17th Georgia


17th Georgia


Esteemed member John Gross contributes:

17th Regiment Georgia Volunteer

>Esteemed member "Jack L. Casner" contributes:

> >I am doing some research on the 17th Regiment Georgia Volunteer >Infantry, Benning's Brigade, Field's Division, Longstreet's Corps, >Army Of Northern Virginia............

>Sgt. Frank was shot the second day at Gettysburg, but survived to make >the hard march at Appomattox. He had been in the 17th from April 14, >1861, the day the regiment was formed

. I show the regiment as being formed in August, and Frank's enlistment date as August 14, 1861, not April 14. A minor point but you may want to check on it.

I have found his first name listed as both Maurice and Moritz. His obituary is in the August, 1909 issue of Confederate Veteran. It says in part:

"He was wounded in the battle of Gettysburg, but would not leave the field; for, though helpless to fight, he could load the guns for his comrades, which he did till dark relieved them."

> >Do any of you fine ladies and genmuns know anything about this regiment? >

I don't show any regimental histories on the 17th, but Dornbusch lists the following citations:

"Company 'I', 17th GA regiment, organized and drilled at Red Hill, August, 1861." Appears on pages 249-251 in 'History of Stewart County, GA.'

"Address of Major-General J.H. Martin at the reunion of the GA Diviaion, UCV, October 19, 1910." By John Henry Martin.

'Confederate Military History', 'Confederate Veteran', and the 'SHSP' all have citations to the unit as well if you have an inclination to do some digging. Briefly I can tell you the unit was formed August, 1861, and particapted in most all the battles and campaigns of the ANV except when it went west with Longstreet in late 1863. At Gettysburg the unit suffered 30% casualties of 350 men engaged.

Esteemed member GaTechFan@aol.com contributes:

Jack:

"17th Infantry Regiment was organized in Stewart County, Ga., during the summer of 1861. its members were from Columbus and Decatur, and the counties of Webster, Schley, Harris and Stewart(Decatur is in none of these counties. Columbus is in Muscogee Co., adjacent to Harris Co.)...the regiment was assigned to Gen. Toombs' and later Benning's Brigade, ANV. It served with the ANV from the Seven Days battles to Cold Harbor, except when with Longstreet at Suffolk, Chickamauga, and Knoxville. The 17th was in the Petersburg trenches north of the James River. In April 1862, it totalled 398 men, had 5 killed and 30 wounded at Malvern Hill. and lost 51% of the 200 engaged at second Manassas. of the 350 who saw action at Gettysburg, 29% were disabled, and from April 14 to May 6 (1864?), there were 86 casualties, then from August 1 to Dec 31, 1864, the unit had 45 killed or wounded. It surrendered (at Appomattox CH, presumably) with 18 officers and 168 men. The field officers were Colonels Henry benning and Wesley hodges; Lt Colonels William Barden and Charles Matthews, and Majors James B. Moore, John Pickett, and Thomas Walker."

Pat