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53rd Georgia Infantry


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	The following timeline is compiled using 'The Dorman-Marshbourne Letters' by John W. Lynch http://www.gavolbn.org/53history.htm 1862 May Camp of instruction, Camp Stevens, Griffin, Georgia. North of Griffin on Macon and Western Railroad at junction with McIntosh Road. Colonel Leonard T. Doyal, former pastor of McDonough Baptist Church elected 53rd's commander. Lt. Colonel Thomas Sloan from Henry County elected second in command. June 20 Boarded train at Griffen bound for Richmond. June 25 Arrived at Richmond at 12 noon. Organized under Magruder's Department, McLaw's Division, Semme's brigade. Semme's brigade includes 53rd Georgia, 5th and 10th Louisiana, 15th and 32nd Virginia and Captain Basil C. Manley's North Carolina battery. Encamped at old fairgrounds on northwest side of Richmond. June 26-28 Issued equipment and marched eight miles to earthworks around Richmond. Camping 6 miles west of Chickahominy River and 6 miles east of Richmond. Position is center of division and only 3/4 of a mile from Yankee works. June 29 Battle of Savage Station. Regiment lost 10 killed and 47 wounded. July 2 Battle of Malvern Hill. Posted in reserve in a ravine 1200 yards from enemy batteries. Heavy shelling. 53rd stationed a 1/4 mile from enemy guns under a continual fire of canister and shells. Late afternoon advanced in support of General R.D. Jones division. 10th Georgia and part of 53rd charged enemy guns, 6 batteries of 6 Napoleons each and 4 batteries of 10 Parrott rifles each. Charged through woods, briars, bushes and a swamp knee deep in water and mud. Faltered under the fire, rallied and pushed the Yankees from the works in total rout. Large amounts of equipment captured. Attack went on for 3 hours untill night fell. Slept behind Yankee breastworks in pouring rain with no tents. Sights and moans of wounded horrible. Reserve units of 53rd and 10th had earlier exchanged fire with a group of Mississippians by accident. Only casualty was Colonel Cummings horse. One ball passed through Cummings coat front not hitting him. Later Return to camp along old works around Richmond. Sharpsburg Campaign Late 1862 Restructuring Army of Northern Virginia. Semme's brigade now under McLaw's Division, Longstreet's Corp. 10th and 53rd Georgia, 15th and 32nd Virginia. 53rd commanded by Lt. Colonel Thomas Sloan and Captain Samuel W. Marshborne. Sept. 6 Crossed Potomac after leaving Leesburg, Virginia. Halfmile wide river is waist deep. Sept. 8 Arrived Frederick, Maryland. Sept. 10 Marched via Martinsburg towards Harpers Ferry. Sept. 11 Battle of Crampton's Gap. Protecting and holding roads leading east out of Harpers Ferry. Yankees push across the Gap and 53rd marches toward Sharpsburg via Shepherdstown. Sept. 17 Battle of Sharpsburg. Arrived at Sharpsburg at sunrise. Continuous marching since 16th with no rest and little food. March slowed by flood of Yankee prisoners heading in opposite direction. Went right into the line in the West Woods. Facing Major General Willis A. Gorman's brigade, Major General John Sedgewick's 2nd Division, 2nd Army Corp. Moved forward across an open field under heavy enemy artillery and skirmish fire. Moved forward 200 yards before firing. Not really in range but more to encourage the men. Yankee's slowly pushed back from position to position past hay stacks, rock piles, a road, an apple orchard, a cornfield, several fences, and finally a rock wall where they turned to make a stand. Here Colonel Sloan is hit in the left breast. Men call to him but he cannot stand and orders the men to move forward. Attendants are left with him and line advances with Marshborne in command. Angered men leaped the wall and pushed the Yankees back over a field for over a mile. Yanks eventually take cover in a farmhouse and barn near dense woods. Low on ammunition and exhausted, the brigade pulls back. 53rd has been cut to pieces, 12 killed, 63 wounded. Brigade losses are near 40 percent. Sept. 18 Withdrawing toward Potomac. Sleeping in grove of large trees with no tents. Sept 19 Cross Potomac back to Virginia. Sept. 23 Colonel Sloan dies of wounds. Oct. 6 Encamped in a skirt of woods 5 miles from Winchester, Virginia. No tents, few military supplies, and little food. Eating corn, using ground parched corn as coffee substitute. Late Oct. Election of officers. Colonel James P. Simms of Covington, Georgia now in command of 53rd. He had been a major under Sloan. Oct. 31 Marching toward Richmond. Over Shenandoah mountains from Winchester to Port Royal, reaching the Orange and Alexandria Railroad two miles north of Culpepper, Virginia. Hard marching but recieving more supplies. Fredericksburg Campaign Late 1862 Semme's brigade now consists of 10th, 50th, 51st, and 53rd Georgia Volunteer Regiments. Dec. 3 Camped two miles from Fredericksburg. Plenty of wood and water near camps. Dec. 6 Terrible snowstorm. Many men without blankets. Dec. 11 Burnside launches attack. Dec. 14 -15 Posted on road at base of Marye's Heights. Late Dec. Winter camp near Fredericksburg. Plenty of food but no coffee. Received tents at last. Dec. 25 Given Christmas day off from work and drill 1863 Jan 5 Picket and provost in Fredericksburg. Jan 7. Moved camp 7 miles southwest of Fred. for firewood. Now having to carry water a mile to camp. Jan 15 Began erecting winter quarters at what will be known as 'Pine Grove Camp.' Early Feb. Big snowball fight. Even officers and Longstreet joining in. Feb. 23 Knee deep snow. Yankee's firing across river for Washington's birthday. March 4 Semmes returns to brigade after 2 months away. Still in winter huts. Plenty of food. March 8 Moved camp 1 1/2 miles for firewood. March 18 Marched to U.S. Ford to guard against sporadic Yankee cavalry attacks. Chancellorsville Campaign May 1 Moving towards Chancellorsville. Took position on Old Turnpike Road to the right of General William Mahones brigade of Virginians. Facing General George Sykes U.S. Regulars in heavy force. Main assault fell on Semmes brigade. General Joe Kershaw's South Carolinians came up in support. Brigade performed evolutions as if on dress parade. Yankee's driven back a mile to another line of breastworks. They left behind all manner of equipment. May 2 Keeping up pressure. Driving Yanks slowly toward U.S. Ford. 10th Georgia captures entire 27th Connecticut. May 3 Moving to support troops falling back from Fredericksburg. Encounter Yankees at Salem Church, a two story red brick country chapel 3 miles west of Fredericksburg on the Plank Road. Went into position on left of General Wilcox under a storm of bullets. Battle lasts 2 hours with 53rd and 50th getting the brunt of the attack. 53rd captures colors of 2nd Rhode Island. 53rd lost 120 killed and wounded. Semmes had his hat shot through and two horses killed under him. Later Back to camp near Fredericksburg after 9 days away. No rations had been issued the entire time. Been living off the Yankees. 53rd got 460 of the 'best rifles' and several 'little pitched tents.' Camp had been plundered by civilians and stragglers and old tents had been cut up under Semmes orders to prevent them falling to Yankees. May 28 New camp within 1 mile of Fredericksburg. Also within sight of Yankee camps. Gettysburg Campaign June 3 Left camp at night and marched 7 miles. Camped within 1 mile of Chancellorsville June 4 Marching past Chancellorsville battlefield. Many dead enemy and horses left unburied. Marched 15 miles and camped before sundown on Mountain Run Creek. Two miles from Rockwood Forest on the Rapidan River. June 6 Rested on 5th and marched to within 1 mile of Culpepper Court House near the Winchester Turnpike. June 15 Camped at base of Piney Mountain, 3 miles from Culpepper. June 19 Moved to Ashby's Gap to block Yankee General Alfred Pleasonton's cavalry June 20 Cannot cross rain swollen Shenandoah River so still in camp at Ashby's Gap. June 21 Moved to north side of Shenandoah River. Yankee cavalry approached so recrossed to south side, then later back again to march toward Berryville. June 23 Crossed Potomac. Rest of army well on way to north. June 26 Passed through Hagerstown getting large quantities of supplies and food. Men in good spirits. Marched 14 miles and passed through Greencastle. June 27 Reached Chambersburg. June 28 Camped 2 miles from Chambersburg. Raiding nearby gardens for vegetables. July 1 Reached Marsh Creek, 4 miles from Gettysburg. July 2 Semmes brigade directly behind Kershaw's South Carolina brigade. Hood's division to the right. Started advance at 4 p.m. from behind stone wall at Flarety farm, west of Emmitsburg Road. Facing Major -General Dan Sickles 3rd Corp. Repeated charges and countercharges. Drove enemy from the Peach Orchard. Nearing Wheatfield Semme's brigade moves around in front of Kershaw. Semmes is hit in thigh as men move into position. Division drove enemy from Wheatfield and onto west slope of Little Round Top. Men are in Plum Run Creek and Devil's Den positions. Brigade losses are 55 killed, 284 wounded, and 91 missing. 10th and 53rd have most casualties. 53rd is now not much bigger than Company 'F' was at beginning of war. Brigade is down to 550-600 men. July 3 Holding position west of Emmitsburg Road. July 4 Marching toward Hagerstown in heavy rain. July 6 Reach Hagerstown. Will stay here one week. July 10 Semmes dies in Martinsburg, West Virginia. General Goode Bryan takes command. July 12 Blocking advance of Yankees between Martinsburg and Winchester as Lee withdraws to Culpepper. July 24 Army in Culpepper. Low rations. Aug. 6 Brigade camps 20 miles above Fredericksburg. Aug. 13 Camped near Rapidan River in Orange County. Rations are improving. Sept. 2 Camped at Waller's Tavern in Spottsylvania County. Getting first vegetables in a long time. Sept. 8 Camping at Hanover Junction. 20 miles above Richmond. Received word of Tennessee trip. Tennessee Campaign Sept. 11 Ordered to Richmond to board trains for Atlanta. Sept. 18 Midnight arrived Atlanta via Augusta. Boarded train for Dalton with no halt for visiting. Sept. 20 Arrived Chattanooga. Put to work building breastworks and pontoon bridges. Oct. 12 Camped in Dry Valley, 3 miles from Chattanooga and 1 1/2 miles from Lookout Mountain. Camp well fortified and under ocassional shelling from nearby Yanks. Nov. 5 Division leaves Chattanooga. Nov. 7 Arrived Sweetwater Tennessee. Supplied with pork, beef, and vegetables. Nov. 17 Brigade arrives in front of (south of) Fort Sanders at 10:00 p.m. Formed in line of battle and began building works. Nov. 29 Attack on fort. 10th drove in pickets while rest of brigade assaulted. Heavy fire and entanglements of telegraph wires stretched between stumps. Moat 4-8 feet deep and 20 feet wide. Fired on, hand grenades, axes, etc. coming over wall. 220 Yankee defenders. Slopes slippery due to frozen rain and impossible to climb. 200 Conf. surrender. Few got into fort. No reinforcements. Brigade lost 212 men and Simms wounded. Dec. 4 Very cold night. Marching toward Rogersville. Dec. 12 In camp at Radansville, Tennessee on Tenn. and Virginia Railroad. Dec. 20 Small skirmish at Bean's Station. Captured some supplies. Dec. 23 Arrived Russelville to build winter quarters. Terrible hardships. Dec. 25 Living off parched corn and a little flour. Major-General Joseph B. Kershaw takes command as McLaws is relieved. Kershaw previously commanded a brigade of South Carolinians. 1864 Feb. 27 In camp at Greenville Tennessee. Rumors of Longstreet's Corp becoming mounted cavalry and being sent back to Virginia or to Joe Johnson's Army of Tennessee. March 30 Leave winter camp. Marching from Greenville Tennessee up railroad to Bristol, Tenn. on the border with Virginia. April 3 Arrived Bristol and set up camp. Camping in tents, good morale, good food, recruits coming in. Apr. 19 Reach Gordonsville, Virginia by rail to rejoin Army of Northern Virginia. Apr. 20 Reviewed by General Lee. Plenty to eat, corn meal, rice, bacon, even coffee and sugar. Much activity in camp preparing for new campaign. Wilderness Campaign May 5 Left camp near Verdierville, Virginia. Advanced down plank road toward Parker's Store in direction of Fredericksburg. Marched 3 hours then went into line within 1 mile of Parker's Store. Broken and driven to the rear. Reformed and counter attacked. Yankee's driven back. Drove Yankee's from a second line of log breastworks and through a swamp for over a mile. Ran low on ammunition so fell back to Yankee's works. Relieved by General Micah Jenkin's South Carolinians. May 8 Moved into Spottslyvania Court House. Positioned at main crossroads in center of town. May 23 Camped near line of battle at Hanover Junction. June 2 Cold Harbor. Colonel Simms in temporary command of brigade as General Bryan is ill. Held the line during the day. Recieved orders at night to fall back behind General Evander Law's Alabamians for rest. Had just stacked arms when Law is attacked. Sent back into line under heavy fire. Heavy fighting next few days. June-July Very hot and dry in Virginia. Crops suffering. July Occupied entrenchments within 60 yards of Yankee's. Had to build works under heavy fire. Mid-July Rumor in camp that Grant was hit by a shell and killed. July 20 Moved to defensive line just south of Petersburg. July 23 Moving with Kershaw's division to north side of James River. Crossed river at Chaffin's Bluff. July 26 Moved and took position on New Market Road. Attacked on left by heavy force of infantry. Fell back to Fussell's Mill on the Darbytown Road. July 29 Crossed to south side of James River and camped on Telegraph Road at Chester Station. Early Aug. Moved and camped on the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad, five miles from Petersburg and about a mile behind the lines. Aug. 3 General Bryan returns but his health doesn't hold and he leaves on the 21st. General Simms placed back in command. Late Aug. Moving to Winchester, Virginia searching for Union cavalry. Simm's brigade in the lead. Encountered a cavalry brigade about seven miles from Charlestown, West Virginia. Drove them to within a mile of Charlestown. Aug. 30 Skirmish with cavalry. Union fell back toward Harper's Ferry. Simm's Brigade falls back to Winchester, Virginia on the 31st. Sept. 3 Left Winchester and moved east toward Berryville. Drove Yankee skirmishers from lines after firing only one shot. Confrontation lasts several days, then brigade returns to Winchester. Receiving plenty of rations. Sept. 16 Moving toward Culpepper Court House. Sept. 19 Moving to intercept 300 Union cavalry on Stevensburg Road. Captured 100 horses and mules, and 3 ambulances. Captured 30 prisoners with no loss to Confederates. Sept. 20 Marching towards Gordonsville. Sept. 21 Arrives at Rapidan Station. Half the brigade has no shoes. Sept 25 Arrived at Gordonsville. Joined General Jubal Early's Army of the Valley District. Sept. 28 Moved towards Port Republic via Swift Run Gap. Brushed aside group of cavalry skirmishers. Sept. 29 Camped near Waynesboro. Constantly on move to locate and destroy cavalry. Oct. 18 Moving toward Strausburg. Simm's brigade leading the way. Left canteens and anything else that would make noise. March must be in complete silence. Oct. 19 Battle of Cedar Creek. Reached foot of enemy defenses in early morning. Crossed a creek and up a steep hill, through abatis into the breastworks. Stiff hand to hand at works then drove Yankee's through their camp. Drove them 3 miles then came back to loot camp. Large amount of food and supplies, most anyone had yet seen. Yankee's counterattacked. Simms lost 3 regimental commanders from the 10th, 51st, and 50th. Marshborn is wounded when fragments of 53rd took a stand near a sharp bend in a creek and he was wounded in a countercharge. He died a few days later. Early Dec. Lt. Colonel W.F. Hartsfield in command of the 53rd. James R. Simms commissioned Brigadier General. Dec. 17 Gone into winter quarters on same ground as in 1862. Today heard speeches from Congressional Representatives from Georgia. On picket duty in Richmond through winter. 1865 Battle of Sayler's Creek. Colonel W.F. Hartsfield killed. Many captured including Simms. April 9 Lee stood under an apple tree to send surrender dispatch to Grant. Every limb and twig cut up by men for souveniors. Even roots dug up. 53rd is commanded by Capt. Robert H. Wood of Fayette County. Brigade commander is Captain George W. Waldron. Less than 120 men left in 10th and 53rd combined. 190 men total in brigade.
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