A Short History of The 5th GA Cavalry

By
Tommy Houston

Although the 5th Georgia Cavalry was not officially formed until 20 Jan 1863, action was underway to flag the regiment as early as the end of 1862. In December 1862, the regimental commander and executive officer had been tentatively named, and the colors had been designed. The Confederate High Command was in continuous turmoil with Gov. Joe Brown, to supply more of the high cost troops such as cavalry or artillery to the Armies of Northern Virginia and Tennessee. The governor was quite reluctant to do this because he feared invasion from the North. The Yankee forces were at Beaufort, S. C. and were on Hilton Head Island, less than a day away from the Georgia Coast. Several unsuccessful raids had been attempted against Georgia, so the Governor had used what cavalry troops he had for picket duty along the coast. This primarily consisted of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Georgia Troops.

By Special Order No. 20, issued by the War Department of the Confederacy, the 5th Georgia Cavalry was formed from various independent companies and troops located in southeast Georgia.

The Regimental Headquarters was placed in Savannah, Georgia and the first Regimental Commander appointed was Major Robert Houstoun Anderson, a former U. S. Army Artillery Officer who was commanding the Confederate Troops at Fort McAllister in Bryan County, Georgia. Upon selection, Anderson was immediately promoted to Colonel, and given command of the new regiment. By the end of 1863, Lt. Col. Edward Bird had been named the Regimental Executive Officer, and James Bird was named Regimental Sergeant Major. He held this position throughout the remainder of the war.

The regiment essentially was formed by the combination of the 1st and 2nd Battalions along with all companies. A regimental staff and band was also added. Although the regiment was not tactically deployed by battalion, the two units were maintained administratively in the organization. The Battalions and Companies or Troops were:

FIRST BATTALION

A Troop "Georgia Hussars", Chatham County, Commanded by Captain William H. Wiltburger.
B Troop "Chatham Light Horse", Chatham County, Commanded by Captain Richard F. Aiken.
C Troop " Blue Caps" [Chatham and others], Commanded by Captain Isaiah M. Marsh
E Troop "The Bulloch Troop", Bulloch County, Commanded by Captain George B. Best. After Captain Best was killed at Waynesboro, Ga., the command passed to Captain W. N. Hall who held the command until surrender.
F Troop “The Screven Troop", Screven County, Commanded by Captain N. M. McCall.
I Troop “Effingham Hussars", Effingham County, Commanded by Captain Henry Strober.

SECOND BATTALION

H Troop, "Lamar Rangers", McIntosh County, Commanded by Captain C. L. R. Lamar, later by Captain William Brailsford.
K Troop, "McIntosh Light Dragoons" McIntosh County, Commanded by Captain O. C. Hopkins.
G Troop, "Liberty Independent Troop" Liberty County, Commanded by Captain William Lowndes Walthour.
D Troop, "Liberty Guards" Liberty County, Commanded by Captain William Hughes.

The regimental headquarters was formed soon after the command was appointed. The following officers were added:

Regimental Operations Officer - Major R. J. Duvet
Regimental Adjutant - Captain George S. Barthelmess
Regimental Surgeon - Captain J. T. McFarland, MD
Assistant Regimental Surgeon - Captain Nicholas P. Marlow, MD
Regimental Chaplain - Reverend Porter
Regimental Quartermaster - Captain James B. Gowan

The early part of the year 1863 saw the regiment in Troop Camps all over the coastal section of Georgia. The McIntosh Dragoons were at Camp Gignilette, near Darien. The Lamar Rangers were camped at Sunbury. The Liberty Independent Troop was at Fort McAllister. The Liberty Guards were camped near Midway, Ga. The Screven Troop was on picket duty on the Altamaha River, while the Bulloch Troop was picketing along the Savannah River. The Blue Caps were camped outside Fort McAllister, and the Savannah and Effingham Troops were at Camp Berrien on Isle of Hope near Savannah. They did not have much opportunity to train as a regiment, just the never ending garrison duty, drills, and fatigue. The regiment was well equipped and the troopers had for the most part been exposed to some combat experience, either in the former state battalions or other units. Many of the people in Co K, and Co G were formerly in the 25th Georgia Volunteer Infantry, where their enlistments had run out.

The first muster as a regiment occurred on the 17th of May 1863 at Camp Berrien on Isle of Hope near Savannah. Here the regiment made preparations to deploy to South Carolina to protect the Charleston and Savannah Railroad from Yankee Attacks. B and G Companies were deployed back to McIntosh County to repel attacks from Yankee raiding parties from Hilton Head. A federal raiding party had burned the town of Darien to the ground. The raiders included the 54th Mass. Infantry, which was an all Black Regiment. The sensitivity to the precarious position of the coastal communities caused great concern among the local populous. The communities had put great pressure on Gov. Brown to provide more troops to improve security.

The 5th regiment was very well equipped and military discipline was reported as excellent. Each trooper was well clothed with regulation uniform, and fitted with accouterments. The troopers were armed with new Sharps Carbines, which were purchased for the regiment by direct donations of the citizens of Savannah, Georgia. The sabers and pistols of the unit were Confederate Property. The regiment's horses were owned for the most part by individual troopers.

In June 1863 the Macintosh and Liberty companies or troops were ordered back to a camp at Palmyra Plantation near Riceboro. There were several skirmishes with federal raiding parties. About 1 August, the companies moved to Riceboro, Georgia.

At the end of August 1863, the Regiment was ordered to South Carolina to repel attempts of the Yankee forces to cut the Savannah & Charleston Railroad. Additionally, they were to provide Cavalry Support for the several forts that had been established on the South Carolina Coast. The unit was then placed under the command of Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard, of the Department of South Carolina. The unit was engaged in several minor battles around Charleston, James Island, Johns Island, Green Pond, and Adams Run. The South Carolina Campaign lasted until the end of December, 1863. In March 1864, the unit was ordered to report to Ocean Pond (Olustee), Florida to defend against the federal threat to West Florida. The regiment deployed from South Carolina to Florida on the Atlantic and Western Railroad, and required several trainloads to move the horses and troopers. The stress of wartime on the railroads caused problems with keeping fuel (wood) at the many stations along the way, so the troops had to go out in the woods to locate enough pine lightwood knots to fire the engine and continue on to Olustee. The results of the delay caused the regiment to get to Lake City Fl. one day after the battle was over. So, the 5th got to bury the dead after the battle. At least one company, Company G arrived just as the battle was over, and one trooper from the company wounded by a Yankee sniper. The unit deployed to the East to Baldwin, and Cedar Creek, Florida where it remained until 3 May 1864. They were ordered back to Savannah, and arrived there 13 May 1864.

Orders were received to proceed up to Augusta, Georgia and to defend the Weapons factories and other facilities, while enroute, the orders were changed and the unit deployed to Atlanta Georgia to the Army of Tennessee. By Special Orders No. 118 the regiment was assigned to B. G. W.W. Allen's Brigade, Kelly's Division of Lt. Gen. Joe Wheeler's Cavalry Corps. Allen's Brigade consisted of 3rd, 8th, 10th, and 12th Confederate Cavalry Regiments, together with the 5th Georgia Volunteer Cavalry. The regiment arrived in the Atlanta Area just in time to see action at Noon Day Church on 15 June 1864. Atlanta proved to be the regiment's true baptism of fire. They were involved in some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and diseases took a heavy toll of the men of the 5th. Major actions in the Atlanta Campaign included Noon Day Church, Noon Day Creek, Kennesaw Mountain, Buckhead, Big Shanty, Chattahoochee River, Peachtree Creek, and Decatur. Sergeant Marion Miller of E Company was killed at the river by an exploding shell. In late July it was obvious that Atlanta was lost to General Sherman. The unit then began a delaying action fight against the federal forces in the area. When Sherman attacked Macon, he had to contend with the 5th Georgia Cavalry. During the heavy fighting south of Atlanta, Col. Anderson was promoted to Brigadier General and given command of GEN. Allen's Brigade. His tenure of command was quite short lived, because at Newnan, Georgia on 1 August 1864, he was severely wounded. Private Mercer of the E Troop was killed at Newnan. By that time, Lt. Col. Edward Bird had assumed command of the regiment. Upon Col. Anderson's disablement, the command of the Brigade was passed to the Corps Artillery Commander, LTC. Felix Roberson, who was promoted to Brigadier General and given command of Anderson's Brigade. The first week in August 1864 was filled with action by the 5th. The unit took part in operations at Jug Tavern, Mulberry Creek and was ordered to Covington, Georgia to recuperate and get ready for a major operation.

On 10 August 1864, Lt. Gen. Wheeler embarked on one of the most ambitious operations of the war. The Cavalry Corps was ordered to deploy into Tennessee and Western Virginia to cut federal supply lines and cause havoc that would require a major commitment of troops. At least one company of the regiment attacked Marietta and Dalton, Georgia. Both towns were captured briefly by the Corps. This was indeed a risky venture, because the area was heavily occupied by federal troops. The advantage enjoyed by the Confederates was that of sympathy of the local. Additional units of the 5th saw action at Murfreesboro, Tenn. from the 10th to end of August. On the 24th of August Col. Bird the Regimental Commander was wounded in action and Major Davant assumed command, subsequently being promoted to Lt. Col. On the 6th of September, the H Company Commander, Captain William Brailsford was captured at Murfreesboro, Tennessee and remained in a Yankee prison throughout the rest of the war. On the 4th of September, the unit hit Franklin Tennessee. Several 5th troopers were captured here and a number were wounded. Two days later, on the 6th of September, the Division Commander, MG Kelly was killed at Woodburry, Tennessee. The unit experienced severe turmoil in addition to the heavy fighting. Brigadier General Williams was court-maritaled by Lt. Gen. Wheeler. Brigadier General Roberson was given command of Kelly's Division. The regiment embarked upon still a more ambitious raid, turning toward the north in an attempt to join forces with the Army of Northern Virginia, to cripple federal lines of communication. Wheeler executed a daring raid on Abingdon, Virginia, and the final action of the campaign was against Saltville, Virginia. The 5th suffered heavy losses in these two raids. On the 2nd of October 1864, they were ordered back to Gadsden, Alabama. They had to fight their way back through heavily occupied enemy territory to get back to Gadsden. Arriving back in Gadsden on the 15th of October, remained there the rest of the month.

On the 15th of November, Sherman left Atlanta on his infamous "March to the Sea". Wheeler was ordered to attack Sherman's forces at all cost, and the first engagement against them occurred at Bear Creek Station on the 16th. Part of the regiment also fought at Jonesboro on the same day. Between the 16th of November, and the 2nd of November, the regiment fought at Griswoldville, Georgia and several skirmishes with Sherman's troops. On 2 December 1864, the regiment was in an all out fight against MG Kilpatrick at Waynesboro, Georgia. B. G. Anderson rejoined the Brigade. The battle produced many casualties, prisoners from the 5th Cavalry. Captain George B. Best, Commander of Troop E, the Bulloch Troop was killed in the Battle for Waynesboro. He was succeeded by Captain W. N. Hall.

Between the 15th and the 21st of December, 1864, the 5th Cavalry engaged Kilpatrick frequently in Effingham, Liberty and Bryan County, before Savannah was evacuated on the 21st of December. On the 16th of December, 1864, Iverson's Brigade, met Kilpatrick's forces at Hinesville, Georgia, and a minor skirmish ensued.

On 30 January 1865, Anderson's Brigade was assigned to the Department of Georgia, Florida and South Carolina, and given the mission to deter Sherman's advance northward. The thrust of Sherman's advance was against Columbia S.C.. The regiment saw action at Salkhatchee, Barnwell, South Edisto River, and Aiken, S.C.. during the first part of February 1865. On 10 February 1865 the regiment crossed the Edisto River and saw action around Aiken S.C., suffering heavy casualties around Columbia, S. C. in skirmishes with Kilpatrick's Troops. On 18 March, Anderson's Brigade was ordered to fight a rear guard action in the withdrawal from Columbia S. C. In the later days of the Carolinas Campaign, though badly equipped and with depleted personnel, the regiment still was able to strike forcefully against the invaders. On 10 March 1865 the Liberty Independent Troop, Co. G of the 5th Cavalry, hit Kilpatrick's headquarters and camp south of Raleigh, N.C. in the middle of the night. They struck with such swiftness, that they took the General's horse, his concubine, and he barely escaped without any clothes, fleeing to the heavy woods next to the camp. Many of his men were taken prisoner by the 5th.

On the 13th of March 1865, B. G. Anderson was again seriously wounded in action near Fayetteville, N.C., and Col. Bird assumed command of the Brigade. In heavy fighting around Fayetteville, the 5th Cavalry, suffered very heavy losses of men and materiel, but the unit held together and continued to fight until the final battle Bentonville, N. C. 19-21 March 1865*. On 10 April, Lt. Gen. Wheeler abandoned Raleigh, N.C., and on the 26th of April Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee to Sherman.

The 5th is to be given great credit because it maintained its renowned organization and discipline to the end and was surrendered in good order, unlike many CSA units that laid down their weapons and ran. In the final months of the war, Anderson’s Brigade, and the 5th Regimental headquarters staffs were one in the same. Because of B. G. Anderson’s stellar leadership qualities, the professionalism of the people, the regiment though defeated, still held it's head high. It had fought the good fight with uncommon valor and lost.

* The 5th saw action up to the end. The last recorded action was the Battle of Morrisville Station on April 13 - 14, 1865.

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A Short History of The 5th GA Cavalry

By Tommy Houston

By
Tommy Houston