A Short History of the 1st up until the Battle of Missionary Ridge.
The Following short history is courtesy of a website dedicated to the history of the 1st Georgia Sharpshooter Battalion. http://www.members.tripod.com/k_thurman/Regimental%20History.htm
The book about the unit Our Connection to Savannah-A History of the 1st Georgia Battalion Sharpshooters is available at the following Website.
The battalion was formed on August 15, 1862 and organized by Colonel Robert H. Anderson. The battalion was mustered at Camp Anderson south of Savannah Georgia on the Ogeechee River. The battalion was under departmental command of Gen. John Pemberton. The sharpshooters remained at Camp Anderson with no military activity except for a review by Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard who replaced Pemberton on October 27.
On February 1, 1863, the sharpshooters were stationed at Fort McAllister, near Savannah Georgia, to help slow the advancing Yankee iron clads. Col. Robert H. Anderson’s official report of Feb. 2 he states that at 7:45 a.m. on Feb.1 the battery was attacked by one iron-clad of the monitor order, whose armament was one 15 inch and one 11 inch gun, three gunboats (wooden), and one mortar boat. Before the enemy’s boats came within range I ordered Capt. Arthur Shaaff, commanding the First Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters, to line the river bank with his riflemen. His right rested about a quarter of a mile in rear of and west of the battery. As soon as I was satisfied that there was no intention on the part of the enemy to land at Kilkenny on my right flank, and that his intention was restricted to passing the obstructions, I ordered him to deploy his battalion on his right file at ten pace intervals, which enabled him to cover the bank of the river for over a mile with his sharpshooters, who had excellent cover, and would have annoyed the enemy terribly had he succeeded in passing the obstructions. (O.R.series1.vol.14 serial # 20) Artillery that had been brought up from Savannah fired on the iron clad Montauk, which sustained forty-six direct hits. Col. Anderson stated that he thought the ironclad had been damaged because he could hear them hammering on the turret which had ceased to rotate. The Montauk did succeed in taking out one of Fort McAllister's guns. Col. Anderson requested that in commemoration of the gallant action that the garrison be allowed to inscribe "Fort McAllister" on their standard. This would be the first of many battle honors the First Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters would have inscribed on their flag.
The Mississippi Campaign
On May 5th, 1863, the battalion was ordered to Mississippi with Gen. William Henry Talbot Walker to help Gen. Pemberton near Vicksburg. May 6th Walker’s and Gist’s brigades leave Savannah and after five days of travel, Walker's Brigade arrived by train at Jackson on May 11th. The next day Walker pushed forward and joined Brig. Gen. John Gregg’s forces at Mississippi Springs on the night of the 12th .The brigade was composed of the 1st Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters, 4th Louisiana Battalion and Martin's Georgia Battery. The 25th, 29th.and 30th Georgia not arriving until on or around May 14th. On May 14th Gen. Gregg was in charge of the Confederate troops in Jackson and had been expecting an attack from the northwest on the city. From Rebel scouts he learned that another attack would also be coming simultaneously from the southwest. Gregg ordered Colonel Albert Thompson of the 3rd Kentucky Mounted Infantry to assemble a task force to protect Jackson from this new threat.
The force consisted of the 3rd Kentucky Mounted Infantry, the 1st Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters, and four guns of Martin’s Georgia Battery. "Task Force Thompson" was posted at a bridge on Lynch creek, southwest of Jackson on the Raymond road, in support of Martin’s Battery. The force was barley in position when Capt. Robert Martin gave the order to fire. The battery began pounding the advancing Yankee’s with shell. Sherman rode forward, made a hasty reconnaissance of the position and ordered Gen. Tuttle to mass his division for an attack.11am, After heavy rains had subsided, with 12 cannon covering deployment, Sherman’s force that was four times stronger than Walker's advanced on this position. For a brief time "Task Force Thompson" was able to hold the bridge but eventually was ordered to fall back. They fell back to a skirt of woods fronting the rifle pits that guarded the southwestern approaches to Jackson. This position is adjacent to present day Battlefield Park. Tuttle re-deployed his division made up of three brigades. An officer from one of these brigades recalled "We soon reached the brow of the hill from which the eye commanded a view of the cleared level bottom, the cleared space being about two-thirds of a mile across. The two brigades of our division were in line of battle, stretching across the bottom immediately to our front. We were ordered to form line of battle in the rear. The front lines set up a shout and started forward to charge the enemy, who were in line of battle in the edge of the woods beyond" The force was confronted by the Yankee’s in overpowering strength and again was forced to fall back, this time to the Jackson entrenchment’s
As the Federals continued their advance the order was given to retreat through Jackson using the Canton road. A.P. Adamson of the 30th Georgia recalled " We marched for miles in a heavy rain and the roads soon became sloppy, so much so that the feet of the men sunk into the sticky mud over the tops of their shoes. The next morning our men were wet and muddy, some of them barefooted; hats and caps were drooped and appeared dilapidated." The retreat continued to Canton and a bivouac was set up near a small stream.
On May 23rd, at Gen. Johnston’s request, Gen. Walker was promoted to Maj. Gen. and on the 25th, put in charge of the right wing. Senior regimental commander Col. Claudius C. Wilson then took charge of the brigade. After a short rest the brigade was marched to Yazoo City to establish a base and keep an eye on the bridge over Big Black River. From Yazoo City Walker’s men marched to a point east of Big Black River, where the railroad from Jackson to Vicksburg crossed. On the 4th of July the brigade was to cross Big Black River and harass the Federal rear to bring some relief to Gen. Pemberton who was still pinned down in Vicksburg. Just as the men were getting ready for the march Gen. Johnston received official word that Vicksburg had fallen. Johnston, knowing Grant’s entire army would then turn upon him ordered the immediate retreat towards Jackson. The march began just after midnight on the 4th and continued for twenty-four hours with no rest except for a ten-minute stop every hour. The weather in this area was extremely hot and water was in short supply. This caused intense suffering and fatigue among the men. The brigade was marched to west Jackson. The city was heavily fortified and Sherman knew this. He was convinced that the works were too strong to be breached by assault. Sherman decided the best way to accomplish the task of removing the rebels was by siege. The city came under a continuous bombardment. Wilson’s brigade was supporting the left of Walker’s division but did not have the advantage of earth works for protection. Col. Wilson stated in a letter to his wife " I lost more men than anybody else, 80 killed and wounded. We were supporting the left of Walker’s division and I endeavored to protect my men by placing them in a ravine. My right rested sixty yards from the trenches and the left about one hundred-fifty yards, the ravine running obliquely to the main line of works." Sherman’s troops attacked the lines with very little success and then resumed the bombardment.
Gen. Johnston learned of another Union force being brought in from Yazoo City. Johnston knew that this force, if left unchecked, would cross the Pearl River and turn his right flank. On the afternoon of the 16th Gen. Johnston decided to evacuate. At 9 p.m. the field guns were removed and one hour after the cannon were removed the infantry, except for skirmishers, evacuated the rifle pits. Walker’s division crossed the Pearl, followed by Lorings division, at Carson’s ferry while Breckinridge’s and French’s divisions utilized the lower bridges. Once all were on the east bank, a rapid march towards Brandon was made. With Sherman’s men in pursuit Johnston’s troops could not linger. By the end of the day’s march on the 20th the troops had reached Morton. Sherman learned of Rebels moving eastward from Brandon and with all communications and railroads being destroyed in central Mississippi he returned to Vicksburg.
On August 24, the corps, now Walker's corps, was ordered to join Gen. Bragg’s army which was in and around Chattanooga. From Morton, they moved by rail to Atlanta then to Chickamauga Station over the W&A railroad. Walker arrived on August 28,leading two divisions, one under his command, and the second under Brigadier-Gen. St. John Liddell. From Chickamauga Station they went to Tyler’s Station, Tenn. where they remained until September 7, when Walker returned to Chickamauga Gen. Bragg had evacuated Chattanooga on the 7th and retired most of his army to the vicinity of Lafayette. Several days were spent maneuvering for positions. Gen. Bragg gave two orders for an attack, one on the 10th, for Cheatem’s and Hindman’s divisions to attack the advanced division’s of the enemy; and again, on the 13th, for Polk’s corps and part of D.H. Hill’s corps to attack the Union forces under Crittenden near Rock Springs. Walker’s division formed part of Hill’s corps and on the 13th remained in a line of battle for several hours expecting every moment to move to attack the Federals. Due to lack of co-operation by the corps commanders, or for reasons unknown, these attacks never came about.
Chickamauga
September 18, 1863
Gen. Walker was ordered by Gen. Bragg to cross the Chickamauga at Alexander’s Bridge, if possible. If not, cross at Byram’s Ford, about 1.5 miles below. Just before reaching the bridge Gen. Walker was informed that the enemy, (Wilder’s brigade) was holding it. About 2pm Gen. Liddell was ordered by Walker to advance on the bridge along with Wathall and Grovan’s brigades with Ector’s and Wilson’s brigades held in reserve. After a hasty reconnaissance Liddell ordered Gen. Wathall to attack. This was promptly executed and in about 45min. the Confederates held the bridge with a loss of 105 killed and wounded. This high number was attributed to the modern breech loading rifles that Wilder’s infantry was known to carry. In the fighting the bridge had been torn up and rendered useless. At this point the division began to move in the direction of Byram’s Ford.
September 19, 1863
Col. Wilson reports that it was not until 1am that he had completed crossing due to the division’s wagons and artillery trains blocking the ford, that had preceded them. After crossing, the brigade bivouacked on the west side of the river and prepared to follow the division on the march later that morning. About 9am the division’s trains had crossed and all began to march with the 25th Georgia and one section of battery as an advance guard and the rest of the brigade in the rear. The brigade had marched about 2mi. from the ford to the intersection of the Alexander’s Bridge Road and the road to Lee and Gordon’s Mills (Viniard-Alexander Road) when one of Gen. Forrest’s staff gave Wilson an order from division headquarters directing him to go with Forrest and obey his orders. The train was sent on alone and the brigade filed to the right on to Alexander’s Bridge Road except for one company (B Co. 30th Ga.) who had been thrown out as skirmishers from the ford. (It is noted that Co.B fell in with Ector’s Brigade) As Col. Wilson rode forward with Gen. Forrest he was informed that the enemy of considerable force was engaging his Calvary to the right and front of his position and was directed to select a position and form a line of battle on the left of the road. Not being at this position long Forrest informed Wilson to move up on his left as the enemy was sorely pressing him along his front. . Forrest’s Calvary had become engaged with Croxton’s brigade of Baird’s division and desperately needed help. Col. Wilson’s brigade moved off by right flank approx. 3/8’s mi. up the Alexander Bridge Rd. and was formed into a line of battle. The line was made up of the Twenty-fifth and Twenty-ninth Georgia Regt, s on the right, the Thirtieth Georgia held the center, and the Fourth Louisiana Battalion and First Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters held the left. This line bearly formed when firing began on the left. The order was then given to move up at once. Col. Wilson stated" the line stepped off with the enthusiasm of high hope and patriotic determination, and the precision and accuracy which only disciplined and instructed troops can attain." The enemy’s skirmishers were encountered at once and driven in on their first line, which opened up on them with a terrific fire. Steadily the line moved forward and poured a well directed fire into the enemy’s ranks soon this line broke and fled leaving dead and wounded covering the field. The brigade still pressed onward and encountered a second line of battle drawn up 300 or 400 yards in rear of the first. Firing at this point was terrific and many officers and men fell while discharging their duties. For a time the line wavered but recovered and again moved forward and succeeded in driving the enemy’s second line to his breast works constructed of fallen trees about 400 yards in rear of his second line.
At this time an order from Gen. Forrest was given to not press the enemy any farther but Wilson’s line had come well with in range of the breast works and was taking on heavy fire and being flanked on the left by Scribner’s brigade. The whole line began to fall back. Gen. Ector’s brigade then moved in on the right of Wilson’s line. The Twenty-fifth and Twenty-ninth Georgia Regt’s fell in with Ector’s brigade and remained with it during the rest of the day’s fight. The First Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters and the Fourth Louisiana Battalion had been hit very hard and were brought to the rear of other troops coming up for relief. Here they rallied, replenished their cartridge boxes and again took up positions with the rest of the brigade, which remained, on the battle- field that night. Col. Wilson had approx. 1200 men at this time and had taken on an effective force of over 2900 men before having to fall back. Gen. Walker then ordered Gen. Liddell’s forces into action. Liddell brought up Gen. Wathall.s and Col. Grovan’s brigades. After some success they too were compelled to fall back. It was not until Gen. Cleburne’s division came up, an hour before sunset, that the enemy was driven back of a distance of a half-mile and both sides ceased fire for the night. In Gen. Walker’s report he states " The unequal contest of four brigades against such overwhelming odds is unparalleled in this revolution, and the troops deserve immortal honor for the part borne in the action. Only soldiers fighting for all that is dear to free men could attack, be driven, rally and attack again such superior forces."
Sept. 20, 1863
On this the last day of battle Gen. Gist had been put in command of Col. Wilson’s, Gen. Ector’s and Gist’s brigades and supported Gen. Hill on the right wing of the line. Col. Wilson reported that having advanced some distance engaged the enemy in thick woods about a half-mile from the Chattanooga road in connection with Gist’s brigade in front and Gen. Ector’s in the rear. This lasted approx. 45 min. but the three brigades were occupying the same line, which caused great confusion. They were ordered to fall back and reform. With this being completed Col. Wilson wrote" we advanced to the last charge, meeting, however, no enemy, and having the satisfaction of taking up our bivouac upon the field from which our enemy had been driven in confusion. Maj. Shaaff, commander of the 1st Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters, reported being wounded but it is unclear on what day this occurred. Wilson’s brigade had entered the fight with an effective force of 1,800 men, and lost in two days fighting 100 killed 433 wounded, and 80 missing including 1 officer killed and 7 wounded. This was to be the bloodiest two-day battle of the war with the Federals loosing 16,170 men and the Confederates loosing 18,454 for a total of 34,524 men lost. The Confederates were the victors but a heavy price was paid.
Chattanooga
From November 14th to the 23rd, Walker's division, under the command of Brig. Gen. States Rights Gist, bridged the valley of Chattanooga Creek between Lookout Mountain and a lower hill called Brushy Knob. ????????????????
