42nd Georgia Volunteer Infantry

42nd Georgia Volunteer Infantry

The new year of 1862 opened with the grim realization that the war to repel the Northern invaders was going to involve a long struggle. To quote from Captain W.L. Calhoun (as official historian) "The people of the South believed that the United States Government was a compact between sovereign States, embodied in the fundamental law known as the Constitution, and that it was the duty of the States, as well as the people, to sacredly observe and keep its requirements. For years they realized that unwelcome fact that the North, either through a spirit of envy and hatred, or of aggrandizement, had violated its terms and was seeking to oppress the South and destroy its institutions directly in conflict with the provisions of the Constitution. For this, and for the preservation of the Constitution, they took up arms, not as traitors or to destroy, but to preserve the Government-a principle which is not dead, but must live if the American Government is maintained." Many of the early Regiments raised in the initial enthusiasm of the spring of 1861 volunteered for 90 days, 6 months or at the most 1 year and their enlistments had or were shortly to expire. President Davis called for more troops and the Secretary of War requisitioned 12 new regiments from the state of Georgia on February 2nd, 1862.

Quotas were assigned by the state to various counties with smaller counties such as Glynn or Pierce assigned as few as 15 and the larger counties 200-340. Gwinnett County was among those with 203 troops, these men were to form Companies A and B of the Forty-second Regiment Georgia Volunteers.

The Regiment was organized and enlisted (for 3 years or the Duration of the war) on the 4th of March 1862, and assembled at Camp McDonald with Companies A and B from Gwinnett; C from Milton; D from DeKalb; E and F from Newton; G and H from Walton; and I and K from Fulton County. They were mostly young farmers with the exception of Company K raised by Captain W.L. Calhoun in the city of Atlanta.

The organization was completed with the election on March 20th of Robert J. Henderson, Colonel; R.F. Maddox, Lieut. Col.; William H. Hulsey, Major; Hugh M. Wylie, Adjutant; B.W. Adams, Quartermaster; Joseph R. Simmons, Commissary; John S. Wilson, Surgeon; John A. Dunn, Ass’t Surgeon; Egbert B. Rosser, Sergeant Major; T.D. Goodson, Color Sergeant; W.G. Cockerell, Musician; and J.J. Frederick, Teamster. Lovick Pierce Thomas as election Captain of Company A; Benjamin Putnam Weaver, Co. B; Henry W. Paris, Co. C; Nathan Clay, Co. D; Thomas J. Mercer, Co. E; James M. Summers, Co. F; Enoch E. McCollum, Co. G; J.T. Mitchell, Co. H; John H. Barrett, Sr., Co. I; and Robert F. Maddox (elected Lt. Col. and replaced by William L. Calhoun on March 20) Co. K.

The companies soon acquired their nicknames: Co. A-"Gwinnett Beauregards"; Co. B-"Independent Rebels"; Co. C-"Milton Tigers"; Co. D-"DeKalb Rangers"; Co. E-"Harper Guards"; Co. F-"Newton Rifles or Newton Rangers"; Co. G-"Walton Blues"; Co. H-"Walton Tigers"; Co. I-"Fulton Blues" and Co. K-"Calhoun Guards".

The men trained at Camp McDonald, located at Big Shanty (Kennesaw) for approximately five weeks and were issued uniforms, arms and equipment. As is common with men crowded together for the first time, sickness broke out and there were many deaths. Captain Weaver of Co. B requested and received on March 24, 2 wall tents with flies and pins, 15 axes, 9 camp kettles, 9 buckets, 19 mess pans, 4 spades, 2 hatchets, 9 ovens on spiders with lids, 95 tin cups, and 6 frying pans. He also requested 19 common tents but none were available. General Robert E. Lee, on March 28, from his Richmond headquarters, telegraphed Major General Edmund Kirby Smith, Commander of the Department of the East Tennessee, Confederate States Army, Knoxville, that he had ordered six newly formed Georgia volunteer infantry regiments – the 39thh, 40th, 41st, 42nd, 43rd, and 52nd – and one battalion, the 9th, to report to him at once. The 42nd Regiment, Georgia Volunteers, was officially mustered into the Confederate Army on April 11, 1862 and left Big Shanty on April 16, 1862 to join Brig. General Carter L. Stevenson’s Second Brigade in the Department of East Tennessee. Union Troops of the Seventh Division of the Army of Ohio were massing at Cumberland Ford under Brigadier General George W. Morgan with orders from Gen. Buell to take Cumberland Gap. The 42nd GA was sent to Knoxville, Tennessee and from there marched to Cumberland Gap where they were first under fire. Colonel James E. Rains was then in command of the 2nd Brigade.

On the 6th + 7th of June Gen. Buell (U.S.) caused a diversion to be made by an advance part of Gen. O. M. Mitchell’s Federal command from N. Alabama to the river opposite Chattanooga and Gen. E. Kirby Smith hastened to its rescue with two Brigades weakening the defenses in East Tennessee. General Carter L. Stevenson was left in command of the Cumberland Gap area and Gen. Smith ordered its evacuation. Col. J.E. Rains Brigade, on June 17th, was sent by Gen. Stevenson to cover the withdrawal of Cumberland Gap. Union Forces advanced as far as Tazewell where the 42nd was second under fire but the Union forces then withdrew to the Cumberland Gap where they entrenched for the summer under siege.

In August, Generals Bragg and Kirby, leading separate columns, began the invasion of Kentucky. Gen. Smith moved northward from Knoxville via Clinton and Richmond to Frankfort, Ky. With an engagement occurring at Richmond, Ky. On August 30 1862, Gen. Stevenson’s Division did not join forces with General Bragg’s combined forces until after the Battle of Perryville on Oct 8 but participated in the withdrawal from Perryville to London, Kentucky from Oct 10-22. The five Georgia Regiments: 40th, 41st, 42nd, 43rd, and 52nd were formed into the First Brigade under Brigade General Seth M. Barton and in mid-December, together with other units of Stevenson’s Division were ordered to report to Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton at Vicksburg, Miss. Were Federal forces under Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman were preparing to mount an amphibious assault. The assault began on December 26 and Barton’s Brigade distinguished itself in action at Chickasaw Bayou on December 27 + 28 and the assault on Chickasaw Bluff on Dec 29. During these four days Barton’s Brigade lost 13 men and 2 officers killed and 34 men and 5 officers wounded for a total of 54 casualties.

The 42nd Georgia is praised in both General Pemberton’s and General S.D. Lee’s report regarding the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou. The 42nd Georgia and the 28th Louisiana were stationed to the far left of the Confederate line on the 28th of December when a strong force of the enemy with heavy artillery support attempted to break the left flank and were repulsed with heavy casualties. Col. Henderson was also given favorable notice in the official report.