Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-01-15

was killed at Cedar Mountain.
The second year of the regiment com
prised the great battles Of Chancellors-
VILE and Gettysburg. In both Of these
the Georgians took part in the most des-
perate charges made by the corps of A.
2. Hill. Its losses were 1870 killed and
wounded Captain J. M. Jones was kill
cd at Gettysburg while commanding
the regiment.
Under the lead Of Colonel J. r. Jor-
dan the Forty ninth began the third
years campaign by bloody struggle
in the Wilderness, which thinned its
already sadly diminished ranks by a
toll of 81 killed and wounded. At one
time, on the 9Th Of May, Thomas
whole brigade was cut off by flank
movement Of the enemy. General Thorn
as coolly faced his command to the rear
and led it forward on charge which
cleared the field. At Spottsylyania the
18th Of May the Forty with the
rest of the Georgia brigade, fought in
the Bloody Angle" side by side with
McGowan's South Carolinians. That
desperate struggle over the breastworks,
lasting 30 hours, is well known.
Next to the battle of the Wilderness
the Forty ninth suffered the heaviest in
an affair at Petersburg which is scarce
" taken into account in war histories
In the action of March %, 1865, at
Fort Stedman and other parts of the
line Thomas brigade was desperately
engaged and the Forty ninth lost 81
men. A week later, on April 2, began
the finish fight over Lees breastworks.
Early in the day the division command
err, General A. p. Hill, was killed and
soon afterward a Federal column broke
over the works between Thomas Geor-
gians and Scales North Carolina bri-
gade. Colonel Jordan rallied his men,
and with detachments from other reBi-
ments vainly attempted to regain the
works These troops, very much scatter
ed in commands, finally made stand
at Forts Gregg and Alexander. The
Forty ninth, reduced to a fragment,
held ON at Fort Alexander until driven
out by showers of shot and shell. Colo
mel Jordan was the last man to leave
the fort and was severely wounded, the
fifth commander of the regiment dis
abled in battle. About 30 Georgians,
among them Adjutant Newman of the
Forty ninth, joined the defenders of
Fort Gregg, making garrison Of 214
men This party held out against Fed
eral division of Gibbon's corps until
overrun by numbers There were 81
dead Confederates in the work and only
30 unwounded among the prisoners.
Adjutant Newman of the Forty ninth
was taken prisoner and carried to Fort
Warren. Inside the lining of his coat
was concealed a document which when
brought to light revealed a strange
chapter in the history of this gallant
regiment. During its four years of sery-
ice the Forty-ninth had lost 4S5 men
by death, 205 We're permanently dis
abled and many of its five hundred and
odd wounded survivors were unfit for
the ranks. Every ablebodied Georgian
was already under arms, and in order
to recruit it's numbers the Forty ninth
petitioned the commanding general for
leave to summon the slaves to its aid.
The document preserved by Adjutant
Newman, its last official custodian, was
as follows:
CAMP FoRTY-NINTH GEORGIA REGIMENT,
March Is, 1865.
Colonel W. II. Taylor A. A. g.:
SIR-The undersigned commissioned officers
of this regiment, having maturely considered
the following plan for recruiting the regiment
and having freely consulted with the enlisted
men, who almost unanimously agree to it, re.
spectfully submit through you to the com
manding general for consideration:
First.-That our companies be permitted tc
fill up their ranks with negroes.
Second. That the negroes in those counties
of Georgia from which our companies came
be conscripted.
Third. That after the negroes have been
conscripted an officer or enlisted man from
each company be sent home to select from the
negro conseripts such who may have owners
or may belong to families Of whom represent
atives are in the company, or who, from former
acquaintance with the men, may be deemed
suitable to be Incorporated with these com
panies.
When in former years we did not consider II
disgraceful to labor with negroes in the same
field and at the same workbench, we certain
ly viii not look upon it in any other light al
this time, when an end so glorious as our in
dependence is to be achieved. We sincerely be-
lievc that the adoption throughout our army
of the plan here most respectfully submitted
or one similar to it, win insure a speedy avail
ability of the negro element in our midst TO;