A Brief History
The 50th Georgia Infantry Regiment was organized on March 4, 1862, at Savannah, Georgia. Upon mustering into service they drilled at Camp Davis, and served around the defenses of Savannah, Georgia until July of 1862 when they were ordered to Richmond.
At Richmond, Virginia, the 50th Georgia was attached to General Thomas Drayton’s Brigade and was present at Manassas during the late afternoon hours. As General Lee advanced his army toward Maryland in September of 1862, this would prove to be the bloodiest campaign for the 50th Georgia Infantry Regiment. While defending Fox’s Gap upon South Mountain, General Drayton ordered the 51st and the 50th Georgia Infantry into a sunken road, this decision proved to have a devastatingly deadly consequence. Company F was the last in line and was shot down by Union soldiers from the front, flank and rear, they were in a fire fight that surrounded them on all sides. Out of the 230 rifles that went into battle, the 50th Georgia suffered about sixty percent casualties, as they tried to run out of the sunken lane at Fox’s Gap.
During the Battle of Antietam the 50th Georgia was detached to aide Toomb’s Brigade near the Burnside Brigade. In November, two months after the Maryland Campaign, Drayton’s Brigade was ordered to be broken up and the 50th Georgia was ordered to Semmes’ Brigade of McLaws’ Division. The 50th Georgia participated in Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. By the fall of 1863, it was engaged at the Siege of Knoxville and returned to Lee’s Army in Virginia where they fought bravely during the Siege of Petersburg, the Battle of Cedar Creek, and the Battle of Sayler's Creek.
At Richmond, Virginia, the 50th Georgia was attached to General Thomas Drayton’s Brigade and was present at Manassas during the late afternoon hours. As General Lee advanced his army toward Maryland in September of 1862, this would prove to be the bloodiest campaign for the 50th Georgia Infantry Regiment. While defending Fox’s Gap upon South Mountain, General Drayton ordered the 51st and the 50th Georgia Infantry into a sunken road, this decision proved to have a devastatingly deadly consequence. Company F was the last in line and was shot down by Union soldiers from the front, flank and rear, they were in a fire fight that surrounded them on all sides. Out of the 230 rifles that went into battle, the 50th Georgia suffered about sixty percent casualties, as they tried to run out of the sunken lane at Fox’s Gap.
During the Battle of Antietam the 50th Georgia was detached to aide Toomb’s Brigade near the Burnside Brigade. In November, two months after the Maryland Campaign, Drayton’s Brigade was ordered to be broken up and the 50th Georgia was ordered to Semmes’ Brigade of McLaws’ Division. The 50th Georgia participated in Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. By the fall of 1863, it was engaged at the Siege of Knoxville and returned to Lee’s Army in Virginia where they fought bravely during the Siege of Petersburg, the Battle of Cedar Creek, and the Battle of Sayler's Creek.