17th Georgia Volunteer Infantry
Encyclopedia
The 17th Georgia Volunteer Infantry was an infantry
regiment
in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
.
(mostly in the western part of the state) and officially organized in Atlanta
from August 12 to August 15, 1861, and armed with British Enfield pattern rifles. The regiment's first commander was Col.
Henry L. Benning
, a prominent lawyer
and judge in Muscogee County
(Columbus area
).
The 17th Georgia was composed of ten companies, each initially with roughly one hundred men.
via railroad through Tennessee
and Lynchburg
. It was brigaded with the 1st, 2nd, 15th, and 20th Georgia regiments. The 1st Georgia transferred out in October 1861 when the army was being restructured. The 17th Georgia eventually became part of Toombs'
brigade, D.R. Jones' Division, Army of the Potomac
. It saw its first combat in May 1862 on the Peninsula
, serving in the wing of Maj. Gen.
John B. Magruder
as he opposed the Federal Army
's advance under Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan
. After periods of intense rain and small insignificant actions, the 17th Georgia fell back towards Richmond
and did not participate in the counterattack
led by General Joseph E. Johnston
at the Battle of Seven Pines
. After this battle, General Robert E. Lee
took command of the army and renamed it the Army of Northern Virginia
.
However, the regiment did not rest for long. On June 27, 1862, the 17th Georgia, along with the rest of Toombs' Brigade, engaged Federal forces at the Battle of Garnett's Farm
. The 17th secured the left flank of the brigade, while the 2nd and 15th Georgia heavily engaged the enemy and lost many killed and wounded. The following day, after a grueling twenty-mile (32 km) march in the hot sun, the regiment finally stopped to rest. On July 1, the 17th Georgia participated in the final day of the Seven Days Campaign
fighting at the Battle of Malvern Hill
. The brigade lost almost 300 men killed and wounded during the Seven Days, including two regimental commanders and two adjutant
s.
In mid-July, the regiment left its positions on the Peninsula and moved back towards Richmond. It was then that the Army of Northern Virginia was reorganized into two Army Corps—the First, led by Lt. General James Longstreet
, and the Second, commanded by Lt. General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson
. The 17th Georgia was placed with Toombs' Brigade, in Jones' Division of the First Corps. The regiment moved north and fought at the Second Battle of Manassas
(Bull Run), where it suffered heavily. On August 30, 1862, the 17th Georgia and the rest of Toombs' Brigade engaged the Federal Army of Virginia
under the command of Maj. Gen. John Pope
at Second Manassas. The regiment entered the battle with 200 men and left the field with only 99. The brigade had lost a total of 37 killed and 294 wounded.
The Army of Northern Virginia then moved north and crossed the Potomac River
for its first invasion of the North
. The Maryland Campaign
culminated in the Battle of Sharpsburg
(Antietam) on September 17, 1862. Toombs' Brigade performed well, defending the right flank of Lee's army and preventing the IX Corps
of Ambrose Burnside
from readily crossing Antietam Creek
. For most of the battle, the 17th Georgia guarded the First Corps' supply train, but did participate in the last fight of the day by assisting the "Light Division" of Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill
. In all, Toombs' Brigade suffered 160 casualties, but inflicted more than 2,300 on the enemy (a 34:1 ratio).
The 17th Georgia moved south out of Maryland
with the army and took up positions on the south side of the Rappahannock River
in Virginia. It was at this point that Colonel Benning was given command of the brigade, and Col. Wesley Hodges assumed command of the regiment. During the Battle of Fredericksburg
, the brigade was not heavily engaged and suffered only two wounded and two killed.
's division, was sent down to southern Virginia
to forage for the rest of the army. As the unit marched through Richmond, it received a new divisional commander, the bold and brash John Bell Hood
. (The previous commander, Maj. Gen. David R. Jones, had died of sickness on January 15, 1863.) It was at this point the brigade was issued new uniforms from the Richmond Depot, most likely the Type-II uniforms. After several months in the Suffolk
area with two other Confederate divisions, Hood's Division rejoined Lee's army in late May, but missed out on the stunning Southern victory at Chancellorsville
.
With the loss of General Jackson at Chancellorsville
, the army was again reorganized; this time into three army corps, each consisting of three divisions. The 17th Georgia remained in Benning's Brigade, which was assigned to Hood's Division within General Longstreet's First Corps. The regiment moved north once more in June and engaged the Federal Army of the Potomac
on July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg
. The regiment was part of the attack on Federals defending the Devil's Den
at the foot of Little Round Top
. That day, Benning's Brigade captured 300 prisoners and several 10-pounder Parrott rifle
s. In addition, the brigade (along with Robertson and Law's brigades), secured Houck's Ridge and Devil's Den, driving off Ward's brigade of the 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Army of the Potomac (124th Pennsylvania, 99th Pennsylvania, 20th Indiana, and 4th Maine). The brigade did not participate in the fight of the third day, but it had lost over 300 men killed and wounded and two more regimental commanders.
The 17th Georgia was then shipped to the Western Theater
, along with most of Longstreet's Corps, and participated in the Battle of Chickamauga
in September 1863. The 17th also participated in the East Tennessee Campaign
, the Wilderness
campaign, the Cold Harbor
/Mechanicsville campaign, and the Siege of Petersburg
.
The 17th Georgia surrendered at Appomattox Court House
, along with much of the remainder of the Army of Northern Virginia, on April 9, 1865.
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...
.
Organization
The regiment was raised from eight different counties in GeorgiaGeorgia (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...
(mostly in the western part of the state) and officially organized in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
from August 12 to August 15, 1861, and armed with British Enfield pattern rifles. The regiment's first commander was Col.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Henry L. Benning
Henry L. Benning
Henry Lewis Benning was a lawyer, legislator, judge on the Georgia Supreme Court, and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He is also noted for the U.S...
, a prominent lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and judge in Muscogee County
Muscogee County, Georgia
Muscogee County is a county located on the central western border of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population was 186,291. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 190,414...
(Columbus area
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
).
The 17th Georgia was composed of ten companies, each initially with roughly one hundred men.
- Company A: Webster CountyWebster County, GeorgiaWebster County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The 2000 Census reflected a population of 2,390. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 2,192. The county seat is Preston.-History:...
—"Webster Rifles" - Company B: Schley CountySchley County, GeorgiaSchley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the county's population was 3,766. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 4,123...
—"Schley Volunteers" - Company C: Muscogee CountyMuscogee County, GeorgiaMuscogee County is a county located on the central western border of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population was 186,291. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 190,414...
—"Columbus Volunteers" - Company D: Decatur CountyDecatur County, GeorgiaDecatur County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 28,240. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 28,544. The county seat is Bainbridge.-History:...
—"Decatur Guards" - Company E: Mitchell CountyMitchell County, GeorgiaMitchell 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:...
—"Stephens Infantry" - Company F: Muscogee County
- Company G: Dougherty CountyDougherty County, GeorgiaDougherty 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...
- Company H: Harris CountyHarris County, GeorgiaHarris County is located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 14, 1827. As of 2000, the population was 23,695. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 29,073. The county seat is Hamilton...
—"Harris Bartows" - Company I: Stewart CountyStewart County, GeorgiaStewart County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 23, 1830. The 2010 Census reflected a population of 6,058. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 4,558. The county seat is Lumpkin.-History:...
- Company K: Stewart and Webster counties—"Webster Confederate Guards"
Initial deployment and service
The 17th Georgia was sent to northern VirginiaVirginia
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...
via railroad through Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
. It was brigaded with the 1st, 2nd, 15th, and 20th Georgia regiments. The 1st Georgia transferred out in October 1861 when the army was being restructured. The 17th Georgia eventually became part of Toombs'
Robert Toombs
Robert Augustus Toombs was an American political leader, United States Senator from Georgia, 1st Secretary of State of the Confederacy, and a Confederate general in the Civil War.-Early life:...
brigade, D.R. Jones' Division, Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac (Confederate)
The Confederate Army of the Potomac, whose name was short-lived, was the command under Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard in the early days of the American Civil War. Its only major combat action was the First Battle of Bull Run. Afterwards, the Army of the Shenandoah was merged into the Army of the...
. It saw its first combat in May 1862 on the Peninsula
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
, serving in the wing of Maj. Gen.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
John B. Magruder
John B. Magruder
John Bankhead Magruder was a career military officer who served in the armies of three nations. He was a U.S. Army officer in the Mexican-American War, a Confederate general during the American Civil War, and a postbellum general in the Imperial Mexican Army...
as he opposed the Federal Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
's advance under Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
. After periods of intense rain and small insignificant actions, the 17th Georgia fell back towards Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and did not participate in the counterattack
Counterattack
A counterattack is a tactic used in response against an attack. The term originates in military strategy. The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy in attack and the specific objectives are usually to regain lost ground or to destroy attacking enemy units.It is...
led by General Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
at the Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive up the Virginia Peninsula by Union Maj. Gen....
. After this battle, General 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....
took command of the army and renamed it 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...
.
However, the regiment did not rest for long. On June 27, 1862, the 17th Georgia, along with the rest of Toombs' Brigade, engaged Federal forces at the Battle of Garnett's Farm
Battle of Garnett's & Golding's Farm
The Battle of Garnett's and Golding's Farms took place June 27–28, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War. While battle raged north of the Chickahominy River at Gaines's Mill on June 27, Confederate Brig. Gen. John B...
. The 17th secured the left flank of the brigade, while the 2nd and 15th Georgia heavily engaged the enemy and lost many killed and wounded. The following day, after a grueling twenty-mile (32 km) march in the hot sun, the regiment finally stopped to rest. On July 1, the 17th Georgia participated in the final day of the Seven Days Campaign
Seven Days Battles
The Seven Days Battles was a series of six major battles over the seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, away from...
fighting at the Battle of Malvern Hill
Battle of Malvern Hill
The Battle of Malvern Hill, also known as the Battle of Poindexter's Farm, took place on July 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, on the seventh and last day of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War. Gen. Robert E. Lee launched a series of disjointed assaults on the nearly impregnable...
. The brigade lost almost 300 men killed and wounded during the Seven Days, including two regimental commanders and two adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
s.
In mid-July, the regiment left its positions on the Peninsula and moved back towards Richmond. It was then that the Army of Northern Virginia was reorganized into two Army Corps—the First, led by Lt. General 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...
, and the Second, commanded by Lt. General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
. The 17th Georgia was placed with Toombs' Brigade, in Jones' Division of the First Corps. The regiment moved north and fought at the Second Battle of Manassas
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...
(Bull Run), where it suffered heavily. On August 30, 1862, the 17th Georgia and the rest of Toombs' Brigade engaged the Federal Army of Virginia
Army of Virginia
The Army of Virginia was organized as a major unit of the Union Army and operated briefly and unsuccessfully in 1862 in the American Civil War. It should not be confused with its principal opponent, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by Robert E...
under the command of Maj. Gen. John Pope
John Pope (military officer)
John Pope was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. He had a brief but successful career in the Western Theater, but he is best known for his defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run in the East.Pope was a graduate of the United States Military Academy in...
at Second Manassas. The regiment entered the battle with 200 men and left the field with only 99. The brigade had lost a total of 37 killed and 294 wounded.
The Army of Northern Virginia then moved north and crossed the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
for its first invasion of the North
Northern United States
Northern United States, also sometimes the North, may refer to:* A particular grouping of states or regions of the United States of America. The United States Census Bureau divides some of the northernmost United States into the Midwest Region and the Northeast Region...
. The Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North was repulsed by Maj. Gen. George B...
culminated in the Battle of Sharpsburg
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...
(Antietam) on September 17, 1862. Toombs' Brigade performed well, defending the right flank of Lee's army and preventing the IX Corps
IX Corps (ACW)
IX Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War that distinguished itself in combat in multiple theaters: the Carolinas, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi.-Formation, Second Bull Run, and Antietam:...
of Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
from readily crossing Antietam Creek
Antietam Creek
Antietam Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River located in south central Pennsylvania and western Maryland in the United States, a region known as the Hagerstown Valley...
. For most of the battle, the 17th Georgia guarded the First Corps' supply train, but did participate in the last fight of the day by assisting the "Light Division" of Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill
A. P. Hill
Ambrose Powell Hill, Jr. , was a career U.S. Army officer in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars and a Confederate general in the American Civil War...
. In all, Toombs' Brigade suffered 160 casualties, but inflicted more than 2,300 on the enemy (a 34:1 ratio).
The 17th Georgia moved south out of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
with the army and took up positions on the south side of the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
in Virginia. It was at this point that Colonel Benning was given command of the brigade, and Col. Wesley Hodges assumed command of the regiment. During the Battle of Fredericksburg
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...
, the brigade was not heavily engaged and suffered only two wounded and two killed.
Later service
It was shortly after Fredericksburg that the division, along with General George PickettGeorge Pickett
George Edward Pickett was a career United States Army officer who became a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
's division, was sent down to southern 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...
to forage for the rest of the army. As the unit marched through Richmond, it received a new divisional commander, the bold and brash John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...
. (The previous commander, Maj. Gen. David R. Jones, had died of sickness on January 15, 1863.) It was at this point the brigade was issued new uniforms from the Richmond Depot, most likely the Type-II uniforms. After several months in the Suffolk
Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
area with two other Confederate divisions, Hood's Division rejoined Lee's army in late May, but missed out on the stunning Southern victory at Chancellorsville
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...
.
With the loss of General Jackson at Chancellorsville
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...
, the army was again reorganized; this time into three army corps, each consisting of three divisions. The 17th Georgia remained in Benning's Brigade, which was assigned to Hood's Division within General Longstreet's First Corps. The regiment moved north once more in June and engaged the Federal Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
on July 2, 1863, at Gettysburg
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...
. The regiment was part of the attack on Federals defending the Devil's Den
Devil's Den
Devils Den is a boulder-strewn Gettysburg Battlefield hill used by artillery and infantry during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, Second Day...
at the foot of Little Round Top
Little Round Top
Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg....
. That day, Benning's Brigade captured 300 prisoners and several 10-pounder Parrott rifle
Parrott rifle
The Parrott rifle was a type of muzzle loading rifled artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War.-Parrott Rifle:The gun was invented by Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate. He resigned from the service in 1836 and became the superintendent of the West Point Foundry in Cold...
s. In addition, the brigade (along with Robertson and Law's brigades), secured Houck's Ridge and Devil's Den, driving off Ward's brigade of the 1st Division, 3rd Corps, Army of the Potomac (124th Pennsylvania, 99th Pennsylvania, 20th Indiana, and 4th Maine). The brigade did not participate in the fight of the third day, but it had lost over 300 men killed and wounded and two more regimental commanders.
The 17th Georgia was then shipped to the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
, along with most of Longstreet's Corps, and participated in the Battle of Chickamauga
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...
in September 1863. The 17th also participated in the East Tennessee Campaign
Knoxville Campaign
The Knoxville Campaign was a series of American Civil War battles and maneuvers in East Tennessee during the fall of 1863. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside occupied Knoxville, Tennessee, and Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. James Longstreet were detached from Gen...
, the Wilderness
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...
campaign, the Cold Harbor
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...
/Mechanicsville campaign, and the Siege of Petersburg
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...
.
The 17th Georgia surrendered 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...
, along with much of the remainder of the Army of Northern Virginia, on April 9, 1865.