4th/12th Ga. Cavalry

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The 4th (Avery's) Cavalry Regiment was formed with eleven companies in January, 1863, using Avery's 23rd Georgia Cavalry Battalion as its nucleus. It served for a time with the Conscript Department in Tennessee, then was assigned to J. J. Morrison's, C.C. Crews', and Iverson's Brigade. The regiment participated in the Chickamauga, Knoxville, and Atlanta Campaigns, skirmished in Northern Georgia and East Tennessee, and took part in the defense of Savannah.
In January, 1865, the unit was reorganized and called the 12th Cavalry. It went on to fight in the Carolinas and surrendered with the Army of Tennessee. The field officers were Colonel Isaac W. Avery, Lieutenant Colonel William L. Cook, and Majors D. Jackson Owen and Augustus R. Stewart.

This thread is intended to serve as the location for general regimental history, photographs, stories, articles and other relevant information about the 4th/12th Georgia Cavalry in the Regimental Histories Forum. Please do not start new threads - just add your content under this existing thread so it can be easily located. Thank you for contributing information about the 4th/12th Ga. Cavalry
 
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Have you seen the Memoir that was printed in the Walker County Messenger by Alva Shaw? First entry was on December of 1901 and runs through most of 1902. Shaw only serves in the 4th for a little over a year and then gets wounded in the Altanta Campaign.
 
Have you seen the Memoir that was printed in the Walker County Messenger by Alva Shaw? First entry was on December of 1901 and runs through most of 1902. Shaw only serves in the 4th for a little over a year and then gets wounded in the Altanta Campaign.

I have not seen it. Do you know if I can find it online?

I plan to post more information about my ancestor who served in the 4th soon. It will be lengthy and I need to take time to compose it.

He was wounded in the Knoxville campaign.
 
I have an ancestor in the 4th/12th Ga. Calvary who I've only recently found. His name is William (Billy) Drummond Whitworth, and he was in Co F. He enlisted on November 30, 1862 in Dalton, and surrendered in North Carolina on April 26th, 1865. It looks like he participated in all the actions that the unit was involved in (Chickamauga, the Atlanta Campaign, etc.) during that time. I have to say that the change in unit designation was a bit confusing at first, not to mention that there's another 4th GA Cavalry (Clinch's) to muddy the waters even further.

I wasn't sure at first that he was my ancestor as he lived in Gwinnett County at the time, and Dalton seems a long way to go to enlist. But I found some other materials that confirm it is him. I'm still doing the research, but I thought I'd add my info to this thread.

www.fold3.com/image/271/29555381?xid=1945
 
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There is some good information on the 4th/12th Ga. Cavalry in the North Georgia Historic Newspapers Archive , a resource that appeared to come online in the last few years. Here are a few links from a very quick search that give a bit of regimental history. You'll notice the more detailed listing in the first link was given by a Lieut of Company I, who claims he was in command of that Co. at Chickamauga.

http://ngnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/ngnewspapers-j2k/view?docId=bookreader/ngc/ngc1911/ngc1911-0105.mets.xml;query=4th georgia;brand=ngnewspapers-j2k-brand#page/n0/mode/1up

http://ngnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/ngnewspapers-j2k/view?docId=bookreader/ngc/ngc1888/ngc1888-0125.mets.xml;query=4th georgia;brand=ngnewspapers-j2k-brand#page/1/mode/1up

I can say the captain of Company B is slightly misspelled in the first copy and is actually George B May, as described at least once in Brownlow's Knoxville Whig as "the depraved Captain May", and by a few news copies as leading a band of thieves and guerrillas [around '64-'65]. I don't have any relatives in this group, but I have run into it a number of times when studying southern-based ancestors in that region.
 
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There is some good information on the 4th/12th Ga. Cavalry in the North Georgia Historic Newspapers Archive , a resource that appeared to come online in the last few years. Here are a few links from a very quick search that give a bit of regimental history. You'll notice the more detailed listing in the first link was given by a Lieut of Company I, who claims he was in command of that Co. at Chickamauga.

http://ngnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/ngnewspapers-j2k/view?docId=bookreader/ngc/ngc1911/ngc1911-0105.mets.xml;query=4th georgia;brand=ngnewspapers-j2k-brand#page/n0/mode/1up

http://ngnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/ngnewspapers-j2k/view?docId=bookreader/ngc/ngc1888/ngc1888-0125.mets.xml;query=4th georgia;brand=ngnewspapers-j2k-brand#page/1/mode/1up

I can say the captain of Company B is slightly misspelled in the first copy and is actually George B May, as described at least once in Brownlow's Knoxville Whig as "the depraved Captain May", and by a few news copies as leading a band of thieves and guerrillas [around '64-'65]. I don't have any relatives in this group, but I have run into it a number of times when studying southern-based ancestors in that region.

Thanks for posting
 
I don't have any relatives in this group, but I have run into it a number of times when studying southern-based ancestors in that region.
Welcome to CivilWarTalk stepsix We are very happy to have you aboard!

If you have not already done so, I invite you to stop by the New Recruits Meet & Greet forum where you can post an introduction. Its a great way to get to know the members and let them know a bit about your specific areas of interest. The New Recruits forum is located here: http://civilwartalk.com/forums/new-recruits-meet-greet-area.6/

Again, welcome aboard! :bounce:
 
I have an ancestor in the 4th/12th Ga. Calvary who I've only recently found. His name is William (Billy) Drummond Whitworth, and he was in Co F. He enlisted on November 30, 1862 in Dalton, and surrendered in North Carolina on April 26th, 1865. It looks like he participated in all the actions that the unit was involved in (Chickamauga, the Atlanta Campaign, etc.) during that time. I have to say that the change in unit designation was a bit confusing at first, not to mention that there's another 4th GA Cavalry (Clinch's) to muddy the waters even further.

I wasn't sure at first that he was my ancestor as he lived in Gwinnett County at the time, and Dalton seems a long way to go to enlist. But I found some other materials that confirm it is him. I'm still doing the research, but I thought I'd add my info to this thread.

www.fold3.com/image/271/29555381?xid=1945
I know this is responding to something from 4 + years ago but I have just completed a book to be published on 9/1/2021 called Rebel Correspondent that is based on Arba F. Shaw's writings (RebelCorrespondent.com) - Shaw was also in Company F. Do you happen to have a picture of your Ancestor William (Billy) Whitworth? At the end of the book we have a roster with bios on each member of Company F that includes photos of the men, if we were able to find them - I do not have one on Whitworth but have this as his biographical information:

Whitworth, William Drummond - Private (Born September 9, 1825 Habersham County, Georgia - Died February 9, 1876 Georgia) Enlisted December 15, 1862 Dalton, Georgia; Paroled May 3, 1865 Charlotte, North Carolina - Occupation; Farmer - Wife: Charlotte E Phillips (Born March, 1839 Georgia - Died December 7, 1902 Blount County, Alabama) Five children.
 
I know this is responding to something from 4 + years ago but I have just completed a book to be published on 9/1/2021 called Rebel Correspondent that is based on Arba F. Shaw's writings (RebelCorrespondent.com) - Shaw was also in Company F. Do you happen to have a picture of your Ancestor William (Billy) Whitworth? At the end of the book we have a roster with bios on each member of Company F that includes photos of the men, if we were able to find them - I do not have one on Whitworth but have this as his biographical information:

Whitworth, William Drummond - Private (Born September 9, 1825 Habersham County, Georgia - Died February 9, 1876 Georgia) Enlisted December 15, 1862 Dalton, Georgia; Paroled May 3, 1865 Charlotte, North Carolina - Occupation; Farmer - Wife: Charlotte E Phillips (Born March, 1839 Georgia - Died December 7, 1902 Blount County, Alabama) Five children.

Sir, please let us know when and where we will be able to purchase a copy of your book. Thank you.
 
I know this is responding to something from 4 + years ago but I have just completed a book to be published on 9/1/2021 called Rebel Correspondent that is based on Arba F. Shaw's writings (RebelCorrespondent.com) - Shaw was also in Company F. Do you happen to have a picture of your Ancestor William (Billy) Whitworth? At the end of the book we have a roster with bios on each member of Company F that includes photos of the men, if we were able to find them - I do not have one on Whitworth but have this as his biographical information:

Whitworth, William Drummond - Private (Born September 9, 1825 Habersham County, Georgia - Died February 9, 1876 Georgia) Enlisted December 15, 1862 Dalton, Georgia; Paroled May 3, 1865 Charlotte, North Carolina - Occupation; Farmer - Wife: Charlotte E Phillips (Born March, 1839 Georgia - Died December 7, 1902 Blount County, Alabama) Five children.

I ordered your book from Amazon tonight. I look forward to reading it !!!
 
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