U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865
Ocmulgee Boys Feel Wings of Death Angel at Battle of Seven Days
This article is compiled by Julian Williams.
With the fighting of the Battle of Seven Pines behind them and the Seven Days' Battle before them, the Telfair soldiers once again readied for battle.
But one soldier from another newly arriving unit was not quite as ready: "(we) all were anxious to see a real live, wild Yankee. We soon began to meet men with bloody heads, broken arms, and otherwise variously wounded, the sight of which caused some of us to feel shaky about the knees.
Some of the boys, feeling encumbered, delayed not in divesting themselves of such things as a deck of cards, which, upon being pitched out, would display all manner of faces and make a fellow feel like he had played the deuce."
The Telfair men had felt those same sentiments at Seven Pines.
Now they faced death again.
As the Telfairians fought through on the Chickahominy River, Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill (First Cold Harbor), along the James River, Savage's Station, Frayser's Farm (White Oak Swamp), and Malvern Hill, they heard the whining "zip" and "fizz" of the Minié balls and brave men were felled by those .57 caliber missiles of misery.
The fragments of larger shells flew relentlessly and randomly into the precious life spaces of the men of Company B (Telfair).
The grape and canister spread out in a swift and voluminous spray, depriving soldiers of limb and life.
Bleeding, writhing bodies cried for help that could not reach them.
In short, it was hell on earth.
The Rebels were dying and hurting and so were the Yankees.
Union General George McClellan, after the battle of First Cold Harbor, bitterly complained to President Lincoln but two sentences in the scorching epistle were deleted before reaching the eyes of Old Abe, who was already getting his fill of "Little Mac."
"If I save the army now, I tell you plainly that I owe no thanks to you or any other persons in Washington. You have done your best to sacrifice this army."
Had Lincoln seen those words, McClellan's relief of command would probably have come much sooner.
And the Georgia 49th was in the midst of it all. After the Battle of Mechanicsville, General D.H. Hill said:
"The 49th Georgia Volunteers were lavish of blood in those days, and it was thought to be a great thing to charge a battery of artillery or an earthworks lined with infantry --- The attacks on the Beaver Dam entrenchments were the kind of grandeur which the South could not afford."
And redhaired General A.P. Hill, commander of the Light Division, in his familiar red wool war shirt, had this to say:
"My division was engaged a full two hours before assistance was received. The 49th Georgia Volunteers failed to carry the enemy's lines, but paved the way for the successful attacks afterward."
Lt. Colonel Seaborn M. Manning had gallantly led the 49th's charge at First Cold Harbor and Pvt. Wiley J. Williams was promoted to First Lieutenant for gallantry, replacing James Y. Willcox, who was promoted to Captain.
Colonel Lane was wounded, along with Gen. Anderson and many others.
Major Rivers was captured, and the regiment's heroes lay prostrate and dead on the field of battle.
If the burial detail did not get them they were left to the wings of nature but other wings had already come for them.
The casualties for the Telfairians:
Bowen, John, 3rd Cpl., Wounded, near Richmond, VA, 1862.
Clements, John C., Died, In camp at Orange Court House, VA, June 23, 1862.
Minor, John D., Wounded, Mechanicsville, VA, June 26, 1862.
Harrell, Levi H., Wounded in leg, Cold Harbor, VA, June 27, 1862.
Shaw, Angus Edward, 5th Sgt., Died, Typhoid Fever, Camp Winder Hospital, Richmond, VA, June 28, 1862.
Burnham (Burnum), Thomas, Killed, Malvern Hill, July 1, 1862.
Dowdy, Joseph S., Wounded, Malvern Hill, July 1, 1862.
Johnston (Johnson), Frederick, Wounded, Malvern Hill, VA, July 1, 1862.
Smith, Samuel, Wounded, Malvern Hill, VA, July 1, 1862.
Studstill, Joseph, Wounded, Malvern Hill, VA, July 1, 1862.
McDonald, Cornelius, Died, Fever, Richmond, VA, hospital, July 6, 1862. Buried there in Hollywood Cemetery.
Powell, Silas J., Died, Disease, In camp near Richmond, VA, July 6, 1862.
Campbell, Francis, 1st Cpl., Died, Typhoid Fever, Richmond, VA, hospital, July 8, 1862.
Marchant (Merchant), Ziba, Died, Measles, Richmond, VA, July 21, 1862.
McDuffie, Gideon N., Died, Fever, Richmond, VA, July 21, 1862.
From the silence of sorrowful hours
The desolate mourners go,
Lovingly laden with flowers
Alike for the friend and foe;
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment-day;
Under the roses, the Blue,
Under the lilies, the Gray.
Our "Roll Call" today is for those men whose last names begin with "C":
Cameron, John;
Cameron, Redding D.;
Clarke, James H.;
Clements, John C.;
Clements, Joseph J.;
Coffee, John W.;
Cravey, Cullen.
Note: It is said the total casualties for the Seven Days' Battle were:
Confederate - over 20,000; 3,286 Killed; 15,909 Wounded, 946 Missing.
For the Union: Almost 16,000; 1,734 Killed; 8,062 Wounded; 6,053 Missing.
