{{Infobox military unit , unit_name= 5th Georgia Cavalry Regiment , image=Image of 5th Georgia Cavalry.jpg , caption=Flag of the 5th Georgia Cavalry , country={{flag, Confederate States of America , allegiance= {{flagicon image, Flag of the State of Georgia (non-official).svg

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, type=

Cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

, branch={{army, CSA , dates=January 20, 1863–April 26, 1865 , specialization= , command_structure= , size= Regiment , current_commander= , garrison= , ceremonial_chief= , nickname= , motto= , colors= , march= , mascot= , battles=

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Kennesaw Mountain Kennesaw Mountain is a mountain between Marietta and Kennesaw, Georgia in the United States with a summit elevation of . It is the highest point in the core (urban and suburban) metro Atlanta area, and fifth after further-north exurban counties ...

* Atlanta Campaign *Buckhead *Big Shanty *Chattahoochee River *Decatur * Morrisville Station , notable_commanders= Robert H. Anderson , anniversaries= The 5th Georgia Cavalry Regiment was a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the

. It was composed of enlistees from the state of

and served entirely in the Western Theater.

History

The regiment was formed on January 20, 1863, from combining the 1st Battalion, Georgia Cavalry (made up of men from

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

and

McIntosh McIntosh, Macintosh, or Mackintosh (Gaelic: ') may refer to: Products and brands * Mackintosh, a form of waterproof raincoat * Mackintosh's or John Mackintosh and Co., later Rowntree Mackintosh, former UK confectionery company now part of Nestl� ...

counties) and the 2nd Battalion ( Bulloch,

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

, Effingham, and Screven counties). However, they were not officially mustered in the service until May 17, 1863, and were afterwards sent to

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

and parts of Georgia to defend against

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

incursions into those two states. At the end of August 1863, the entire regiment was sent to South Carolina and assigned to the overall command of General

P.G.T. Beauregard Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard (May 28, 1818 - February 20, 1893) was a Confederate general officer of Louisiana Creole descent who started the American Civil War by leading the attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Today, he is commonly ...

. They fought at Johns Island, Charleston, Green Pond, and many other battles within the area. The 5th Cavalry remained in South Carolina until orders sent them back to

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

on May 13, 1864; along the way, those orders changed and the 5th Georgia Cavalry rode to join General

Joseph Wheeler Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler (September 10, 1836 – January 25, 1906) was an American military commander and politician. He was a cavalry general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil War, and then a general in ...

and the

Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating i ...

. Once they had joined Wheeler’s forces, the troops traveled to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. They participated in the battle for that city and in the greater Atlanta Campaign, where they lost many men. They saw combat in several major subsequent actions, including

, Buckhead, Big Shanty, Chattahoochee River, and Decatur. Their last documented skirmish was the Battle of Morrisville Station on April 13–14, 1865. The regiment surrendered in

Hillsboro, North Carolina The town of Hillsborough is the county seat of Orange County, North Carolina, United States and is located along the Eno River. The population was 6,087 in 2010, but it grew rapidly to 9,660 by 2020. Its name was unofficially shortened to "Hillsb ...

on April 26, 1865.

James Lord Pierpont James Lord Pierpont (April 25, 1822 – August 5, 1893)Lewis, DaveJames Pierpont Biography, AllMusic, retrieved December 16, 2011 was an American songwriter , arranger, organist, Confederate States of America, Confederate States soldier, and co ...

served as a Private in Company H.

Companies of the Fifth Georgia Cavalry

* A - "

Georgia Hussars The Georgia Hussars are a cavalry unit founded before the American Revolution that continues today as part of the Georgia National Guard. The Hussars served the State of Georgia as part of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil Wa ...

" (Chatham County) * B - "Chatham Light Horse" (Chatham County) * C - "Blue Cap Cavalry" (Burke County) * D - "Liberty Guards" (Liberty County) * E - "Bulloch Troop" (Bulloch County) * F - "Screven Troop" (Screven County) * G - "Liberty Independent Troop" (Liberty County) * H - "Mounted Rifles" (Chatham County) * I - "Effingham Hussars" (Effingham County) * K - "McIntosh Light Dragoons" (McIntosh County)

External links

Georgia Cavalry Listing
Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Georgia (U.S. state) 1863 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)

History

Companies of the Fifth Georgia Cavalry

See also

External links