The Conquered Banner

The Conquered Banner

by Father Abram Joseph Ryan

Furl that Banner, for 'tis weary;

Round its staff 'tis drooping dreary;

Furl it, fold it, it is best;

For there's not a man to wave it,

And there's not a sword to save it,

And there's no one left to lave it

In the blood that heroes gave it;

And its foes now scorn and brave it;

Furl it, hide it, let it rest!

Take that banner down! 'tis tattered;

Broken is its shaft and shattered;

And the valiant hosts are scattered

Over whom it floated high.

Oh! 'tis hard for us to fold it;

Hard to think there's none to hold it;

Hard that those who once unrolled it

Now must furl it with a sigh.

Furl that banner! furl it sadly!

Once ten thousands hailed it gladly.

And ten thousands wildly, madly,

Swore it should forever wave;

Swore that foeman's sword should never

Hearts like theirs entwined dissever,

Till that flag should float forever

O'er their freedom or their grave!

Furl it! for the hands that grasped it,

And the hearts that fondly clasped it,

Cold and dead are lying low;

And that Banner, it is trailing!

While around it sounds the wailing

Of its people in their woe.

For, though conquered, they adore it!

Love the cold, dead hands that bore it!

Weep for those who fell before it!

Pardon those who trailed and tore it!

But, oh! wildly they deplored it!

Now who furl and fold it so.

Furl that Banner!

True, 'tis gory,

Yet 'tis wreathed around with glory,

And 'twill live in song and story,

Though its folds are in the dust;

For its fame on brightest pages,

Penned by poets and by sages,

Shall go sounding down the ages,

Furl its folds though now we must.

Furl that banner, softly, slowly!

Treat it gently, it is holy,

For it droops above the dead.

Touch it not, unfold it never,

Let it droop there, furled forever,

For its people's hopes are dead!

50th Georgia Infantry Regiment

The 50th Georgia Infantry Regiment was formed in March, 1862, in Savannah, Georgia. It served with the Army of Northern Virginia from July, 1862 until it's surrender at Appomattox Court House, except during Longstreet's 1863 expedition to Georgia and Tennessee. Upon reaching Virginia, it was assigned to Drayton's Brigade. During the Battle of Antietam, the regiment was assigned to Toomb's Brigade. After the battle, the 50th Regiment was permanently assigned to Paul Jones Semmes's Brigade. The subsequent brigade commanders were Goode Bryant and James P. Simms.



Organization: The regiment was organized as follows:
Field staff and band

Colonel William R. Manning (March 22, 1862 thru July 31, 1863, Resigned)
Colonel Peter Alexander Selkirk McGlashan (July 31, 1863 thru end of war [captured at Sailor's Creek, Virginia, April 6, 1865, Released from Johnson's Island, Ohio, July 25, 1865])
Lieut. Colonel Francis Kearse (March 22, 1862 thru July 2, 1863, Killed at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) Lieut. Colonel William O. Fleming (July 31, 1863 thru December 22, 1863, Resigned)
Lieut. Colonel Pliny Sheffield (December 21, 1863 thru November 28, 1864, Resigned [Wounded in right arm necessitating amputation at the Battle of the Wilderness on May 6, 1864])
Major Phillip Coleman Pendleton (March 22, 1862 thru October 8, 1862, Resigned)
Major Duncan Curry (October 8, 1862 thru February 24, 1863, Resigned)
Major William O. Fleming (February 24, 1863 thru July31, 1863, Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel)
Major Pliny Sheffield (July 31, 1863 thru December 21, 1863, Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel)
Major John M. Spence (December 21, 1863 thru February 14, 1865 when granted a leave of absence)

Adjutants:
James M. Fleming (March 22, 1862 thru March 23, 1863, Died)
James P. Graves (March 23, 1863 thru September 17, 1863, Resigned)
R. T. Roberds/Roberts (September 17, 1863 (?) thru November, 1863, Killed at Knoxville, Tennessee)
A. McGlashan (April 12, 1864 thru October 19, 1864, captured at Cedar Creek, Virginia [Released at Fort Delaware, Delaware in June or July, 1865])

Companies:
Company A - Satilla Rangers (Pierce County)
Company B - Ware Volunteers (Ware County)
Company C - Coffee County Guards (Coffee County)
Company D - Valdosta Guards (Lowndes County)
Company E - Thomas County Rangers (Thomas County)
Company F - Decatur Infantry (Decatur County)
Company G - Clinch Volunteers (Clinch and Echols Counties)
Company H - Colquitt Marksmen (Colquitt County)
Company I - Berrien Light Infantry (Berrien County)
Company K - Brooks Volunteers (Brooks County)


Assignments:
Mercer's Brigade, Military District of Georgia, Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida (April-June 1862) Military District of Georgia, Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida (June-July 1862) Drayton's Brigade, Drayton's Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (July 1862) Drayton's Brigade, D. R. Jones' Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (August-October 1862) Drayton's Brigade, McLaws' Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (October-November 1862) Semmes'-Bryan's Brigade, McLaw's Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (November 1862-September 1863) Bryan's Brigade, McLaw's Division, Longstreet's Corps, Army of Tennessee (September-November 1863) Bryan's Brigade, McLaw's-Kershaw's Division, Department of East Tennessee (November 1863-April 1864) Bryan's Brigade, Kershaw's Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (April-August 1864) Bryan's Brigade, Kershaw's Division, Valley District (August-November 1864) Bryan's-Simms' Brigade, Kershaw's Division, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (November 1864-April 1865)


Campaign and Battle Participation:
Second Bull Run (Manasses),(August 28-30, 1862)
South Mountain (September 14, 1862)
Antietam (September 17, 1862)
Fredericksburg (December 13, 1862)
Chancellorsville (May 1-4, 1863)
Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863)
Chickamauga [not engaged] (September 19-20, 1863)
Chattanooga Siege (September-November 1863)
Knoxville Siege (November-December 1863)
The Wilderness (May 5-6, 1864)
Spotsylvania Court House (May 8-21, 1864)
North Anna (May 23-26, 1864)
Cold Harbor (June 1-3, 1864)
Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
Cedar Creek (October 19, 1864)
Sayler's Creek (April 6, 1865)
Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)

Ancestors and Kin:
The following ancestors and kin of the Coleman-Young family served in the 50th Georgia Infantry:
Private Samuel W. Register , Clinch co. GA., Company G.
(Wounded at Battle of Manasses Aug. 30th, 1862.)
Private John Taylor Register, Clinch co., GA., Company G.
Private Guilford A. Register, Clinch co., GA., Company G.
Private Oliver Perry Register, Clinch co., GA., Company G.


Source: (Extract: From the Compendium of the Confederate Armies: South Carolina and Georgia, by Stewart Sifakis, Copyright 1995.

Abednego Greene Malcolm

Major Abednego Greene Malcolm, 1st Battalion, (McNairy's), Tennessee Cavalry:

Abednego Greene Malcolm, known also as Greene Malcolm and in some records as Greenbury Malcolm, was born September 18, 1821 near Frankfurt, Kentucky. Orphaned at nine years of age, he was the son of a Veteran of the War of 1812 and grandson of Revolutionary War Veteran, Nathanial Greene, of Revolutionary War fame. By profession, Greene Malcolm was a Physician, having graduated from the School of Medicine at Edinburg, Scotland. He traveled extensively over Europe, parts of Asia and the Fiji Islands and once declined an offer from Commodore Perry to accompany him to Japan.
On June 9th, 1846 he enlisted for service in the Mexican War at Louisville, Kentucky serving with the 1st Regiment (Marshall’s) Kentucky Cavalry. Stationed initially at Camp Patterson, Texas on October 31st, his unit was ordered to Monterey, Mexico in December 1846. During his Mexican War service he saw action in the Battle of Agua Nacoa and was with General Taylor at the Battle of Buena Vista. He carried a scar from that battle where he received a wound inflicted by a Mexican Cavalryman. He was afterwards with General Scot at the fall of Mexico City and was the second man over the wall at the fall of that fortress city. He was discharged from service following the war on June 1st 1847 at New Orleans. During the war he contracted chronic dysentery which he never got over.
In 1848, he went to California where he amassed a fortune and lost it all by the causes of fire , flooding and Indian raids and spent the next two years on the Texas frontier fighting Indians.
On June 15th, 1861, at the opening of the War Between The States, he enlisted in the 1st Battalion, (McNairy’s), Tennessee Cavalry serving in the rank of Major. His campaign participation included operations in Kentucky and Tennessee and he carried the last train out of Atlanta, Georgia just before its fall into the hands of Federal troops.
Following the War Between The States and the South’s defeat, rather than endure the persecution and humiliation of “Reconstruction,” he traveled to Mexico, where with other like-minded Confederate soldiers, he helped to plant a Confederate colony. Following the plantation of his colony in Mexico, he returned to Atlanta, Georgia where he planed and organized another colony of ex-Confederate soldiers and their families. Setting out in the Spring of 1867, his colony of thirty families made their way to New Orleans where they booked passage for Spanish Honduras (The Republic of Honduras). Despite their difficulties, upon arrival at Fortress Omoa, near Puerto Cortes, Major Malcolm led his colony of Southern refugees into the interior of Honduras where at Comayagua, Honduras he met with representatives of the Republic and presented a letter for President Medina of the Republic of Honduras explaining their reasons for emigration and an offer of services in exchange for citizenship, certain considerations and concessions:

“GENTLEMEN: The undersigned respectfully submits to your consideration that on the 10th of April, after a passage of ten days, I arrived in the city of Omoa with seventy souls, emigrants to your beautiful land. These persons consist of men, women and children who are what might be termed the forerunners of perhaps thousands of the best citizens of the Southern States, of the United States. We wish to make this our home.
To find in this that which we have lost in our own native land, liberty.
To make this what our country was before it was destroyed by our enemies.
Our desire is to become citizens of the Republic at once, to be a part of your people, to claim your protection, to defend you with our lives from foreign invasion, and to do our whole duty to our adopted country.
In coming among you we would state that on account of our recent great misfortunes, many of us are greatly impoverished, and without going into further preliminary remarks, would give this as our reason for asking you to grant the following privileges and donations. ...With the highest consideration, I am gentlemen, your obedient servant.(Signed) G. MALCOLM.Comayagua, Honduras, C.A., May 3, 1867.”

Soon after establishing their colony near San Pedro Sula, and naming it the colony of “Medina”, in honor of the President of the Republic of Honduras, it was decided to place the government of their local interests under the control of a council, in order to avoid the necessity of assembling the entire colony when any question of interest or expediency should arise likely to affect their welfare. At a public meeting, an election was held of the following representatives:

Major Malcolm as their presiding officer, L. G. Pirkle, H.H. Briers, George W. WaltersJ.H. Wade, and P. Goldsmith, Secy.

Major Malcolm was later appointed Minister of Immigration by the government of the Republic of Honduras in order to facilitate their transition of new arrivals to the colony.

About 1870, Major Malcolm removed to Texas where he remained till his death on December 11th, 1906 in Malakoff, Henderson county, Texas. Major Malcolm was twice married, first to Nannie Roark and second to Susan Francis Lee, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Strong) Lee of San Jacinto county, Texas. From these two marriages spring many descendants. Major Malcolm is buried in the Post Oak Memorial Cemetery in Malakoff, Henderson county, Texas.

Confederate History Month

This young Confederate soldier gave his life in defense of his family and homeland!

April is Confederate History Month of Remembrance


Essay by Calvin E. Johnson, Jr.

April is an important month in America's history. The Great Locomotive Chase, where Union spies attempted to steal the Confederate Locomotive "The General" and destroy rail lines and bridges, took place on April 12, 1862. The month of April has become to be known as Confederate History and Heritage Month. Please share this story with your family.



The Congress of the United States has officially in past years recognized America's war of, 1861 to 1865, as the War Between the States. This tragic war claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of brothers, uncles and husbands. Though they were enemies on the battlefield, after the war, the men of blue and gray sponsored reunions at such places as Gettysburg. The soldier told war stories while the United States and Confederate flags flew briskly in the warm summer breeze.
Why do some schools ignore the teaching of American history? Boys and girls once learned about American soldiers who for over 200 years marched off to war. The church hymn book once included "Onward Christian Soldiers." The young people read about: George Washington, Robert E. Lee and Booker T. Washington. Northern and Southern children stood up proudly to sing patriotic songs from a standard song book that included "Dixie".
After the end of the War Between the States, Northern and Southern women formed memorial organizations. They made sure all soldiers were given a Christian burial and a marked grave. Memorial Days were begun in many states North and South of the famous Mason-Dixon Line. Confederate graves were also cared for in the North and Union graves in the South. Great monuments were also erected that still cast a giant shadow over many town squares and soldiers' cemeteries across the U.S.A.
April 26, has become to be recognized as Confederate Memorial Day in many states. For over one hundred years the Ladies' Memorial Association, United Daughters of the Confederacy and Sons of Confederate Veterans have held memorial services on or near this day. Other Southern States recognize this day ,which began as Decoration Day, on May 10th and June 3rd. Confederate President Jefferson Davis was born on June 3rd.
April, Confederate History and Heritage Month, is significant as it is the month the War Between the States began (1861) and ended (1865).
Efforts to mark Confederate graves, erect monuments and hold memorial services were the idea of Mrs. Charles J. Williams. It is written that she was an educated and kind lady. Her husband served as Colonel of the 1st Georgia Regiment during the war. He died of disease in 1862, and was buried in his home town of Columbus, Georgia.
Mrs. Williams and her daughter visited his grave often and cleared the weeds, leaves and twigs from it, then placed flowers on it. Her daughter also pulled the weeds from other Confederate graves near her Father.
It saddened the little girl that their graves were unmarked. With tears of pride she said to her Mother, "These are my soldiers' graves." The daughter soon became ill and passed away in her childhood. Mrs. William's grief was almost unbearable.
On a visit to the graves of her husband and daughter, Mrs. Williams looked at the unkept soldiers' graves and remembered her daughter as she cleaned the graves and what the little girl had said. She knew what had to do.
Mrs. Williams wrote a letter that was published in Southern newspapers asking the women of the South for their help. She asked that memorial organizations be established to take care of the thousands of Confederate graves from the Potomac River to the Rio Grande. She also asked the state legislatures to set aside a day in April to remember the men who wore the gray. With her leadership April 26 was officially adopted in many states. She died in 1874, but not before her native state of Georgia adopted it as a legal holiday. It is still officially recognized in Georgia today.
Mrs. Williams was given a full military funeral by the people of Columbus, Georgia and flowers covered her grave. For many years a yearly memorial was conducted at her grave following the soldiers' memorial.
Robert E. Lee said, Duty is the sublimest word in the English language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less."
The South can be proud of their men and women who served this nation from the Revolutionary War to the War in Iraq. It is important to also remember those men and women who defended their homes, families and states during the War Between the States.
Among the gallant women was Captain Sally Tomkins, CSA who was the first woman to be commissioned on either side of the War Between the States. Commissioned by Jefferson Davis, she took care of thousands of soldiers in Richmond, Virginia until the end of the war.
Those who served the Confederacy came from many races and religions. There was Irish born General Patrick R. Cleburne, black Southerner Amos Rucker, Jewish born Judah P. Benjamin, Mexican born Colonel Santos Benavides and American Indian General Stand Watie who was born in Rome, Georgia.
Lest We Forget!
Please contact the Sons of Confederate Veterans or other historical organizations about the events during Confederate History and Heritage Month. Be a part of this month long tribute, in April, to the men and women of Dixie.
A native of Georgia, Calvin Johnson lives near the historic town of Kennesaw, home of the locomotive "The General" from the War Between the States.

The 1st Georgia Cavalry

An historical summary of the organisation and history of the 1st Georgia Cavalry.

The 1st Georgia Cavalry Regiment
Organisation:
The First Georgia Cavalry Regiment was formed at Rome, Georgia in the Fall of 1861. Companies: A, B, and C were mustered into Confederate service on March 4th, 1862. Company B was recruited in Meriwether county, Company C recruited in Floyd county, Company E recruited in Carroll county was mustered into service in April 1862 and Company G: The Highland Rangers, was recruited in Lumpkin county.

First Commander: Colonel James J. Morrison
Field Officers:
Samuel W. Davitte (Maj., Lt. Col., Col.)
Armistead R. Harper (Lt. Col.)
James H. Strickland (Lt. Col.)
John W. Trench (Maj.)
George T. Watts (Lt. Col.)

Unofficial Names by which the Regiment was known:
James J. Morrison's Cavalry Samuel W. Davitte's Cavalry A.R. Harper's Cavalry James H. Strickland's Cavalry George T. Watt's Cavalry John W. Trench's Cavalry M.A. Haynie's Cavalry William M. Tumlin's Cavalry V.J. Reynolds'Cavalry

Historical Overview:
After being mustered into service, the 1st Georgia Cavalry moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and from there to Knoxville. It was assigned to the Department of East Tennessee until the end of 1862, and then joined the Army of Tennessee, serving in that Army until late 1863. It returned to service in the Department of East Tennessee and then rejoined the Army of Tennessee. In 1865, the 1st Georgia Cavalry served in the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida and then returned to the Army of Tennessee.

Major Commands of Assignment:

Unattached, Department of East Tennessee ;December 1861.

Leadbetter's Brigade, Department of East Tennessee [detachment] May-Jun. 1862.

Unattached, Department of East Tennessee [detachment] May-Jun. 1862.

Allston's Cavalry Brigade, Department of East Tennessee, Jun.-Oct. 1862.

Scott's - Pegram's Cavalry Brigade, Department of East Tennessee, Oct-Nov 1862.

Pegram's Brigade, Wheeler's Cavalry Division, Army of Tennessee, Nov. 1862-Jan. 1863.

Pegram's - Morrison's - Pegram's Brigade, Department of East- East Tennessee, Feb.- Jul. 1863.

Pegram's Cavalry Brigade, Army of East Tennessee, Department- of Tennessee, Jul. Aug. 1863.

Davidson's Brigade, Pegram's Division, Forrest's Cavalry Corps, Army of Tennessee, Aug. - Oct. 1863.

Morrison's Brigade, Martin's Division, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Army of Tennessee, Oct. - Nov. 1863.

Morrison's-Crews' Brigade, Martin's-Morgan's Division, Martin's Cavalry Corps, Department of East Tenn. ,Nov. 1863- Feb. 1864.

Crew's - Iverson's Brigade, Martin's Division, Wheeler's Cavalry- Corps, Army of Tennessee, Mar. - Nov. 1864.

Iverson's - Crew's Brigade, Martin's - Allen's Division, Wheeler's Cavalry-Corps, Department of SC, GA and FL Nov. 1864 - Feb. 1865.

Crew's Brigade, Allen's Division, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Hampton's Cavalry Command Feb. - Apr. 1865.

Crew's Brigade, Allen's Division, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Hampton's Cavalry Command, Army of Tennessee, April 1865.

Battle And Campaign Credits:
Murfreesboro, July 13, 1863. Nashville, July 21, 1862.

Big Hill, August 23, 1862. Murfreesboro, December 31, 1862 - January 3, 1863.

Pegram's Kentucky Raid, March - April, 1863.

Monticello Expedition, April 26 - May 12, 1863.

Chickamauga, September 19-20, 1863.

Siege of Chattanooga, September - November 1863. Philadelphia, October 20, 1863.

Siege of Knoxville, November - December 1863.

Atlanta Campaign, May - September 1864.

Siege of Atlanta, July - September 1864.

Sunshine Church, July 31, 1864.

Savannah Campaign, November - December 1864.

Carolinas Campaign, February - April 1865.

Unit Summery:
The First Georgia Cavalry participated in over one hundred and seventy-five engagements of various kinds during the War Between The States. It has been reported that less then fifty officers and men remained with this unit when it was finally surrendered by General Johnston. At the time of surrender, Officers and Men were paroled in accordance with the terms of a Military Convention entered into on April 26th, 1865, between General Joseph E. Johnston, Commanding Confederate Army, and Major General W.T. Sherman, Commanding United States Army in North Carolina.