The 51st Georgia Volunteer Infantry was an infantry

Infantry

Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

 regiment

Regiment

A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...

 in the Confederate States Army

Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...

 during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

.

The regiment was formed in March 1862, and initially assigned to defensive duty in South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

. It was engaged at the Battle of Secessionville near Charleston

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...

 before being sent northward for duty in Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

. Upon reaching Virginia in July 1862, the 51st Georgia was assigned to Drayton's Brigade within the Army of Northern Virginia

Army of Northern Virginia

The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...

. After the Battle of Antietam

Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...

 in September, Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....

 decided to reorganize his army for more efficiency, and the 51st Regiment was permanently assigned to Paul Jones Semmes

Paul Jones Semmes

Paul Jones Semmes was a banker, businessman, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War, mortally wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg.-Early life:...

's brigade. The subsequent brigade commanders were Goode Bryan

Goode Bryan

Goode Bryan was a planter, politician, military officer, and American Civil War general in the Confederate States Army. His brigade played a prominent role during the Battle of the Wilderness, fighting stubbornly until exhausting its ammunition.-Early life and career:Bryan was born in Hancock...

 and James P. Simms. The 51st stayed in this brigade for the duration of the Civil War.

The regiment was a part of the Army of Northern Virginia from July 1862 until its surrender at Appomattox Court House

Appomattox Court House

The Appomattox Courthouse is the current courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...

, except during James Longstreet

James Longstreet

James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." He served under Lee as a corps commander for many of the famous battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the...

's 1863 independent expedition to Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

 and East Tennessee

East Tennessee

East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...

.

Staff

• Colonel
  • William Marion Slaughter (March 22, 1862 to May 2, 1863; Killed at Chancellorsville, Virginia)
  • Edward Ball (May 2, 1863 to November 13, 1864; Died of wounds received at Battle of Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864)
  • James Dickey (November 12, 1864 to end of war )
• Lieutenant Colonel
  • James Dickey (January 14, 1864 to November 12, 1864; Promoted to Colonel)
  • John P. Crawford (November 12, 1864 to end of the war)
• Major
  • Oliver Preston Anthony (March 22, 1862 to May 2, 1863; Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel)
  • Henry M. Dunwoody (May 2, 1863 to July 2, 1863; Killed at Gettysburg)
  • James Dickey (July 2, 1863 to January 14, 1864; Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel)
  • John P. Crawford (January 14, 1864 to November 12, 1864; Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel)

Companies

• Company A (Early Volunteers) was formed in Early County
  Early County, Georgia
  Early County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 15, 1818 and was named for Peter Early. As of 2010, the population is 11,008. The county seat is Blakely.-Geography:...
  
  .
• Company B (Lee Guards) was formed in Lee County
  Lee County, Georgia
  Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 24,757. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 33,050...
  
  .
• Company C (Mitchell Van Guards) was formed in Mitchell County
  Mitchell County, Georgia
  Mitchell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 21, 1857. As of 2000, the population was 23,932. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 24,139. The county seat is Camilla.-Geography:...
  
  .
• Company D (Miller Guards) was formed in Baker
  Baker County, Georgia
  Baker County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia. , the population is 4,074. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 3,781. The county seat is Newton.Baker County is included in the Albany, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
  
  , Colquitt
  Colquitt County, Georgia
  Colquitt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 25, 1856. As of 2000, the population was 42,053. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 45,744. The county seat is Moultrie...
  
   and Miller
  Miller County, Georgia
  Miller County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 26, 1856. As of 2000, the population was 6,383. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 6,163. The county seat is Colquitt.-Geography:...
  
   counties.
• Company E (Pochitla Guards) was formed in Baker and Calhoun
  Calhoun County, Georgia
  Calhoun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 20, 1854. As of 2000, the population was 6,320. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 6,098...
  
   counties.
• Company F (Terrell Infantry) was formed in Terrell County
  Terrell County, Georgia
  Terrell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The 2000 United States Census reported the county's population at 10,970. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 10,260...
  
  .
• Company G (Harrison Volunteers) was formed in Quitman County
  Quitman County, Georgia
  Quitman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 10, 1858 and named after General John A. Quitman, leader in the Mexican War, and once Governor of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 2,598. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 2,666...
  
  .
• Company H (Randolph Rangers) was formed in Randolph County
  Randolph County, Georgia
  Randolph County is a county located in the US state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population is 7,791. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 7,294. The county seat is Cuthbert.-History:Randolph County is named after Virginian John Randolph....
  
  .
• Company I (Clay Volunteers) was formed in Clay County
  Clay County, Georgia
  Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 3,357. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 3,207...
  
  .
• Company K (Dougherty Grays) was formed in Dougherty County
  Dougherty County, Georgia
  Dougherty County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 96,065. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 95,859. It is included in the Albany, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area...
  
  .

Battles

• Secessionville (June 16, 1862)
• Second Bull Run (August 28-30, 1862)
  Second Battle of Bull Run
  The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
  
  
• South Mountain (September 14, 1862)
  Battle of South Mountain
  The Battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. Maj. Gen. George B...
  
  
• Antietam (September 17, 1862)
  Battle of Antietam
  The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
  
  
• Fredericksburg (December 13, 1862)
  Battle of Fredericksburg
  The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
  
  
• Chancellorsville (May 1-4, 1863)
  Battle of Chancellorsville
  The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
  
  
• Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863)
  Battle of Gettysburg
  The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
  
  
• Chickamauga [not engaged] (September 19-20, 1863)
  Battle of Chickamauga
  The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
  
  
• Chattanooga Siege (September-November 1863)
• Knoxville Siege (November-December 1863)
  • Battle of Fort Sanders
    Battle of Fort Sanders
    The Battle of Fort Sanders was the decisive engagement of the Knoxville Campaign of the American Civil War, fought in Knoxville, Tennessee, on November 29, 1863. Assaults by Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet failed to break through the defensive lines of Union Maj. Gen...
    
    
• The Wilderness (May 5-6, 1864)
  Battle of the Wilderness
  The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
  
  
• Spotsylvania Court House (May 8-21, 1864)
  Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
  The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania , was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the bloody but inconclusive Battle of the Wilderness, Grant's army disengaged...
  
  
• North Anna (May 23-26, 1864)
  Battle of North Anna
  The Battle of North Anna was fought May 23–26, 1864, as part of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. It consisted of a series of small actions near the North Anna River in central Virginia, rather than a...
  
  
• Cold Harbor (June 1-3, 1864)
  Battle of Cold Harbor
  The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
  
  
• Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  Siege of Petersburg
  The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
  
  
• Cedar Creek (October 19, 1864)
  Battle of Cedar Creek
  The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, October 19, 1864, was one of the final, and most decisive, battles in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. The final Confederate invasion of the North, led by Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early, was effectively ended...
  
  
• Sayler's Creek (April 6, 1865)
  Battle of Sayler's Creek
  -External links:* * : Maps, histories, photos, and preservation news...
  
  
• Appomattox Court House
  Appomattox Court House
  The Appomattox Courthouse is the current courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...
  
  (April 9, 1865)