In 1860, Georgia had a population of slightly more than 1 million men, women and children. During four years of unrelenting war she would send over 100,000 men to serve in all branches of the Confederate military. Her soldiers would die on battlefields from Vicksburg to Charleston and Gettysburg to Olustee. Early in the war the state of Georgia did not host any significant battles. That would change in September 1863 when US Major General William Starke Rosecrans’ Army of the Cumberland was attacked by CSA General Braxton Bragg’s Army of Tennessee. Nearly 35,000 soldiers would become casualties in Georgia’s first major battle: Chickamauga. Over the next eighteen months over 500 actions would take place in the state. Some of the battles would be epic in nature (Kennesaw Mountain, Atlanta and Jonesborough) while others would be much smaller affairs (Griswoldville, Columbus and Waynesboro). Officers and soldiers from Georgia would be killed in battle in far flung locales and near their homes. The more fortunate of her sons would return home to lead a productive life. This photo essay is dedicated to the men from Georgia who fought four hard years for what they believed in.

Some of the officers I paid my respects to are well known: John Brown Gordon, Ambrose R. Wright, E. Porter Alexander, Alfred Iverson, Jr. and Lafayette McLaws. Others you will not know as well: James P. Simms, Dudley M. Du Bose, Marcellus A. Stovall and Jeremy F. Gilmer. All served for what they believed in and a few were killed in action: Francis S. Bartow, Thomas R.R. Cobb and W.H.T. Walker.

Take some time and view my photo essay on these brave men who served bravely for a cause they were sworn to. You can view my collection by clicking HERE.

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To accomplish their strategic objectives, the administration ordered troops from the Department of the South, to Jacksonville, Florida.  US Brigadier Quincy A. Gillmore, commander of the department, created the District of Florida, and sent US Brigadier Truman Seymour to command the district.  Seymour would arrive in Jacksonville on February 7, 1864 and would secure the city.  Lincoln also sent his private secretary, John Hay to Jacksonville, to follow the army, securing loyalty oaths from the citizens of Florida.

Seymour, began moving west, towards Lake City, Florida to destroy a railroad bridge in an effort to keep troops from arriving and supplies from being sent north.  CS Brigadier General Joseph Finegan, Confederate commander in the area, only had 500 troops to halt the Federal advance.  However, reinforcements began arriving ahead of Seymour’s division.  Finegan began entrenching his 5,000 troops in the area near the Olustee train station.  On February 20, Seymour arrived with his 5,500 soldiers, and attacked Finegan’s waiting troops.  Sending a brigade towards the Confederate fortifications, they would suffer severe losses.  With the momentum on the side of Finegan’s Confederates, Seymour was forced to send in his reserves.  They would also be turned back.  The battle raged most of the afternoon, with the Federals finally retreating, all the way to Jacksonville.  Unfortunately, for the Confederates, Finegan did not pursue the fleeing Union army.  Seymour suffered 1861 casualties (34%), with 203 being killed outright.  The Confederates suffered 946 casualties (19%),with 93 soldiers being killed.  While compared to large scale conflicts, the casualties do not appear excessive.  However, with a 26% overall casualty rate it was indeed significant.

Aftermath:
The Federal strategy, of securing enough loyalty oaths, was unsuccessful.  Indeed, the the Federal government questioned it’s overall strategy in Florida.  The result was that Florida would continue to be controlled by the Confederacy for the remainder of the war.

¹ The Battle of Olustee on Wikipedia, was used to research this article.