U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865
Jacksonville Men, Telfair Co. B, 49th Georgia, Fight First Battle - Seven Pines
This article is compiled by Julian Williams.
Leaving Goldsboro, NC, the Telfair men arrived by rail, with the rest of the 49th Georgia, in the war theater of Virginia. Confederate President Jefferson Davis wrote to his wife, Varina, "We are steadily developing for a great battle, and under God's favor I trust for a decisive victory."
However, at this point, he was disappointed that his commanding general, Joseph E. Johnston, had not attacked the Yankee commander, General George McClellan.
But fate would change all that, too.
In the days shortly coming General Johnston was severely wounded in battle.
Jefferson Davis called upon a little silver-haired man to replace him. Robert E. Lee.
At the same time, Jefferson Davis and Georgia's Governor Joseph E. Brown argued about states' rights and Confederate government rights.
Joe Brown started stockpiling "pikes" (long sticks with metal tips) for his state and later-to-be Governor of North Carolina, Zeb Vance, would be doing the same with uniforms in his state.
Both also tried to keep their state troops at home instead of sending them to the fronts where the central actions were taking place.
It was a mindset that would prove fatal for the new government.
Not contributing to the common cause of war was something the South could not afford.
Though averting their first baptism of fire at Hanover Courthouse and other skirmishes, the Telfair men saw their first battle action on May 31, 1862, at Seven Pines, Virginia.
But, as the first day's fighting drew to a close, General Joseph Johnston rode forward to tell his men to sleep in their line of battle, so that they would be ready for the continuing fight the next morning.
He was struck by a shell fragment and seriously wounded.
Under General Joseph R. Anderson, the 3rd Brigade, the Georgia 49th, along with the 14th, 35th, and 45th, now awaited orders from their new commander, General Robert E. Lee.
As the dust settled at Seven Pines and the count taken it was realized that, indeed, this War could go on for a long time: Confederate casualties: 2,800 killed, 3,897 wounded, 1,300 missing or captured, for a total of 7,997.
Union casualties: 890 killed, 3,627 wounded, 1,222 missing or captured, for a total of 5,739.
The 49th Georgia sustained a loss of 11 killed and 52 wounded at Seven Pines.
And the 49th Georgia was commended:
The Forty-ninth encountered the enemy with a coolness and determination, hardly to have been expected from troops who then went under fire for the first time.
Under a galling fire of grape, canister and minnie balls, the regiment moved steadily on until ordered to retreat.
General Joseph E. Johnston led the attack against corps of Erasmus Keyes and S.P. Heintzelman and was himself, severely wounded.
Yet such was the conduct of the Forty-ninth on that occasion, as to elicit the remark of General Johnston, which was uttered in the hearing of several officers, "Those men move like veterans."
From time to time we will call a partial roll for Company B (Telfair County) of the Georgia 49th Regiment.
Today the roll will include those soldiers whose last names begin with "A" and "B":
Anderson, Robert F;
Anderson, William;
Baker, W.B.;
Barron, David B.;
Bowen, Alexander;
Bowen, David J.;
Bowen, George W. (#1);
Bowen, George W. (#2);
Bowen, Hiram;
Bowen, Isaac N.;
Bowen, James L.;
Bowen, William C.;
Brantley, Spencer;
Brantley, Thomas M.;
Brewer, William F.;
Brewer, William H.;
Brown, Alchanah (or Elkanah);
Bryan, Joseph D.;
Burnham (or Burnam), Thomas.
Although the Telfair men weathered the Seven Pines Battle, the remainder of June, 1862, and July, 1862, would see men from this unit either wounded or paying the ultimate price of warfare.
These in the robings of glory,
Those in the gloom of defeat,
All with the battle-blood gory,
In the dusk of eternity meet:
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgement-day
Under the laurel, the Blue,
Under the willow, the Gray.
