Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-12-18

OF that Streum tlle regiment suffered
severely from disease, and the ranks
were reduced by sickness from !, 900 to
about 300 ut for duty Upon leaving
the peninsula Major M. b Montgomery
took command Of the regiment, and in
the next battle Of Manassas, in August,
1863, he was severely wounded and dis
abled. Captain Nisbet the last leader
shot down at Malvern Hill, then took
command with the rank Of lieutenant
colonel At Antietam Colonel Nisbet
was severely wounded and disabled for
life. The regiment mustered only 1875
men at the beginning of that battle and
lost "a killed and As wounded.
The Georgians encamped that winter
on the banks Of the Rappahannock, and
their historian gives a further hint at
the hardships, which have heretofore
been looked at chiefly from the northern
side. He says, 1.-THE suffering Of this
command at United States ford ton the
Rappahannock) from cold, short rations
and scanty supply Of clothing could
scarcely have been excelled by those
which so severely tried the fortitude
and patriotism Of our forefathers when
quartered in the historic Valley Forge. .
Under its fifth commander, Major John
f. Jones, the Third entered the cam
paign at Charlottesville and was in
the thick of the fight from the first day
until the last.
1t was in the advance Of Stonewall
jackson S fanking column and fought
for the right of way around Hooker's
army On the morning of Sunday, May
3, when the grand charge was made
upon the position at the Chancellor
House. the Third Georgia was sent out
alone to clear the way Of Federal sharp
shooters. The next day it hurried down
the plank road toward Fredericksburg
and took part in the battle of Salem
Church with another wing of Hooker's
army 1t was in battle every day from
May to May and came out with q
loss Of 1880 killed and wounded, none
missing Major Jones was among the
right arm. He was the fourth leader
shot down at the head Of the regiment
in ten months Of campaigning
A large number of recruits joined the
regiment about this time, and the Third
marched to Gettysburg 500 strong It's
most brilliant action was on the even
ing of the second day, when A. p. Hills
corps took up the fight which Long
street had begun when attacking Round
Top. General Wright's brigade, in
which the Third Georgia still served,
was one of the commands which pierced
the Federal line on the right of Sickles'
corps. when Longstreet's troops were
dashing upon its front. The Federals
were driven from their guns on the
ridge along the Emmitsburg road.
Wright's brigade seized 20 pieces of
cannon, IL of which were prizes of the
Third Georgia regiment However, the
support brigades did not come up, and
Wright was driven out before the day
closed. The severe fighting Of the regi-
ment was confined to this one charge,
which was very brief, but it suffered
the loss of Al killed and l4S wounded.
During the charge, when the regi-
ment was driving the enemy, the color
bearer was shot down and the flag fell
to the ground 1t was Immediately
snatched up by Adjutant Alexander,
who bore it at the head of the regiment
triumphantly into the Federal battery
in front in spite of a severe wound in
his right arm. The enemy made tar
get of him. and his clothing was pierced
by eight bullets.
On the march back through northern
Virginia after the battle of Gettysburg
the Third, now reduced to about 200
men, was engaged in the stubborn adj
vance of Manassas Gap, where an at
tempt was made to cut Lees columns
in two In that action the Third had
the post of honor upon the mountain,
top. and, although fianked, held its po-
sition bravely. In this action IA men
were killed and 40 wounded. In the
battles of the Wilderness campaign the
losses in Confederate regiments are no
guide to the severity of the fight.
The Third fought in the Wilderness
and at Spottsylvania. On the 18th of
May it participated in charge upon
Grants breastworks at Spottsylvania,
and in short fight of 90 minutes lost
rs killed and wounded. The division in
which the Third Georgia served at that
time. formerly under General r. II.
Anderson, was led by General William
Malone. The annals of the regiment