Columbus Volunteer Letter, SMC 146
Biographical Note
This letter, from J.E.F. Matthews to his cousin, John S. Matthews, contains a list of soldiers who served in Company C of the 17th Regiment "Columbus Volunteers" of the Georgia Infantry of the Confederate States of America. The regiment was raised from eight different counties in Georgia (Webster, Schley, Muscogee, Decatur, Mitchell, Dougherty, Harris, and Stewart) and officially organized in Atlanta from August 12 to August 15, 1861. The regiment's first commander was Col. Henry L. Benning, a prominent lawyer and judge in Muscogee County.
The regiment served in the Peninsula Campaign, the Battle of Garnett's Farm, the Battle of Malvern Hill, the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Battle of Chickamauga.
The regiment also served in the East Tennessee Campaign, the Wilderness Campaign, the Cold Harbor/Mechanicsville Campaign, and the Siege of Petersburg.The 17th surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9th, 1865.
Scope and Content
A 1904 letter from J.E.F. Matthews to his cousin John. S. Matthews detailing how he came into possession of a roster of soldiers who served in Company C of the 17th Regiment "Columbus Volunteers" of the Georgia Infantry of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Enclosed in this letter is a letter J.E.F. Matthews received from J.F. Beckwith, containing the list of Columbus Volunteers.
Permission to Publish
Permission to publish material from the Columbus Volunteer Regiment Letter must be obtained from the Columbus State University Archives at Columbus State University. Use of the following credit line for publication or exhibit is required:
Columbus Volunteer Regiment Letter (SMC 146) Columbus State University Archives Columbus, Georgia
Provenance
Gift of the Columbus Museum in 2017
Note to Researchers
See also:
Laurence Eugene O'Keeffe Collection (MC 218)
Folder List
Folder 1- The letter from J.E.F. Matthews to John S. Matthews
This letter contains a separate letter forwarded by J.E.F. Matthews which lists members of the Company C, 17th Regiment of the "Columbus Volunteers". Names are listed in alphabetical order.
