The 5th Georgia Cavalry was a cavalry

Cavalry

Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...

 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...

. It was composed of enlistees from the state of 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 served entirely in 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:...

.

History

The regiment was formed on January 20, 1863, from combining the 1st Battalion, Georgia Cavalry

1st Battalion, Georgia Cavalry

1st Battalion, Georgia Cavalry was a battalion of cavalry that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.It was first organized with five companies during the late fall of 1861, composed of men who had enlisted for 6 months' service...

 (made up of men from Liberty

Liberty County, Georgia

Liberty County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 61,610. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 60,503...

 and McIntosh

McIntosh County, Georgia

McIntosh County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Brunswick, Georgia, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of McIntosh, Glynn, and Brantley counties. As of 2010, the population is 14,333. The county seat is Darien.-History:McIntosh County was split...

 counties) and the 2nd Battalion (Bulloch

Bulloch County, Georgia

Bulloch County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 8, 1796. Bulloch County has undergone rapid growth in recent years. As of 2000, the population was 55,983. The 2009 Census Estimate showed a population of 69,213. The county seat is Statesboro.In...

, Chatham

Chatham County, Georgia

Chatham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The county seat and largest city is Savannah. In the official US Census of 2010, Chatham County had a total population of 265,128 . Chatham is the most populous Georgia county outside the Atlanta metropolitan area...

, Effingham

Effingham County, Georgia

Effingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. In the United States Census of 2000, the population was 37,535. The Census Bureau's 2008 estimate estimates that this figure has grown to 52,060. The seat of Effingham County is Springfield....

, and Screven

Screven County, Georgia

Screven County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 15,374. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 15,037...

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

 and parts of Georgia to defend against Union

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...

 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. 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

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...

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

Joseph Wheeler

Joseph Wheeler was an American military commander and politician. He has the rare distinction of serving as a general during war time for two opposing forces: first as a noted cavalry general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil War, and later as a general in the...

 and the Army of Tennessee

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 in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...

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

. They participated in the battle for that city and in the greater Atlanta Campaign

Atlanta Campaign

The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...

, where they lost many men. They saw combat in several major subsequent actions, including Kennesaw Mountain

Battle of Kennesaw Mountain

The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was fought on June 27, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the most significant frontal assault launched by Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman against the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen. Joseph E...

, 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 on April 26, 1865.

Companies of the Fifth Georgia Cavalry

• A - "Georgia Hussars" (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)