----- Original Message ----- From: "John Griffin (by way of Crilley <crilley@eramp.net>)" <jagriffin@nwinfo.net> To: <margie@majorinternet.com> Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2000 8:30 PM Subject: Warriors of the Wiregrass > Margie....great letter to AL....let's hope you get some results!! > > Don't know if you want to use this or not....doesn't matter to me... > > FYI > > > > I am sending this notice to let people know that after 6 years, I have > > compiled the histories of 14 Georgia regiments. I have donated > > this work to > > our SCV Camp in Moultrie GA. I am not doing this for my own gain, but for > > our history and memory of ancestors. > > > > Please pass on to all your fellow researchers that our camp will soon be > > releasing a book "Warriors of the Wiregrass" which will have compiled 14 > > Georgia regimental histories about 600 pages. I have done this > > for our SCV > > camp and a printing quote is now in process. All proceeds will go to our > > SCV camp's heritage projects such as scholarships (we started a Lt. Mobley > > Scholarship last year an officer and ancestor killed in service to the CSA > > as part of Company I, 50th GA Vol Inf.), living history demos for schools, > > museum, monument and cemetery upkeep, etc. I will not keep a > > nickel of the > > proceeds and all sales will be through the camp only, so it will > > be for our > > ancestors benefit not mine. > > > > Once we get the printing done, I will pull the larger version of the > > histories off the web and put a summary version and then post > > info on how to > > get the book. > > > > What I would like to ask you to do is: > > > > 1) if you are interested in a copy, email me back or email our camp > > Commander Mr. Jack Bridwell at jack@moultrie.tec.ga.us. This will put you > > on a list and we will contact you as soon as a firm price is quoted to us > > and we have a production schedule. > > > > 2)if you have an SCV camp, please pass this along at the next > > meeting and in > > any newsletters you may have. > > > > 3) if you have a web site, again please pass the word. > > > > 4) if you have an address book of persons interested in the WBTS, please > > forward this information on. > > > > > > I would appreciate it if you would pass the word in anyway you > > can because > > all proceeds directly go to support Southern Heritage. > > > > Thank you very kindly, > > > > John Griffin, Zillah, WA > > jagriffin@nwinfo.net > > http://members.xoom.com/jagriffin/JAG.htm > > JK McNeill SCV Camp #674, Moultrie, GA > > http://members.xoom.com/JKMcNeillSCVcamp/SCVhomepage.htm > > > > > > Below is the table of contents and introduction. If you have further > > questions, please email Jack or myself. > > > > Table of Contents > > > > > > Introduction i > > > > Acknowledgements ii > > > > Chapter 1 1st Regiment of Georgia, Mercer's Olmstead's > > Volunteer Infantry > > 1-1 > > > > Chapter 2 4th Georgia (Clinch) Cavalry 2-1 > > > > Chapter 3 10th Battalion Georgia Volunteer Infantry 3-1 > > > > Chapter 4 11th Georgia Cavalry-State Guard 4-1 > > > > Chapter 5 20th Battalion Georgia Cavalry Partisan Rangers 5-1 > > > > Chapter 6 20th Georgia Volunteer Infantry 6-1 > > > > Chapter 7 29th Georgia Volunteer Infantry 7-1 > > > > Chapter 8 49th Georgia Volunteer Infantry 8-1 > > > > Chapter 9 50th Georgia Volunteer Infantry 9-1 > > > > Chapter 10 54th Georgia Volunteer Infantry 10-1 > > > > Chapter 11 61st Georgia Volunteer Infantry 11-1 > > > > Chapter 12 63rd Georgia Volunteer Infantry 12-1 > > > > Chapter 13 64th Georgia Volunteer Infantry 13-1 > > > > Chapter 14 Coffee County Revengers Newbern's Company, > > Cavalry Georgia Local Defense Unit 14-1 > > > > > > > > Appendixes > > > > > > A- Bibliography: References and Sources Used A-1 > > B- How to Research Confederate Ancestors B-1 > > C- Recommended Readings: Books on CSA/WBTS History C-1 > > D- Confederate Iron Cross and Veterans Administration Markers D-1 > > E- About the Sons of Confederate Veterans E-1 > > > > > > Introduction > > Warriors of the Wiregrass: > > Histories of Selected Georgia Regiments > > in the War for Southern Independence > > > > Before reviewing this book, I would like to give the reader the background > > on its production. This book is the culmination of over six years of > > compilation of material on selected regiments that served Georgia and the > > CSA. What started as a question raised by my son in grade school over a > > class assignment on a family history-American history connection, turned > > into a quest to find information not only about individual ancestors, but > > also about the actions they saw in the War for Southern Independence. > > > > Most of this research was done nearly 3000 miles away from the > > archives and > > primary sources of information. Growing up in Washington State, > > but having > > my father's family all from South Georgia, I had a natural curiosity while > > growing up about our family history, particularly as it related to the War > > Between the States. As a public school and later college student, the > > questions were there, but I did not have the knowledge on how to > > proceed nor > > resources to investigate. It was quite a struggle initially do to research > > so far away. I have included sections in the Appendix that will help guide > > others in their research of Confederate ancestors, hoping to > > remove a hurdle > > in their investigations. > > > > I am not a professional historian nor researcher. I was simply a father > > helping his son with a school project. I knew I was a descendent of > > settlers of Wiregrass Georgia and had an interest in discovering > > the role my > > ancestors may have played in a struggle that is paramount in the thoughts > > and writings of American history. Through inter-library loan, microfilm > > rental, the advent of CD-ROM technology and Internet resources > > this project > > grew in the ability to review the tremendous amount of material > > available to > > the public. The problem was that the material was scattered within and > > between resources and so I began an effort to compile the sources into one > > document. With that being said I want to explain what this > > compilation tries > > to do. > > > > It was written as a family history document. A document that an average > > person in our family could pick up and read and get a brief > > understanding of > > some of the genealogy and history of ancestors who fought in this > > conflict. > > While there is much written at the Corps, Division, and even > > Brigade levels, > > the Regimental and Company levels are more scattered through many > > works. I > > decided to try to compile as much information as I could from references > > that related to the individual regiments and sometimes even specific > > companies. When those were not available I tried to move up to > > Brigade and > > sometimes Division information to help give an understanding to > > the actions > > faced. > > > > I often rely on the writings of men who were there in 1860-1865 > > by post from > > the "OR's" (Official Records of the War of the Rebellion project), > > Confederate Military History and Southern Historical Society Papers. I > > would rather the reader study the words recorded by the actual > > participants > > rather than my observations of what I think they are saying. I > > have tried to > > reference all these postings so if someone has the inclination to > > take this > > work and move forward, they will have a better starting point that I did. > > The layout and formatting was done with the interest of > > readability for the > > average person interested in beginning to learn more about Georgia > > regiments. Readability, referencing, and interest, I hope, > > compensate what > > this work may lack in formal historical formatting and footnoting. > > > > I felt the introduction should include help in understanding the Military > > organization of Georgia as it can be quite confusing. Georgia, like most > > states, had a militia since colonial times. Georgia was organized into > > Militia Districts. These were referred to as military districts or > > divisions long before the talk of secession or war. There were thirteen > > military divisions of militia in the Georgia, each containing two > > brigades. > > The thirteen divisions contained at least 109 regiments and 342 > > battalions. > > The regiments and battalions were composed of at least 1257 district > > companies from the military districts within the Georgia. These companies > > were organized as companies of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. > > In addition > > there were at least 114 volunteer companies. During Indian Wars and wars > > such as 1812 and other border skirmishes, the militia was called up for > > fighting and defensive actions. By 1860 many militia units began serious > > drilling in what was considered modern tactics. When the war broke out, > > these companies became the backbone of Confederate forces in Georgia, and > > although many of these companies entered into Confederate service, the > > structure of the Georgia State militia remained intact. In fact, > > during the > > Atlanta Campaign the State furnished General Joseph Johnston with four > > brigades of Georgia militia under the command of Major General Gustavus W. > > Smith. > > > > This book contains pre war militia units that were raised to > > become Georgia > > Volunteer Infantry and assigned to Confederate Armies, Volunteer regiments > > that were raised after the firing on Fort Sumtner, regiments that were > > raised late in the war, and units of State Guard and Local Defense Troops. > > In addition an infantry battalion and cavalry regiment are covered. The > > example of an artillery branch of Georgia troops is not included. Having > > found no ancestors from Georgia as regular artilleryman, I have not done > > research into this branch. Other than that, I hope the reader can > > appreciate the diversity of assignment, duty and purpose of the various > > regiments contained here. > > > > An area that I would like to see expanded in this work is the inclusion of > > letters, diaries and journals from the men who formed these > > regiments. Many > > items are housed in archives, libraries, societies and museums and in > > private collections in Georgia. Currently my resources do not allow > > sufficient time in Georgia to obtain copies to share with the researcher. > > Perhaps in the future, this project will be expanded to include > > representation of these accounts. > > > > These compilations have been written over a six-year period. > > Older versions > > have been updated often as new resources have been found and > > reviewed. This > > will explain some of the formatting differences between the chapters. Each > > chapter is dedicated to those ancestors who served in the > > regiments. It is > > my attempt to bring a very human aspect to the men who fought for Georgia > > and fought for their new nation the Confederate States of America. > > > > Unfortunately in the expedience of educating our young people, > > the Southern > > people are often tagged as evil, backward, racists slave mongers. In > > actuality less than 7% of the Southern population owned slaves. It is not > > the purpose of this book to argue the causes behind the formation of the > > Confederate States; however one must not be trapped in the popular, > > politically correct interpretation that this war was fought solely over > > slavery. I direct persons interested in learning the many > > complex issues of > > constitutional law, economics, tariffs and taxation, states > > rights, national > > politics and sovereignty to the "Recommended Reading" list in the > > Appendix. > > Throughout history from ancient times to the present day, we see power, > > exploitation and control, greed and money at the root of most conflicts. > > Review these sources and then draw your own conclusions. I would add that > > after researching the ancestors that fought, suffered and died in this > > conflict, there has to be more to the story than you find in a standard > > American History textbook. Two old saying: "Victors write the recorded > > history" and "Don't take my word for it. Look it up", could certainly > > apply here. > > > > Again it is my hope that you may overlook some of these amateur > > compilation > > incongruities and find this work of benefit for your understanding of the > > men who fought for home, family, Georgia and the sovereignty of the > > Confederate States of America. To all that honorably served the CSA, the > > state of Georgia, and their descendants who wish to learn of the truth of > > their fight, this work is dedicated. > > > > John Griffin, Zillah, WA > jagriffin@nwinfo.net > http://members.xoom.com/jagriffin/JAG.htm > JK McNeill SCV Camp #674, Moultrie, GA > http://members.xoom.com/JKMcNeillSCVcamp/SCVhomepage.htm > > > >