54th Georgia Infantry

FloridaCSA

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Apr 1, 2017
Location
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I recently found another ancestor who served in the 54th Georgia Infantry. I know they were formed in 1862 in Savannah from two existing company's of state troops and men from the surrounding counties. I've seen the rosters. I also know they were at these battles:
Grimball’s Landing, James Island, South Carolina
Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
Atlanta Campaign, Georgia
Dalton
Rocky Face
Resaca
Adairsville
Cassville
New Hope Church
Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia
Peachtree Creek
Atlanta Siege, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Jonesboro, Georgia
Franklin, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Carolinas Campaign
Bentonville, North Carolina

As part of the
Department of Florida, South Carolina and Georgia >

Mercer’s Brigade, Army of Tennessee
>
J. A. Smith's Brigade, Army of Tennessee.

According to this
http://www.researchonline.net/gacw/unit105.htm#.WRJOjqTD_qB
And familysearch.org

If anyone could add any additional information or point me in the direction of a good book I'd appreciate it. Specifically on details of there actions in battle. Especially the Atlanta campaign.
 
I recently found another ancestor who served in the 54th Georgia Infantry. I know they were formed in 1862 in Savannah from two existing company's of state troops and men from the surrounding counties. I've seen the rosters. I also know they were at these battles:
Grimball’s Landing, James Island, South Carolina
Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
Atlanta Campaign, Georgia
Dalton
Rocky Face
Resaca
Adairsville
Cassville
New Hope Church
Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia
Peachtree Creek
Atlanta Siege, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Jonesboro, Georgia
Franklin, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Carolinas Campaign
Bentonville, North Carolina

As part of the
Department of Florida, South Carolina and Georgia >

Mercer’s Brigade, Army of Tennessee
>
J. A. Smith's Brigade, Army of Tennessee.

According to this
http://www.researchonline.net/gacw/unit105.htm#.WRJOjqTD_qB
And familysearch.org

If anyone could add any additional information or point me in the direction of a good book I'd appreciate it. Specifically on details of there actions in battle. Especially the Atlanta campaign.

Report of Col. Charlton H. Way, Fifty-fourth Georgia Infantry.

JAMES ISLAND, July 17, 1863.
CAPT.: I have the honor to submit to the general commanding the following
report of the part taken by my command in the reconnaissance made on the
morning of the 16th instant:

At 10.45 p. m. on the 15th instant, I received an order from the general,
commanding the forces on James Island to report at Secessionville, at 12
o'clock that night, with the Fifty-fourth Georgia Regiment, a section of
two 12-pounder howitzers from the Chatham Artillery, and Capt. [J. C.]
Edwards' company of cavalry. The troops were rapidly put in motion and
arrived at the point indicated at the hour designated in the order.

My instructions having been to allow Gen. Colquitt's brigade to cross the
marsh in front of Secessionville by Rivers' causeway, and move down upon it
left (my command moving, en echelon, upon the right and in rear of his) as
soon as I found his left had moved, I put the column in motion, consisting
of the Fifty-fourth Georgia and Thirty-first North Carolina Regiments,
moving by a flank and making
a detour to the right to avoid the dense and almost impassable abatis
immediately in front. The artillery, however, were obliged to move up the
road leading from the front of the work at Secessionville toward the
extreme left point of the woods known as Grimball's, while the cavalry
remained near Rivers' causeway to aid in any rapid movement necessary
to cut off the retreating picket stationed upon the right of the marsh.
This charge in the disposition of these portions of my command were
rendered necessary by the condition of the ground over which the artillery
had to be moved, and the evident precipitancy with which the enemy upon the
right of the marsh were retreating.

Arriving about 600 yards from the line of pickets thrown out by the enemy,
I deployed as skirmishers 200 men of the Fifty-fourth Georgia Regt. in
front of the column and moved rapidly forward; but crossing the abatis in
front of their line I found that, alarmed by the fire from general
Colquitt's commandant the force moving down upon their front, they had
(together with all that portion of their force stationed upon the right of
the marsh) retreated, leaving their camp strewn with muskets,
accouterments, blankets, over coast, provisions, &c.

After crossing the abatis through which my skirmishers had passed, I
brought my command in line of battle and (agreeable to the instructions
received) awaited the appearance of Gen. Coquitt's command, which it was
intended should cross over from the left to the right of the marsh by the
lower causeways. At this point, my command was perceived by the enemy's
light batteries, which had been stationed upon a hill and apparently (in
the gray of the morning) within an earthwork. A terrible fire was opened
upon us from these batteries in front, but, as usual, proved to be almost
entirely harmless.

After remaining in this position some twenty minutes, Gen. Colquitt's
command made its appearance. My guides were under the impression that it
was a column of the enemy endeavoring to it was impossible to distinguish
their standards. Another reason induced me to believeth statements of my
guides, viz, the total cession of musketry from the other side of the
marsh, where Gen. Colquitt's command had moved, and the continued fire from
the enemy's batteries upon me. But reasoning if it were a column of the
enemy that they could turn my right and cut me off from the route marked
out in my instructions, or if it was Gen. Colquitt's command, that the time
had arrived for me to move up in conjunction with him, I recrossed the
hedge and ordered the command to move up to Grimball's woods, having
carried out entirely the portion of the work assigned me.

I cannot close this report without expressing the among of obligations
which I owe to Lieut. G. H. Moffett, who acted as my guide throughout the
entire movement.

The casualties in my command were 2 killed, in the Thirty-first North
Carolina Regiment, by explosion of a shell, and some slight contusions form
the same cause in the Fifty-fourth Georgia.

I have the honor to be, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CHARLTON H. WAY,
Col. Fifty-fourth Georgia, Cmdg.

Capt. P. K. MOLONY,
Assistant Adjutant-Gen.


Source: Official Records
PAGE 588-46 S. C. AND GA. COASTS, AND IN MID. AND E. FLA. [CHAP. XL.
[Series I. Vol. 28. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 46.]

****************************************************************************************

MARCH 31, 1864.--Affair at Spring Island, S. C.

Report of Col. Charlton H. Way, Fifty-fourth Georgia Infantry,
commanding sub-district.*

HDQRS. HARDEEVILLE SUB-DISTRICT,
March 31, 1864.
CAPT.: I have the honor to report, for the information of the
general commanding, that at 11 o'clock to-day one gun-boat and a tug
proceeded up the Colleton River as far as the upper end of Spring
Island. Stopping first at Seabrook's settlement, they landed a small
party, apparently for the purpose of reconnoitering. The 2 pickets
stationed there fired upon them, with what effect is not known. The
party returned to the boat after having stolen a gun, a saddle, and some
clothing, belonging to Mr. Crowell. I ordered Col. Johnson's cavalry
down immediately, but before they could reach the spot the boats had
returned.

The enemy have been reconnoitering Foot Point and its vicinity for the
last two or three days, usually in small boats, and may possibly intend
landing there in force. The general commanding is fully aware of the
utter impracticability of holding Foot Point should the enemy design
occupying it in force. If anything serious is meant by these movements,
their intention must be simply to land and hold the position as a base
upon the mainland. The general commanding may rely upon my using
all the means at my disposal to prevent and thwart their designs, and
upon my giving him prompt information in regard to anything which
may occur.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CHARLTON H. WAY,
Col., Cmdg. Sub-District.

Capt. JAMES LOWNDES,
Assistant Adjutant-Gen.

[First indorsement.]

HDQRS. THIRD DISTRICT OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
Pocotaligo, April 2, 1864.

I do not think the enemy feel strong enough to occupy the mainland. If
I were in command of them, however, with their resources, I would
consider it practicable and safe to occupy and fortify the peninsula of
Foot Point.

W. S. WALKER,
Brig.-Gen., Cmdg.

[Second indorsement.]

HDQRS.,
Savannah, April 5, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded, for the information of the commanding general.

The strength of the enemy at present is probably not sufficient for them
to make a lodgment on the mainland.

J. F. GILMER,
Maj.-Gen., Cmdg.

Source: Official Records
PAGE 379-65 S. C., FLA., AND ON THE GA. COAST. [CHAP. LIII.
[Series I. Vol. 35. Part I, Reports and Correspondence. Serial No. 65.]
 
Cool thank you. That's exactly the stuff I'm looking for.

This is my relative

Hall, John K.- private May 6,1862. Ruptured in lifting heavy sandbars at Morris Island, S. C. in 1864. Sick in Hardeeville, S. C. hospital February 24, 1864. Captured near Atlanta, Ga. July 20,1864. Admitted to General Hospital at Camp Douglas, Ill. July 14, 1865. Discharged July 30, 1865. (Born in Burke County, Ga. in 1838.)

Seems he had some kind of rupture... he never really recovered from.
 
crhgaunit105.jpg
 
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12958675

Hamilton McDevit Branch

Birth: Mar. 17, 1843
Savannah
Chatham County
Georgia, USA

Death: Feb. 24, 1899
Savannah
Chatham County
Georgia, USA
Expired Image Removed
Son of John Henry Salah Branch, and Charlotte Sawyer Branch, both of Savannah, Georgia.

Husband of Marie Eugenia Dickerson who he married in Savannah, Georgia.

The 1860 US Census shows Hamilton is 17 years old and working as a clerk in a shoe store. He is shown living with his mother and brothers (Sanford is erroneously recorded as "Hanford") in Savannah. The census verifies he was born in Savannah.

Hamilton enlisted as a Private on 5/21/1861 in Company "B" of the 8th Georgia Infantry Regiment along with his brother Sanford W. Branch. Company "B" was mainly made up of Chatham County, Georgia volunteers and was called the "Oglethorpe Light Infantry". Sanford was wounded at Manassas and taken prisoner of war, and Hamilton fought at Manassas and in Georgia. Their brother John L. Branch served first in the 1st Georgia Infantry Regiment (1861) then the 8th Georgia Infantry Regiment with his brothers. It would be Hamilton who would write the letter to their mother, telling her of her son's death. John was killed at Manassas, Virginia, and Sanford was captured as he had stayed on the battlefield with his dying brother. Sanford would be paroled and captured again at Gettysburg (in dispute presently and needs verification). After John's death and Sanford's capture, Hamilton transferred to the 54th Georgia Infantry Regiment and was elected to the position of Second Lieutenant with Company "F" on 5/13/1862. On 9/22/1863 he was promoted to First Lieutenant. He saw combat in the Atlanta Campaign (the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain) and also served under Confederate General Nathan Bedord Forrest in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. Hamilton would be wounded three times (Battle of Dam #1, severely wounded at Atlanta on 6/24/1864 for his second wound, and third wound on 12/16/1864 location unknown) during the Civil War, twice returning to battle before his wounds had healed. After his third wound, he was unfit for field duty he was detailed to collect absentees or deserters.

12958675_134688584182.jpg
 
I agree with @huskerblitz and have moved this thread to the Regimental Histories Forum. Thanks @FloridaCSA for starting this thread on the 54th Georgia.

Thank you I completely overlooked this whole forum. Regimental histories are one of my favorite things to research.

I'm checking to see if they have any of those books now. One of the benefits of working in a library.
 
Thank you I completely overlooked this whole forum. Regimental histories are one of my favorite things to research.

I'm checking to see if they have any of those books now. One of the benefits of working in a library.
I don't mean to sidetrack this thread, but please feel free to post info on this or any other regiment! We all benefit this way and would love to see what you include!
 
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