was like shooting fish in a barrell. The Georgians attempted to hold their position for as long as possible but it was a futile resistance. The 51st Georgia evacuated the road and the 50th followed suit, with many men running through the gauntlet. The Confederate dead and wounded began to pile up in the road as the Confederates withdrew, making the withdrawal even more chaotic. After an hour of fighting, the 50th Georgia was a shadow of its former self. The regiment lost at least 51 killed, 116 wounded, and 36 captured or missing for a total of 205.

The fighting on the mountain ended around 10 o'clock that night and the remnants of the 50th Georgia regrouped and retreated with the rest of the Confederate forces in the immediate vicinity towards Sharpsburg on the night of the 14th. When word that Harper's Ferry would fall the next day reached the eyes of the dejected General Robert E.Lee, the commanding general decided to make a stand in Maryland in an attempt to salvage what was left of his Maryland Campaign. On the 15th, he massed what troops he had with him on the hills outside of Sharpsburg to await the arrival of Stonewall Jackson's command that was enveloping Harper's Ferry and the legions of Union infantry that were slowly pursuing the Confederates.

The skeleton of the 50th was posted on Cemetery Hill (present day location of AntietamNational Cemetery) on the 15th. When Drayton's brigade was again moved farther to the right, the 50th was detached and ordered to support Robert Toombs' brigade in holding the Rohrbach (Burnside's) Bridge. From General Toombs' report, the 50th numbered "scarcely 100 muskets." Positioned just below the bridge to cover the area between the bridge and Snavely's Ford. Avoiding the main Union thrust against the bridge, the 50th held the approaches from Snavely Ford. Just as Toombs's Georgians were forced out of their rifle pits, the Union infantry division of Issac Rodman's appeared opposite Snavely's Ford and the men of the 50th, with too few numbers, got off a few shots before withdrawing. The regiment would return to Drayton and resist the advance of Burnside's 9th Corps in the fields south of Sharpsburg. The weight in Union numbers was beginning to tell with Burnside's men advancing nearly into Sharpsburg. Fortunately, A.P. Hill's division of Confederate infantry arrived and slammed into the Union flank forcing a retreat back towards the Antietam by the 9th Corps.

On the night of September 18th, the 50th thankfully marched out of Maryland and to the safety of Virginia. When the Union 5th Corps pursued the Confederates to the river crossing at Shepherdstown, an artillery battle ensued on the 19th and when Union infantry crossed the Potomac, the outnumbered Confederates fled. On the 20th, a renewed Union advance ran into the division of A.P. Hill who had been ordered back to the crossing. The 50th Georgia was with Hill during this sharp skirmish that pushed Union forces back across the river.

The 50th Georgia would remain with the Army of Northern Virginia for the remainder of the war. In November 1862, the 50th Georgia was assigned to the brigade of Paul Semmes. During the Battle of Fredericksburg, the regiment was away from the firing line so few casualties were suffered. In 1863, the regiment would be engaged at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. When Longstreet's Corps was transferred to the western theatre, the 50th would participate in the Siege of Chattanooga, the Knoxville Campaign, and other operations in east Tennessee. In May 1864, the regiment again found itself in the East where it immediately went into combat when Ullysses S. Grant, the overall Union commander, ran into Lee's waiting Confederates in the Wilderness. The regiment would suffer heavily at the Wilderness, Spotslyvania, and in the early stages of the Petersburg Siege. The regiment would join Jubal Early during his campaign in the Shenandoah Valley during the late summer and fall of 1864. Here it would take part in the battles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek. With Confederate defenses weakening around Richmond and Petersburg,  those Confederates under Early were ordered back to Petersburg. The 50th would remain here until April when the Union breakthrough finally came. The regiment would surrender on April 9th at Appomattox.

The following is a list of casualties from the regiment's fight on South Mountain:

Killed:
Private Benjamin Adkinson, Co. F
Private Samuel Altman, Co. A
Private David Bass, Co. G
Private Hezekiah Brown, Co. D
4th Sergeant James Brown, Co. H
Private John W. Bryant, Co. F
Private Seaborn Burns, Co. F
Private Jasper Castleberry, Co. H
Private Joseph Castleberry ,Co. H
Private Richard P. Connell, Co. I
2nd Lieutenant William G. Dekle, Co. F
Private William F. Eddy, Co. C
Private Samuel Gandy, Co. E
2nd Corporal Elijah T. Grantham, Co. F
Private William J. Guthery, Co. G
Private Harrison G. Hancock, Co. H
3rd Corporal James T. Hancock, Co. H
Private Matthew Handley, Co. I
Private Bythel Hardy, Co. D
Private William Hartly, Co. I
Private Elisha D. Herring, Co. F
Private Moses Hicks, Co. E
3rd Corporal James A. Hood, Co. H
Private John M. Horn, Co. F
Private George R. Mallard, Co. F
Private Lewis W. Marshall, Co. I
4th Corporal W.F. McConnell, Co. D
Sergeant John M. McCoy, Co. E
Private John M. McElhany, Co. A
Private Benjamin Merritt, Co. C
Private Elijah Nesmith, Co. F
Private Clayton Nix, Co. F
Private James O'Rourke, Co. E
Private Nathan Passmore, Co. C
Private James T. Peacock, Co. A
Private Joshua G. Phillips, Co. E
Private William J. Powell, Co. F
Private Andrew J. Purvis, Co. I
2nd Sergeant Russell R. Reneau, Co. E
Private Ivey Ricketson, Co. C
Private John Roberts, Co. G
Private Lyman A. Sirmans, Co. G
Private Benjamin Smith, Co. F
Private Henry Smith, Co. C
Private George R. Stone, Co. A
Private Stafford G. Thigpen, Co. C
Private James F. Thomas, Co. A
Private James Tison, Co. I
Private John Vann, Co. E
Private John Vickers, Co. D
Private Matthew Vickers, Co. D

Wounded:
Private George W. Allen, Co. A 
Private Jackson A. Allred, Co. H
Private James Anderson, Co. B
Private William B. Bachelor, Co. F
2nd Corporal Thomas R. Bailey, Co. F
Private Archibald Bass, Co. G
Private William T. Boyett, Co. F
4th Sergeant Augustus Brack, Co. G
Private Daniel L. Bryant, Co. F
Private M.T. Buckland, Co. G
Private Joseph Bynum, Co. D
Sergeant William P. Brown, Co . E
Corporal James A. Carver, Co. C
Private James J. Carver, Co. C
Private William R. Cato, Co. C
Private James Clemons, Co. G
Private Peter M. Cloud, Co. F
Private George W. Collins, Co. A
Private Jesse Cooper, Co. E
Private Daniel G. Copeland, Co. D
Private Manning Corbitt, Co. G
Private Martin S. Corbitt, Co. G
3rd Corporal William Corbitt, Co. G
Private Paul M.J. Creed, Co. E
2nd Sergeant Charles W. Curry, Co. G
Private Aaron J. Donaldson, Co. E
1st Sergeant James Douglass, Co. G
Private William W. Douglass, Co. E
2nd Lieutenant Aaron Dowling, Co. A
Private Timothy S. Dunbar, Co. E
Private William B. Dunlap, Co. F
Private Seaborn Edwards, Co. K
2nd Lieutenant James B. Finch, Co. K
Private John W. Fletcher, Co. A
Private James B. Flowers, Co. H
Private Nathan O. Flowers, Co. H
Private Samuel Ford, Co. I
Private Nathanial Garland, Co. F
2nd Lieutenant Daniel D. Gaskins, Co. I
Private Lemuel Gaskins, Co. I
Private Matthew Gay, Co. H
Private David A. Giles, Co. H
Private William H. Gooding, Co. A
Private Christopher C. Hargraves, Co. C
Private James R. Hargraves, Co. G
Private Joseph M. Harrison, Co. F
Private George W. Herndon, Co. D
Private Newton Hicks, Co. F
3rd Sergeant Joseph L. Hill, Co. K
Private Elbert Hughes, Co. D
Corporal R. Perry Hughes, Co. D
4th Corporal Jacob Joiner, Co. C
Private Hardy Joiner, Sr., Co. C
Private W.F. Joiner, Co. K
Private Abner Jones, Co. G
Private Malachi F. Jones, Co. K
Private Zean W. Kirkland, Co. C
Private George Lee, Co. B
Private Butler W. Leverett, Co. K
Private Lewis Marshall, Co. I
Private William F. Maxwell, Co. F
4th Sergeant Wilson McCall, Co. K
Private Randall McMillan, Co. I
Private Wyatt H. McPherson, Co. E
Private John Mercer, Co. H
Private Benjamin F. Metcalf, Co. F
Private Music Mills, Co. B
2nd Lieutenant Francis Mobley, Co. I
1st Sergeant Edward H. Moore, Co. C
Private William J. Nelson, Sr., Co. D
Private Alexander Nettles, Co. C
Private John T. Nix, Co. F
Private Newton Nix, Co. F
Private Robert G. O'Berry, Co. A
Captain Joel R. Osteen, Co. G
Private A.J. Parrish, Co. I
Private S.F. Peters, Co. D
Private Gordon J. Phillips, Co. B
2nd Sergeant Noah Pittman, Co. B
Private Willis Price, Co. H
Private Thomas W. Rambo, Co. K
Private John T. Register, Co. G
Private James Revis, Co. C
Private Moses Roberts, Co. G
4th Corporal William T. Roberts, Co. G
Private Richard L. Rowland, Co. B
Private William N. Rowland, Co. B
Private Hiram Sears, Co. G
Private James Sears, Co. G
Private Simeon Sheffield, Co. E
Private Emanuel Shuman, Co. E
Private David Sloan, Co. F
Private William Smith, Co. C
Private Joseph J. Stanfill, Co. E
Private William H. Stone, Co. A
Private Matthew T. Strickland, Co. G
Private J.M. Summerall, Co. G
Private Jack Swilley. Co. D
Private Henry J. Tetson, Co. C
Private James Teston, Co. C
Private Colin Thomas, Co. G
Private Lewis R. Thomas, Co. A
Private James T. Tippans, Co. A
Private Issac Trawick, Co. F
Private Orthnald Trawick , Co. F
Private Charles Truelock, Co. F
Private Benjamin Waldron, Co. A
Private J. Walker, Co. D
3rd Corporal Joel Walker, Co. B
Private John F. Ward, Co. C
1st Corporal George W. White, Co. B
Private John T. Wilson, Co. A
Private William Wilson, Co. D
Private William R. Wiley, Co. F
Private Joel W. Wooten, Co. C
1st Corporal Riley Wright, Co. C

Captured/Missing:
Private William Alderman, Co. K
Private Jasper S. Altman, Co. A
Private Martin L. Cloud, Co. F
Private Bernard Coleman, Co. D
Private Manning Cowart, Co. G
Private Daniel Dailey, Co. K
Private Gideon C. Davidson, Co. F
2nd Corporal John A. Dent, Co. C
3rd Corporal William M. Dent, Co. C
Private Jimpsey Finch, Co. K
Private Thomas Gill, Co. E
Private Hardin Hancock, Co. H
Private Jesse A. Hardee, Co. D
Private John Hardin, Co. E
Private D. Harding, Co. K
Private James Hecks, Co. E
Private Jacob Kinard, Co. H
Private H. Kirktona, Co. C
Private David M. Lastinger, Co. G
Private Dominic McCafferty, Co. C
Private John McGlynn, Co. E
Private Wryan Minchew, Co. A
Private Issac Morgan, Co. B
Private Elijah Nesmith, Co. F
Private Andrew Newman, Co. D
Private Jesse H. Powell, Co. F
Private Henry G. Radney, Co. E
Private James Ricks, Co. F
Private J.N. Taylor, Co. E
Private John W. Taylor, Co. D
Private William Vickering, Co. K
Private James Vining, Co. G
Private Jasper H. Vining, Co. G
Private John Walters, Co. F
Private William H. Williams, Co. F
Private Thomas Wilson, Co. I

2nd Mississippi Regiment at South Mountain and beyond

While they would enter the fight well after the outcome had been decided, Hood's Division would help stem the tide of blueclad soldiers racing towards Turner's Gap and the National Road. The 2nd Mississippi of Evander Law's Brigade would suffer the most in the brief but sharp clash that ended the fighting around Fox's Gap. These men would also help constitute the Confederate rear guard as the troops of General Longstreet and D.H. Hill retreated through the street of Boonsboro and on to the ridges outside Sharpsburg, Maryland.

Mustered into Confederate service in Corinth, Missisippi on a crisp spring day in early May 1861. Immediately the regiment was ordered to Virginia, where it joined those Confederate forces concentrating at Harper's Ferry under General Joseph Johnston. It would be assigned to the brigade of Bernard Bee. When Irwin McDowell's Union army began it's advance out of Washington, D.C., Johnston's small army was ordered out of the Shenendoah Valley and to Manassas Junction to reinforce the army of P.G.T. Beauregard, who was guarding the approaches leading to Richmond. On July 21st, the 2nd Missisippi found itself embroiled in heavy fighting while trying to hold off the powerful Union assault that began in the early morning hours. The weight of Union numbers broke this initial Confederate line and the Mississippian's retreated in full rout. Bee managed to rally 2 companies from the 2nd and parts of the 4th Alabama after giving General Jackson his famous moniker, "Stonewall". The Mississippians that remained fought along side Jackson's Virginian's and helped win the day for the Confederates.

When the scene of the war in the east shifted to the Virginia Peninsula, the 2nd Mississippi went there, now in the brigade under the command of General William H.C. Whiting. When the regiment arrived in the entrenchments near Yorktown, Virginia, new officers were elected and John Marshall Stone of Company K was elected the new colonel of the regiment. It was also at this time the Evander Law was placed in command of the brigade after the promotion of General Whiting to division command. The Mississippians fought with distinction at the Battle of Seven Pines/Fair Oaks stalling the advance of George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac and in the Seven Days' Battles that pushed back McClellan's powerful army. Following the Seven Days', General John Bell Hood was promoted to divisional command, commanding the brigade of Colonel Law and the Texas Brigade under Colonel William Wofford.

Following the successful campaign to expel McClellan from the gates of Richmond, General Lee moved his army northward to deal with the next threat, the Army of Virginia under Major General John Pope that was advancing practically unopposed throughout Northern Virginia. In early August, Stonewall Jackson's command clashed with elements of Pope's army near Cedar Mountain then towards the end, Jackson sparked off the Second Battle of Manassas/Bull Run. As part of Longstreet's command, Hood's Division came rushing to the aid of Jackson's beleagured troops. With the Union high command ignoring reports of a strong Confederate concentration, Longstreet positioned his command to the right of Jackson's ready to overtake the flank of Pope's army when it renewed its attacks upon Jackson. Law's brigade was positioned on the extreme left of Longstreet's command along the Warrenton Turnpike. On the 29th of August, just as the Mississippian's went into position and prepared for a recon in force, a brigade of Union infantry and aUnion battery stumbled into Hood's division. Hood's men easily handled the small enemy force and the 2nd Mississippi even captured a Union officer, Major Charles Livingston of the 76th New York, after he stumbled into their regiment attempting to rally them believing them to be retreating Union troops.

On August 30th, as Pope engaged his entire force against Jackson, Longstreet unleashed his troops on the Union flank. The ensuing fight broke the back of the Union army and sent them fleeing towards Washington. Law's brigade, with the 2nd Mississippi, was to support the Texas Brigade in the fight, but contact was lost and instead Law advanced in support of the Confederate artillery. Law eventually attack a Union battery defended by the 2nd and 7th Wisconsin and suffered heavily before retiring from the field.

After the victory at Manassas, Lee moves his army to Leesburg, Virginia in preperation for the invasion of Maryland. Law's brigade crosses the Potomac between September 4th and 7th and concentrated near Frederick, Maryland with the rest of the Confederate army by the 8th. On the 10th, Lee divides his army and Longstreet's command, along with the 2nd Mississippi, marches towards Hagerstown, Maryland. On September 14th, hearing the Hill's division is being pressed heavily at the mountain gaps outside Boonsboro, Longstreet orders his command to march to the aid of Hill. Hood's Division arrives in late afternoon and his deployed at first to the left of the National Pike supporting a Confederate artillery position at Turner's Gap. After news of heavy fighting reaches near Fox's Gap reaches Hill and Longstreet, Hood is ordered to redeploy his division at Fox's Gap to stem the tide of the Union advance.

As Hood marched down the Wood Road towards Fox's Gap, he deployed his division faceing southwest towards the Gap. As Hood's men moved into position, they came across remnants of Drayton's brigade that had just been severely handled by advancing Union troops. Hood deployed his division with Law on the left and Wofford's brigade on the right. From research and casualty figures, I believe it is safe to assume that this is how Hood deployed his division. Also, to take it further, Law deployed his brigade with the 2nd Mississippi on his brigade's right, connecting his line with Woffords. This position would undoubtly put the Mississippian's into the thickest of the fight.

Just as the sun was going down, Hood has his men in position and orders them to fix bayonets. From Hood's report, " I at once ordered the Texas Brigade , Col. W.T. Wofford commanding and the Third Brigade, Col. E.M. Law commanding, to move forward with bayonets fixed, which they did with their usual gallantry, driving the enemy and regaining all our lost ground, when night came on and further pursuit ceased." While the fight was brief, Hood's division suffered just under 50 casualties. The 2nd Mississippi regiment suffered the most with 20 men killed, wounded, or missing/captured. That night, Hood's division would consitute the Confederate rearguard as Lee pulled his men out of their positions on South Mountain and put them on the road to Sharpsburg. At Sharpsburg, the 2nd Mississippi suffered horrendous casualties as it fought in the cornfield and around the Dunker Church.

Following the Maryland Campaign, the 2nd Mississippi was detached from Law's brigade and assigned to the new brigade forming in Richmond under the command of Brigadier General Joseph R. Davis. Davis' Brigade was sent to the North Carolina, allowing the 2nd Mississippi to recuperate from his losses in the Maryland Campaign. The regiment missed the Battle of Fredericksburg as a result of this new assignment. When Union troops invaded Southern Virginia in early 1863, Longstreet's Corps consisting of Hood's and Pickett's divisions was sent to Suffolk and Davis's brigade was brought northward to participate it what would become the Siege of Suffolk lasting about a month from April 11th to May 3rd, 1863. As a result, the 2nd Mississippi also missed the Battle of Chancellorsville.

When Lee made his intentions clear that he was again going to march northward, Davis' brigade was brought to the Army of Northern Virginia with Longstreet's Corps and placed in the division of Major General Henry Heth of the new 3rd Army Corps under the command of General Ambrose P. Hill. This move became official on June 5th and the 2nd Mississippi would remain in this division for the remainder of the war.

When fighting broke out a Gettysburg, the 2nd Mississippi was apart of the action that took place on July 1st resulting in heavy losses for the regiment. It was engaged on the left flank of Heth's Division as Heth pushed towards Gettysburg running into the cavalry division of John Buford. Davis' brigade also engaged infantry from the brigade of Lysander Cutler. Cutler's brigade was eventually broken and forced into a full fledge retreat. Davis' brigade followed in pursuit that quickly turned into a unorganized mob. From the south, a volley tore into the flank of the southerner's. The unexpected volley came from the 6th Wisconsin of the Iron Brigade. Davis attempted to pull his men back and many took refuge from the withering fire in a railroad cut. It was here at this railroad cut that the 2nd Mississippi's flag would be captured. The regiment would not participate in the fighting of July 2nd but on July 3rd it would take part in what would become known as Pickett's Charge. The regiment advanced with 60 men towards Cemetery Ridge and advance to a point near the Bryan Farm, where it could no longer advance. The regiment nearly lost a second flag during this charge, but the flag was saved by the regiments color bearer after he ripped it from the staff and hid it under his body. Only one man was unwounded following the charge. During the retreat, the regiment participated in the battle outside Williamsport, Maryland as Heth's division covered the retreat of Lee's army back into Virginia. The regiment would spend the remainder of 1863 and early 1864 recuperating in Northern Virginia.

For the remainder of the war, the men of the 2nd Mississippi participated in the Overland Campaign and the Siege of Petersburg suffering heavily. The regiment would be surrendered on April 2, 1865 after it was cut off from retreat near Hatcher's Run. The regiment's flag was again ripped from the staff and hidden. The regiment surrendered less than 100 men on April 2nd having participated in many of Lee's major battles and campaigns and suffering heavily as a result.

Regimental Losses at South Mountain:

Killed:

Private Jacob McCarty, Co. L
Private John L. Vanzant, Co. G

Wounded:

Private Richard Bennett, Co. H

Private Francis M. May, Co. G

Private James R. Sergeant, Co. B

Missing/Captured:

Private Henry M. Box, Co. D

Private Giles M. Burns, Co. A

Private John H. Chaney, Co. A

Private Daniel Fallon, Co. G

Private James Helton, Co. A

Private William T. Lummus, Co. K

Private Jesse Martindale, Co. K

Private Elijah T. Miller, Co. E

Private Gilford F. Reynolds, Co. A

Private Balam J.M.C. Smith, Co. A

Private Dillon A. Willis, Co. K

10th Georgia at Crampton's Gap

The only regiment from Paul Semme's Brigade to see action at Crampton's Gap, the 10th Georgia infantry commanded by Major Willis C. Holt suffered heavily. The regiment was ordered by Semmes to move in support of Colonel Parham's infantry and Colonel Thomas Munford's Cavalry brigades at the eastern base of the mountain that were beginning to come under pressure from lead elements of the Union 6th Corps if they were needed. Not long after Holt recieves this order from Semme's, Munford sends word to Holt to bring his regiment up to reinforce his ragtag line. Holt goes into postion only to be order by Semmes to return to his original postition along the Rohersville Road in Pleasant Valley. Holt begins his return trip when Colonel Parham orders him to remain on the mountain and to move his regiment to his immediate left to extend the Confederate flank. Holt would send two companies back to his original position and take the remainder of the regiment to the front. Almost immediately, the Georgians would be underfire and by 6 o'clock that evening, they are in full retreat back into Pleasant Valley. Here is Major Holt's official report.


NEAR MARTINSBURG, W. VA.,
September 22, 1862.

Captain BRIGGS,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

CAPTAIN: On the morning of the 14th instant I received an order from General Semmes to move up to a church on the Rohrersville road for picket duty. In the evening I received another order from General Semmes to go to the support of Colonel Parham, who was picketing at Crampton's Gap, should he send for me. In a short time I received an order from Colonel Munford to bring my command up, as the enemy were approaching in strong force. I moved to the gap, and was ordered by Colonel Parham to a position at the base of the mountain. Just as I had taken the position, I received an order from General Semmes, through Lieutenant Cody, to carry my command back to the church. I started, and, when I reached the summit of the mountain, was ordered by Colonel Parham to remain. Seeing a large force of the enemy in line of battle approaching, and he giving me peremptory orders to remain, I sent two companies to the junction of the roads, and, by his order, moved my command to position on the left of the line he had already formed, which position I maintained until the enemy forced back the regiments on my right and had passed my flank. They (the enemy) being then nearer the gap of the mountain than I was, I was forced to fall back, to prevent being captured, the enemy being checked by a support that had been sent to us by General Cobb. I halted my command, and was forming a line of battle, when I was struck with a spent ball just above the left eye. The blood flowed so profusely from the wound that I was compelled to turn the command over to Captain P. H. Loud and go to the rear. The loss in this battle was 3 killed, 21 wounded, and 37 missing. Captain Y. L. Wootton was wounded and left upon the field; Lieutenant Foster was wounded and borne to the rear, and Lieutenant Olmstead has not since been heard from; was probably wounded and in the hands of the enemy.

The officers and men behaved with great gallantry, except a few who were too cowardly to go to the line of battle.

W. C. HOLT,
Major, Commanding Tenth Georgia Regiment.

Source: OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, Vol 19, Part 1 (Antietam - Serial 27) , Pages 876 - 877